After being handed back-to-back 20+ point losses and breaking a (sad) 40 year old record in the process, the Philadelphia Eagles’ December was looking like it could get considerably worse, as Jalen Hurts was last night downgraded to questionable with illness heading into tonight’s game, as his sickness seemingly worsened overnight.
Now, mere hours before kickoff, a decision has been made by Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff, who recently announced a major change on the opposite side of the ball. This news comes courtesy of NFL and Philadelphia Eagles insider Jeff McLane:
Jalen Hurts is at Lumen Field and will be active to start at QB for the #Eagles vs. the Seahawks, an NFL source said.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 18, 2023
How Will Jalen Hurts’ Availability Impact The Philadelphia Eagles’ Offense
I do not have to tell you that Jalen Hurts, a borderline MVP candidate and top 5 quarterback for the reigning NFC Champions, is somewhat of a crucial part of the operation. Last year, Hurts missed two games with a sprained shoulder, and more than competent fill-in, Gardner Minshew, went 0-2 in the process.
The Eagles are undoubtedly one of the best put together rosters on both sides of the ball, but on paper, so are the 5-8 Los Angeles Chargers! Jalen Hurts is a bona fide escape artist extraordinaire when comes to his work outside of the pocket; coming under pressure and still managing to make magician-esque plays to his receivers.
Whilst Hurts does not have the lofty stats of someone like Dak Prescott, who essentially just beats up on bad and mediocre teams again and again (well, also the Eagles), completing 66.5% of his passes for 19 TDs and 10 picks, for a combined reasonable passer rating of 93.5 – his worth goes far beyond simple box score stats, as the Eagles’ win record in big games (pre-December 2023) and Super Bowl run in 2022 demonstrate.
Hopefully Hurts is still able to play at more or less full capacity despite illness, and that he manages to get healthy during the rest of this wee The Eagles are 5.5 point favorites at the Seattle Seahawks this evening. Should be an interesting one.
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