Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts missed Week 13 against the New York Jets due to an ankle injury. Gardner Minshew had an impressive performance in his place, sparking a potential QB controversy. What is the latest news surrounding Hurts’ injury, and will he play in Week 15?
Jalen Hurts injury update
Hurts suffered a left ankle sprain on November 28 against the New York Giants, a game they lost 13-7. After a couple of excellent weeks where he put up double-digit points, the Giants game was a fall back to Earth for the Eagles QB. He had zero touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Combining both his rushing and passing yards, Hurts barely hit the 200-yard mark.
After that contest, Minshew was given his chance to play while Hurts rested his ankle. The team went into their bye week and are now preparing to go up against Washington this week. During practice, Minshew and Hurts were seen splitting first-team reps. Even though head coach Nick Sirianni seemed somewhat confident Hurts would play when asked during the bye, the fact that the two are sharing starting reps is concerning. Sirianni also seemed less confident during Wednesday’s practice.
“I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, just like I didn’t know last week exactly what was going to happen,” said Sirianni. “You want to make sure that you’re covered if one guy can’t play. So that’s it.”
Hurts was officially listed as limited on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practice reports.
What to expect from the Eagles’ QB situation against Washington
Both Eagles fans and fantasy managers were likely surprised by Hurts’ bad performance in Week 12, considering how inconsistent the Giants’ defense has been in 2021. The G-Men are currently ranked 21st in the NFL in points allowed per game at 23.8. They also allow an average of 17.24 fantasy points to QBs per game in standard formats.
Hurts has been a nice surprise for Philadelphia this season and is currently the sixth-best fantasy QB. He is averaging 21.91 fantasy points per game and is ahead of QBs like Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson.
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Even though Hurts has shown signs of a potential franchise QB, the Eagles’ season has been quite a roller coaster. They are currently third in the NFC East but have the same record as Washington at 6-7. The last two playoff spots in the NFC are currently held by Washington and San Francisco, with the 49ers having only one more win than the Eagles.
With one of the tougher schedules in the NFL to start the year, Philadelphia has performed above expectations to this point. A lot of that has to do with Hurts’ talent and his dual-threat ability. He currently has 2,435 passing yards with 13 TDs and leads the team in rushing yards with 695 yards.
Can Washington’s defense limit Hurts or Minshew?
Washington’s defense has been a shell of itself compared to last season. Plus, they are currently in the middle of one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the league. None of this bodes well for them against a dynamic Eagles offense.
Yes, they looked terrible against New York, but Philly bounced back nicely against the Jets. Whether Hurts is the starter or Minshew plays another week, I think the Eagles should be able to score some points in this one.
Against the Jets, Minshew looked good, throwing for 242 yards and 2 TDs. He was nowhere near as versatile and mobile as Hurts, but he did thrive in the pocket. Whether the Eagles need to rely on Hurts or Minshew, they should find success this week.
