Week 15 is an important game for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFC East-leading Eagles have lost two straight games, both of which did not look very good. Next up for Philly is a matchup on Monday Night Football against another NFC opponent — the Seattle Seahawks — with more than just playoff scenarios to worry about.
Both teams need a win in the worst way, but they also have real question marks about their starting quarterbacks’ availability. Could Hurts be forced to miss this important matchup tonight?
Illness Casts Doubt Over Jalen Hurts’ Availability
Update 12/18/2023: According to Jeff McLane from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hurts will be active to start at QB for the Eagles tonight.
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
Hurts has been battling injuries all season long — a knee injury being the main culprit of the issue — but when it comes to Monday night and an important NFC showdown, it’s not the knee that is casting doubt over his availability.
It’s an illness that Hurts and the team are monitoring as the game draws close.
Although he traveled to Seattle, Hurts did so separately from the team to avoid getting anybody else sick. As a result, his official game status was changed to questionable ahead of Monday’s matchup.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “Eagles are downgrading QB Jalen Hurts to questionable for Monday night’s game in Seattle after his sickness worsened overnight, per a source.
“Hurts still is harboring hopes of playing Monday night, and is traveling to Seattle separately from the team so as to try not get anyone else sick.”
This is a less-than-ideal situation for the Eagles, as they are heading into the matchup on a two-game losing streak and need to find a way back into the winning column to keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
While Schefter alludes to the illness and what it could mean, NFL Network’s Taylor Bisciotti adds that despite the illness, the sentiment is that Hurts is going to try and give it a go tonight.
“I’m told Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is definitely going to try and play tonight. He started feeling ill on Thursday. Had the normal fever, chills, body aches yesterday. But, the hope is Hurts is good to go tonight.”
Who Would Step in for Hurts?
If Hurts’ illness does keep him out of the game, the Eagles will then call upon Marcus Mariota to step in and try to percent a third loss in a row. The NFL veteran is in his ninth season in the NFL and has only appeared in two games thus far this season — throwing just three passes.
It will be a big adjustment for the Philadelphia offense if Mariota is needed, and it comes at the worst possible time. This is a story worth watching as it will have massive implications on the NFC playoff picture and how it unfolds.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!