Jalen Hurts didn’t suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles’ final two matchups in the 2024 NFL regular season after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders. The Eagles ended the season with a 14-3 record and meet the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round on Sunday.
Philadelphia’s defense has been solid this season, allowing Saquon Barkley and Hurts to take their offensive game to another level. However, Hurts has yet to show up in practice following his head injury.
Will the Eagles QB be available for the first game of the postseason? NFL insider Dan Orlovsky shared his take on the matter.
NFL Insider Worried About Jalen Hurts
Hurts’ absence might have begun to hurt Eagles fans. They would be desperate to see the quarterback step on the gridiron once again, especially in the postseason. Orlovsky gave an update on the 26-year-old’s health on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I would be pretty concerned as of right now [about Hurts]. This is a long time without practicing. … I wonder, if he is not practicing, is he able to be throwing on the side and kind of working up a sweat? And maybe throwing routes on air, or whatnot? I thought Jeff [Saturday] intimated that that’s not even allowed as well,” he said.
"I would be pretty concerned as of right now about Jalen Hurts..
This is a long time to go without practicing for a Quarterback..
I'm really interested to see what happens in the next 48 hours" ~ @danorlovsky7 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/bZheZBQ4p1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 7, 2025
The NFL insider shed some light on the seriousness of the injury on Hurts’s activity.
“Sixteen days, it’s been since any type of football activity. And if that’s accurate, that does give me a little bit of like, ‘Oh, man,’ you know; that’s a really long time for a quarterback to be off,” Orlovsky went on.
The next few hours will be crucial for confirming the Eagles quarterback’s availability against the Packers.
“I’ll be interested to see what the next 48 hours are because Wednesday is obviously the start of the [practice] week. So if he’s out there tomorrow and practicing, and he’s cleared everything, and he’s fully clear for practice, then I really don’t have a ton of concern. But if it bleeds into tomorrow and he’s not able to kind of partake in at least some parts of practice, then that gives me a high level of hesitation if I’m Philly,” Orlovsky added.
A concussion in Week 16 put Hurts out of the game. Immediately entering the NFL’s concussion protocol, he didn’t return to the game. The injury and subsequent concussion protocol have kept him out of practice for the last two weeks.
Barely five minutes into the game, the Eagles were facing a tough 2nd-and-20 situation from the opposing 34-yard line. In an effort to gain some extra yardage, Hurts ran a QB draw to the left, reaching the 20-yard mark.
Unfortunately, a double tackle by Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner saw the former’s knee collide directly with the quarterback’s helmet. While he did get up to take the next snap, Philadelphia exercised caution to pull him out of the game.
Will Hurts Play Against the Packers in the Wild Card Round?
It’s still uncertain whether Hurts will get the clearance to play on Sunday, Jan. 12. He is still in concussion protocol and can’t suit up without clearing it. The good news is that Hurts attended the team’s walkthrough on Saturday, which is a step in the right direction.
However, until he returns to practice, there will be legitimate concern about his availability for the Wild Card Round. If Hurts isn’t cleared until late in the week, he will receive very few practice reps and have a short window to shake off the rust that comes with missing 2.5 weeks.