Week 15 is an important game for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The once high-flying Eagles have now lost two straight games, both in not very competitive fashion. Next up for the team in Philly is a matchup on Monday Night Football against another NFC opponent — the Seattle Seahawks — with playoff scenarios to worry about.
Both teams need a win badly, but they also have real question marks about their starting quarterbacks’ availability. Could Hurts be forced to miss this important matchup?
Is Jalen Hurts Going To Play in Week 15?
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
While Hurts has been banged up all season long, nursing a knee injury that he has had to overcome, it’s not an injury that has put his status in doubt this week.
It’s actually an illness that Hurts and the team are monitoring. Although he traveled with the team to Seattle in preparation for the game, 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 big development for a team that desperately needs a win this week. The Eagles have relinquished their division lead after their 20-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys a week prior and want to avoid a third-straight loss to possibly widen the gap even further between the two rivals.
Who Would Step in If Hurts Can’t Go?
If Hurts’ illness keeps him out of the game, the Eagles will call upon Marcus Mariota to step in. The NFL veteran is in his ninth season in the NFL and has only appeared in two games this season and threw three total passes.
It will surely be a big adjustment if Mariota is needed, and it comes at the worst possible time for Philadelphia.
MORE: Should Fantasy Managers Be Concerned About Jalen Hurts’ Illness?
This looks to be the toughest test left on what is otherwise a mild Eagles schedule to finish out the season. Getting a win on Monday night would go a long way in keeping them in the driver’s seat for not only the division but the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
This is a story worth monitoring as it will have massive implications on the NFC playoff picture and how it unfolds.
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