On Friday, Dec. 27, it was announced that Jalen Hurts is officially ruled out for the Week 17 matchup versus the Dallas Cowboys with a concussion.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020, Hurts has missed a total of five regular-season games, including starting all 17 regular-season games in 2023. Now, the Eagles will need to find a way to get a win without their star QB.
What’s on the line? Just an opportunity to clinch the NFC East division crown and an opportunity to steal away the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
What Is Jalen Hurt’s Injury?
In the first quarter of the Week 16 matchup against the division rival Washington Commanders, Hurts did what Hurts often does. Early on in the first quarter, Hurts took off with the ball on a designed QB draw play and picked up 13 yards, something that Eagles fans have grown accustomed to seeing, except for this next part.
Washington defenders Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu came in to take Hurts down on the play, and the QB had his head driven into the ground. Hurts has not only been healthy but he is widely known for squatting 500 pounds and being strong as an ox. Yet after this play, it took some assistance from a teammate for Hurts to get up off the mat as he was clearly dazed and confused.
Despite signaling with a “thumbs up” to show he was OK, it was clear that Hurts was not right. He was required to head to the blue medical tent that all fans have grown to fear for a concussion evaluation. The QB did not return to the game. The Eagles went on to lose to Washington, snapping their 10-game win streak.
Throughout the week Hurts was not seen practicing or around the facility, leaving fans and media members wondering about the extent of this injury and if there is a chance Hurts could return for the showdown in Week 17 against the Cowboys. On Friday, it was announced that Hurts is officially ruled out and will not participate in the NFC East clash.
When Will Hurts Return?
Injuries are the cost of doing business as a player in the NFL, but dealing with a concussion is always tricky. A broken bone, despite being painful and oftentimes a lengthy recovery timeline, is straightforward in the sense of knowing how long that healing process takes.
A concussion is far from a “one size fits all” injury, and the effects and recovery period vary from player to player. To return to the field, a player must go through the NFL’s concussion protocol and be cleared through each of the five steps in the process. Here is a breakdown of the protocol and what Hurts will be facing before being cleared to return:
- Symptom limited activity
- Aerobic exercise
- Football specific exercise
- Club-based non-contact training drills
- Full football activity/clearance
It is currently unknown what stage of the protocol Hurts is in, and by the looks of it, he has a long way to go. Now, needing a win to clinch the NFC East crown and to try and capture the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, the Eagles will look to guys like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and their defense to slow down the 7-8 Dallas Cowboys, who have won four of their last five games.