The Philadelphia Eagles‘ season could come down to Jalen Hurts’ health. The Pro Bowl quarterback suffered an injury in a critical Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers, throwing the Eagles’ near-term outlook into chaos. What happened to Hurts, and what’s his current injury status?
Jalen Hurts Injury Update
Hurts took a shot from 49ers LB Oren Burks on a third-down scramble late in the third quarter. He initially went to the blue medical tent on Philadelphia’s sideline to be assessed before jogging to the club’s locker room.
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts took a hard hit on this play and went back to the locker room to be evaluated.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 3, 2023
The Eagles subsequently announced Hurts was being evaluated for a concussion. However, he returned midway through the fourth quarter despite Philadelphia trailing by 22 points, having presumably cleared brain injury tests.
MORE: Philadelphia Eagles Depth Chart
Marcus Mariota, who inked a one-year, $5 million deal with the Eagles this offseason, had taken over under center. The 30-year-old made 13 starts for Philadelphia in 2022, posting a 5-8 record, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Hurts has been dealing with a nagging knee injury for most of the 2023 campaign. But he’s battled through the issue and hasn’t missed any game action.
What Would the Eagles Offense Look Like Without Hurts?
Hurts has been the engine to the explosive Philadelphia offense this season, but the entire fantasy outlook changes for this offense while Mariota is under center. Hurts scored his 12th rushing TD of the season before heading back to the locker room.
If Hurts misses any time in the coming weeks, his injury will drastically drop the fantasy value of both A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Brown will fall from a top-five play at the WR position to low-end WR1/high-end WR2 territory, while Smith would fall around the top 30.
Oddly enough, an injury to Hurts could give RB D’Andre Swift a bit more touchdown equity because of Hurts’ tendency to vulture short-yardage scores. However, there will likely be fewer scoring opportunities for Philly with Mariota under center.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate