After sitting out the preseason opener, how likely are we to see Jalen Hurts play in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ third preseason contest? The Eagles take on the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night; here is all we know about the chances of Hurts appearing.
Will Jalen Hurts Play in Third Preseason Game?
Much like last week, it looks as if the work Hurts put in during the team’s joint practices with the Colts was all he will see of Indy. It appears Hurts won’t suit up for the Eagles’ final preseason game of 2023.
We have seen more teams over the years adopt this style of load management, electing to play it safe in a red practice jersey as they prefer good competitive work against another opponent while still having it be a controlled situation in a practice environment.
How To Watch Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: Amazon
Who Will Play Instead of Jalen Hurts?
The Eagles have four quarterbacks on the roster currently, and with Hurts not playing tonight, the other three are prepared to share the workload.
NFL veteran and former first-round pick Marcus Mariota will likely get the first crack at the Colts. Mariota was the starting quarterback for the Falcons last season but was benched toward the end of the season.
The Falcons turned the team over to second-year QB Desmond Ridder, forcing Mariota to travel to Philadelphia for a chance at sticking around somewhere new.
The next man up after Mariota will be second-year QB Ian Book. Book has been with Philadelphia since late last season and has a challenge ahead of him to make the roster, with some of the other pieces around him playing a factor.
The main factor hindering him is the fourth quarterback on the roster, Tanner McKee. McKee was drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and all indications are that the Eagles are hoping to help develop the young signal-caller for the future, making for a tough numbers game for Book to hang on to a roster spot.
