Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts missed the team’s final two games of the regular season after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders. Hurts has yet to practice since sustaining that head injury.
With the NFL playoffs getting underway, let’s examine whether Hurts will be available for the Wild Card Round against the Green Bay Packers.
What Is Jalen Hurts’ Injury?
With 9:52 remaining in the first quarter of the Eagles’ Week 16 loss to the Commanders, Hurts took a hard hit following a 13-yard scramble.
After the quarterback collided with a pair of Commanders defenders, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, the officials told him to leave the game to be evaluated by the independent neurotrauma consultant.
Hurts seemed to want to re-enter the game shortly after, but he was held back by medical personnel and went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation.
After further testing, Hurts was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and he hasn’t played or even practiced since.
Is Hurts At Risk For Missing the Wild Card Round?
It remains to be seen if Hurts will play in Sunday’s playoff matchup against the Packers.
Hurts is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol and while he is making progress, he cannot play unless he clears the protocol.
While some assumed that he was one of many Eagles simply resting in Week 18 against the New York Giants, Hurts couldn’t have played in that game because he was still in the league’s concussion protocol.
"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 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 he misses practice on Wednesday and Thursday, that would be bad news for Hurts and the Eagles.
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 two-and-a-half weeks.
How Does a Player Clear the NFL’s Concussion Protocol?
As soon as a player is ruled out with a concussion, he enters into the NFL’s concussion protocol and cannot play until he passes each step. There is no set time to return to play or expected time to progress through each step of the protocol, as the recovery time for concussions varies from player to player.
Here are the five steps that the NFL and NFLPA agreed to for a player to return from a concussion:
Phase 1 (Symptom-Limited Activity)
The player is prescribed rest and told to limit or, if necessary, avoid activities (both physical and cognitive) that increase or aggravate symptoms. Under athletic training staff supervision, limited stretching and balance training can be introduced, progressing to light aerobic exercise, all as tolerated.
Phase 2 (Aerobic Exercise)
Under direct oversight of the team’s medical staff, the player should begin graduated cardiovascular exercise and may also engage in dynamic stretching and balance training. Neurocognitive and balance testing can be administered after completion of Phase 2, and the results should be interpreted as back to baseline.
Phase 3 (Football-Specific Exercise)
The player continues with supervised cardiovascular exercises that are increased and may mimic sport-specific activities, and supervised strength training is introduced. The player is allowed to practice with the team in sport-specific exercises for 30 minutes or less with ongoing and careful monitoring.
Phase 4 (Club-Based Non-Contact Training Drills)
The player continues cardiovascular, strength, and balance training, team-based sports-specific exercise, and participates in non-contact football activities (e.g. throwing, catching, running, and other position-specific activities). Neurocognitive and balance testing should be completed no later than the end of Phase Four with the results interpreted as back to baseline.
Phase 5 (Full Football Activity/Clearance)
Upon clearance by the team physician for full football activity involving contact, the player must be examined by the Independent Neurological Consultant (INC) assigned to his club. If the INC concurs with the team physician that the player’s concussion has been resolved, he may participate in his team’s next practice or game.
It remains to be seen if Hurts can play on Sunday. Check back to see if the veteran quarterback resumes practicing, and monitor the Eagles’ injury report for the latest update.