It’s been a wild last week for the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite winning nine straight, the team is in the midst of some turmoil. Thanks to some incendiary comments from A.J. Brown about his lack of receptions, their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was one to keep a close eye on.
However, before the game even got underway, Eagles fans were in for a true shocker. Walking into the arena, their star QB Jalen Hurts was sporting a new injury — or at least new to the public. Immediately, the reactions from fans came pouring in.
Surprise Jalen Hurts Injury Shocks Eagles Fanbase
After Ian Rapoport posted a photo on X (formerly known as Twitter) showing the image of Hurts walking into the stadium in a green sweatshirt and pants combo, the injury was clear to see. On his left hand, the dual-threat quarterback had heavy bandaging on an apparently broken finger.
The situation was a complete shocker to fans and even ones “in the know.” MetroPhilly and Eagles Sports Nation writer Anthony DiBona was in complete shock, punctuating his “Excuse me!?” over the state of the team’s QB.
Excuse me!? https://t.co/vqwQLV2U6k
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) December 15, 2024
Some fans were directly calling out the team as well, lashing out in anger. Hurts was a full participant in practice all week with a “left finger injury,” but the severity was unknown. A complete non-mention does raise some questions.
One fan said, “Eagles just holding info out now?” which seemed to be a popular sentiment.
Eagles just holding info out now?
— Unifyz (@UnifyzTv) December 15, 2024
Some fans were still willing to remain optimistic, though. Due to the injury occurring on his non-throwing hand, the prevailing notion is that it shouldn’t affect his throws too much. However, each snap is going to cause some discomfort. “Non throwing hand so it wont impact passes, but those snaps could hurt.”
“Don’t you wrap an adjacent finger with it? That will just make it harder for him to catch the ball with that thing,” another fan added.
Non throwing hand so it wont impact passes, but those snaps could hurt.
— Steve 🤙 (@SteveKBark) December 15, 2024
Others, however, weren’t so optimistic. After last season’s collapse after a 10-1 start, the injury could be a red herring to this year’s team’s demise. “Well this isn’t great,” was the simplest way to explain how the entirety of Philadelphia was feeling.
well this isn't great
— The Birds Blitz (@TheBirdsBlitz) December 15, 2024
Of course, because it was social media, the jokes were out in full force. For many, the game is going to be a must-see, particularly for the team’s handling of the Hurts-Brown situation.
Due to his comments after last week’s win over Carolina, the offense’s potential focus on Brown would be a question fans might find an answer to. But now, the injury had fans rattling off the jokes: “Built in excuse to not get the ball to AJ”
Built in excuse to not get the ball to AJ 💀
— Hate First Sports (@hatefirstsports) December 15, 2024
“Hurts is out here playing with one hand and still might throw more touchdowns than half the league,” another fan said, expressing faith in Hurts despite the injury.
With an injured finger, we could expect an even bigger game from RB Saquon Barkley. On pace to break the single-season rushing yards record, Hurts’ limitation could lead to the Eagles force-feeding him the ball. Eric Dickerson might not be too far away.