Eagles Rookie QB Jalen Hurts to Start vs. Saints

Eagles rookie Jalen Hurts relieved Carson Wentz in Sunday's loss to the Packers.

Eagles second-round pick Jalen Hurts will start at quarterback for Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, the team announced on Tuesday.

Hurts will replace Carson Wentz, who will serve as the team's backup.

The 22-year-old Hurts relieved Wentz in the third quarter of Philadelphia's eventual 30-16 loss to the Packers last week. In his first series, the rookie quarterback provided an instant spark by completing a 34-yard pass to rookie wideout Jalen Reagor. During his second drive, Hurts completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Ward for Philadelphia's first touchdown of the game. 

He finished the game with 142 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception.

Wentz completed just 6-of-15 passes for 79 yards in the loss and was sacked four times prior to being pulled.

"We needed a spark in this game to try to get some things going," Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said afterward. "I've got to get through injuries. There's a lot of things I'm going to consider and evaluate before anything is decided."

Wentz, 27, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He made a Pro Bowl in his second season but has struggled mightily this season. He leads the NFL with 15 interceptions thrown and has completed just 57.4% of his pass attempts. 

Through 12 games, he has also been sacked a league-leading 50 times. 

The Eagles enter Week 14 at 3-8-1, trailing both the Washington Football Team and New York Giants in the division race. 

Kickoff for Sunday's Eagles-Saints game is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.