Commanders DC Has Warning For Eagles Jalen Hurts: Run At Your Own Risk

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt said Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will be hit like any running back if he rusn the ball in the NFC title game.

Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts, beware. The Eagles quarterback was put in the crosshairs of Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt, who basically threatened bodily harm in a passive aggressive sort of way.

“If he's going to run the ball, and if the coordinator (Kellen Moore) makes the decision for him to run the ball, we're going to treat him like a running back, and we're going to hit him that way,” said Whitt. “So that's their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don't, they'll keep him in the pocket. So, that's what we're going to do.”

Really, that’s what most coordinators would probably say about Hurts if they wanted to speak their mind. That Whitt did it before Sunday’s NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field may have been a dog whistle to members of his defense like linebacker Frankie Luvu, who is gaining a reputation for borderline play after knocking a pair of quarterbacks out for the game the past month with questionable hits, including one on Jalen Hurts on Dec. 22.

The same could be said about Jayden Daniels, too, if Eagles DC Vic Fangio was so inclined. Instead, Fangio took the high road when asked about the Commanders’ dual-threat rookie quarterback.

“He's a young quarterback by birth certificate, not by the tape,” said Fangio. “You know, the guy is playing extremely well. …He's come through for them in a big way, and he's tough to handle.”

Whitt, though, doesn’t have the experience or savvy of the 66-yard-old Fangio. He is just 46 and in his first year as a pro DC and still trying to figure that stuff out. He’s also trying to still figure out how to stop the run.

His defense is one of the worst in the NFL at doing it. They rank 30 among 32 teams and surrender 137.5 yards per game.

Hurts had 10 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ win on Nov. 14 and was on his way to an even bigger game in the second meeting with three runs for 41 yards until he was knocked out of the game after 11 snaps.

So, you know Whitt will tell his players to do whatever it takes to stop him. Whitt’s bravado did not ruffle Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.

“Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back,” he said. “He's running with the football. They'll try to tackle him.We already are ultimately cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.

“But I wouldn't expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself, and we know how to help him do that as well as far as the way the scheme goes.”

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