Eagles Jalen Hurts Progressing Through Another Late-Season Injury: "No Excuses"

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has struggled with innjuries at the end of every season since 2021, but two years he was still able to lead Philly to a Super Bowl. Can he again?
Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) walks the field after a victory against the Los Angeles Rams in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) walks the field after a victory against the Los Angeles Rams in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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PHILADELPHIA – He took them to a Super Bowl two years ago, where he played like the big game’s MVP, while managing a shoulder injury. If Jalen Hurts wants to do that again, the Eagles training staff will need to manage the team’s quarterback through what is a reported MCL strain in his knee.

“It’s been progressing,” said Hurts after Wednesday’s walkthrough practice, where he was listed as a limited participant. “Taking it a day at a time. Was able to participate (Wednesday) and be involved in stuff. So just taking it a day at a time.”

Already, the Eagles are managing Hurts through a broken finger on his non-throwing hand right now that he said has gotten better over time, but still not 100 percent.

Hurts hasn’t been healthy at the end of seasons since his first year as a full-time starter. He had an ankle injury that required offseason surgery after a playoff loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the 2021 season. He’s had two injured ankles, a shoulder, a concussion, and now a knee - all with the finish line in sight and the playoffs.

“It’s a part of the game,” he said. “I accept whatever comes with that. I told you guys that I’ve submitted to doing whatever it takes to win. Some things come with that. But ultimately, just gotta make the adjustments you need to make to be able to play at a high level. There won’t be any excuses going in or coming out.”

Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts meets the media in the days leading up to the Eagles-Commanders NFC Championship Game. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Hurts has been under fire for his lack of production in the passing game. That, of course, comes with a caveat because he has done a nice job checking into successful plays – particularly the two long touchdown runs from Saquon Barkley against the Rams – and not turning over the ball.

He has gone eight straight games without throwing an interception and has only one of those in his last 14 games.

“I’m just doing my job, and that’s been a big part of our success, being able to get some of the things we want to, when we want,” he said. “Obviously, Saquon being able to make some real explosive plays, explosive runs in those moments. So everybody doing their job, blocking downfield, getting things set up up front – all of it comes together.”

A downside has been Hurts getting sacked. He took a couple bad one against the Rams, including two that knocked the Eagles out of field goal range and another that happened in the end zone for a safety. L.A. recorded seven sacks and Hurts has no been sacked nine times in two postseason games.

“I think there’s always an urgency to trying to get the ball out,” he said. “But there are a ton of different things that go into the effectiveness of a play. All 11 just have to be on the same page … I know I always take the brunt of that, and I own that. I try to control what I can in everything and be better. So we can win.”

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Ed Kracz
ED KRACZ

Ed Kracz has been covering the Eagles full-time for over a decade and has written about Philadelphia sports since 1996. He wrote about the Phillies in the 2008 and 2009 World Series, the Flyers in their 2010 Stanely Cup playoff run to the finals, and was in Minnesota when the Eagles secured their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2017. Ed has received multiple writing awards as a sports journalist, including several top-five finishes in the Associated Press Sports Editors awards.