Jalen Hurts Calls for Safeguards at FedExField
Jalen Hurts was cool, calm, and collected when a railing collapsed at FedExField on Sunday, sending a host of Eagles’ fans tumbling to the ground at the quarterback’s feet shortly after Philadelphia's 20-16 comeback win over the Washington Football Team.
Hurts’ immediate reaction was to check if everyone was okay and what could have been a tragic situation turned into a selfie opportunity for the fans who got to meet their hero up close, also not exactly a great situation in the current COVID-19 environment where positive tests are spiking across the country.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, however, everyone seemed fine, and most used the videos of the incident to again point out Hurts’ unflappable demeanor.
The Washington Football Team also released a statement that read, “To our knowledge, everyone involved was offered onsite medical evaluation and left the stadium of their own accord. We’re very glad no one appears to have been seriously injured. The safety of our fans and guests is of the utmost importance and we are looking into what occurred.”
That spin was disputed according to several involved in the incident who spoke with ESPN’.
“They didn’t ask if anyone was hurt, and they sure as hell didn’t ask if anybody needed medical attention,” Andrew Collins told ESPN. “The only thing the staff said to us was to get the [expletive] off the field.”
Some of the fans who were from South Jersey did seek medical attention after driving home.
After reflecting on the incident and what could have happened to the fans and himself Hurts sent a letter to the WFT and the NFL looking for answers.
“I tried to handle the situation with a lot of poise and some compassion for the people that fell down, really,” Hurts said on Tuesday. “But I know it could have been so much worse. And it kind of didn’t hit me until after the fact, having some time to reflect on it and think about it.”
A copy of Hurts’ letter was obtained by NFL Media and is posted below:
FedExField is regarded as perhaps the worst stadium in the NFL.
Earlier this season during Washington's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a pipe connected to rainwater storage burst overhead of a group of fans, some who believed sewage was being rained down on them.
"I just wanted to see what could be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again," Hurts said. "That’s all I really care about. That’s a very tragic incident, and it could’ve been much, much worse. I just don’t want it to happen again."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
