Jalen Hurts Trying to Make Himself "Available" to Play vs. Washington
PHILADELPHIA – Two weeks ago, Jalen Hurts sat at the podium inside the media tent and said his sprained left ankle was fine and that he would be ready to play against the New York Jets in Week 13.
On Wednesday, after not playing against the New York Jets heading into the Eagles bye week, the quarterback isn’t doubling down on that statement.
“It’s been a day-by-day thing, coming in here every day, doing everything in my power to make myself available for my team,” he said. “That’s been my mindset. It’s still my mindset. Just trying to be available for the team. The goal is to be available for the team and preparing every day to be available.”
Earlier in the day, head coach Nick Sirianni said that Hurts and Minshew would split first-team reps during Wednesday’s walkthrough practice.
RELATED: Jalen Hurts, Gardner Minshew to Continue Splitting Reps
Hurts thought he would be available against the Jets.
It didn’t turn out that way.
“In that moment, I was hopeful, and I had every intention on doing that (playing vs. the Jets), preparing, and things changed over time,” he said. “The decision was made (not to play) and it was the right decision.”
Hurts declined to comment on how much input he had in the decision, though he seemed to be on board with having to take a seat to Minshew, who completed his first 11 passes and ended with 20 completions in 25 attempts and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 133.7 in the 33-18 win over the Jets.
Hurts last played on Nov. 28, when he threw three interceptions and led the offense to only a single touchdown in a 13-7 loss against the Giants.
“As a competitor, you always want to be out there on that field, but in that moment that’s what was best for the team,” he said. “For everyone’s safety and for our future and what we want to accomplish, that’s what was best.
“I don’t regret any decision being made the people upstairs or myself or whoever it was, but now, we worry about what now? And this is a time I’m striving every day trying to make myself available and that’s what it’s going to be.”
Asked what he learned watching Minshew, Hurts said: “It was great seeing everybody compete, everybody bouncing back from the week before and obviously seeing him going out there to take advantage of the opportunity he had. I was so happy to see him step in and get a win for us, which we needed.”
Hurts also did not want to get into the nature of the injury when asked if it is a matter of controlling the swelling or how many first-team reps he was expecting to get on Wednesday.
“We’re talking about the Jets, we’re talking about these old things, I’m worried about what I plan to do, not what’s already happened,” he said. “Doing everything in my power to make myself available and I’m excited.”
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.
