Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Sheds Knee Sleeve, Shares Positive Injury Update
PHILADELPHIA – There was no little bump, no billowing of Jalen Hurts uniform pants. In other words, there was no sleeve covering his left knee when the Philadelphia Eagles returned to the practice field on Thursday after their bye week.
Hurts confirmed it himself when asked afterward if he was wearing the sleeve that had been part of his life for the past several weeks to protect a bone bruise. It was an issue that had slowed his running and led to a scary moment at the end of the first half of their win against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5 when Hurts struggled to get to his feet after being hit.
“I was not,” was what Hurts said when asked if he was wearing it.
He then added, “I think it is a sign of progress. Like I said, the bye week came at a great time. We all took advantage of that or tried to take advantage of that time, and everything is trending forward.”
That is certainly good news for the Eagles over these final eight games as they chase the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs. It’s a chase that begins with a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
“The bye couldn’t have come at a better time, and I think a lot of guys on the team took advantage of that time to refresh and get ready for this second half of the year, so I think it’s been good for us all,” said Hurts.
Jalen Hurts
USA Today
Hurts added he spent the extra time doing self-evaluations and getting his body physically ready for the second half of the season in his never-ending quest to be better every day.
Even losing the Super Bowl has been thrown into the mix of trying to be a better quarterback.
“I try to grow every day,” he said. “I literally take it day by day, I think. When you have the opportunity in those big games, you have the opportunity to play and kind of be in those moments, there’s always a ton you can take away from.
“That (Super Bowl) moment is no different than Week 1, Week 5, or Week 10 this year. You take what you take from it, you grow, everything is a true lesson in it, just trying to move forward.”
Hurts has grown to the point where he can safely and correctly be mentioned in the same breath as Monday night’s quarterback on the other sideline, Patrick Mahomes, and one Chiefs coach Andy Reid talks about glowingly.
“I’m a big fan of his,” said Reid during a conference call with Eagles media on Thursday. “He’s really a good football player. He can run the ball. He can throw the ball. He’s a smart kid. Looks like a phenomenal teammate. Always seems to be under control.”
Hurts and Mahomes could be forever linked as their careers continue to blossom. The two QBs finished 1-2 in the MVP voting last year and are both candidates for the award again this year.
“He’s always done a great job with everything he’s been able to do in his career,” said Hurts about Mahomes. “I have a lot of respect for that. It’ll be a battle.”
