Who Will Be Eagles Quarterback Vs. Cowboys With NFC East Title On The Line?

Monday came and went, and the Eagles still aren’t sure who will play quarterback on Sunday against the Cowboys. Perhaps more accurately, Nick Sirianni simply isn’t letting anyone in on the secret.

What we do know is that starting quarterback Jalen Hurts is in concussion protocol, and how long it takes him to emerge is unclear. The Eagles are scheduled for a walkthrough practice on Tuesday that is closed to media, so Thursday will be the first day reporters will get eyes on a practice.

If a player makes it through the protocol in time for the next game, clearance doesn’t typically come until late in the week. Sirianni has no concerns if Hurts get cleared Firday or Saturday without any practice time.

“Jalen knows how to prepare, knows how to get himself ready,” he said. “He's a true pro.”

The coach had no update on backup quarterback Kenny Pickett’s rib injury that he suffered late in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders. Pickett had X-rays following the game and said that more tests would be done Monday.

“No update there,” said Sirianni.

Tanner McKee is third-string but has yet to take an NFL snap. If neither Hurts nor Pickett can play, that will change and the Eagles will have to go in search of another quarterback to be the backup. As it is, they may still try to add one to their practice squad.

Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) against the Washington Commanders during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The coach lauded Pickett for coming in cold from the bench and making some decent throws.

“Kenny did some really good things there,” he said “Obviously, we missed Jalen. Jalen is a great football player who has had tremendous success and led us to a lot of victories. So, we missed him and his contributions to the team and leading the team.

“But Kenny, under the circumstances, came in and did a nice job and played good football; gave us a chance to win the football game.”

Hurts takes all the reps during the week, so Pickett and McKee have to prepare in other ways in case their number is called.

Sirianni uses a plan he put in place when Gardner Minshew was Hurts’ backup in 2021 and 2022. Minshew was acquired in a trade after training camp opened, and because Sirianni doesn’t give the backups reps during practice once the season begins, he had to find a way to get Minshew more than just scout team reps.

“We had to find ways post-practice and pre-practice to get him meaningful reps, and we've tried to do the same thing with Kenny and Tanner getting meaningful reps at developmental periods, so they have opportunities and chances to rep our plays, not just the scout team plays,” said the coach.

For now, the Eagles have a game to plan for, and not knowing who the QB is will force some adjustments to the preparation.

“Every position that you are without a guy that's normally playing there is an adjustment to be made, and quarterback is no different,” said Sirianni. “So, there will be an adjustment that we have to go through. I'm not going to sit here and say this is how much adjustment, but every time there is a player out, there is an adjustment to be made.”

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