Christmas Day Football Highlights Key Trait Of Eagles' Jalen Hurts

The Eagles quarterback's durability and availability is a key to the team's five-year playoff run.

Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes against the Washington Commanders in the second half at Northwest Stadium. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - The best ability in the NFL remains availability. 

The NFL’s usurping of the NBA on Christmas Day is evidence of that, with quarterbacks like Josh Johnson, Max Brosmer, and Chris Oladokun serving as the coal in the average streaming viewer's stocking.

The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts has been piloting the Philadelphia offense for all 15 games during a 10-5 start and an NFC East title this season and will hit No. 16 at Buffalo on Sunday when the Eagles visit the 11-4 Bills, another plaoff team with a durable signal caller in Josh Allen.

In fact Allen is expected to play through a foot injury suffered last week against Cleveland against the Eagles.

During the Eagles’ run of five consecutive postseason berths, Hurts has never played fewer than 15 games in the regular season and has never missed a postseason game.

Understanding that, those decrying fewer designed quarterback runs this season for Hurts should be careful what they wish for.

Making it through an NFL season at the game’s most important position has never been more difficult with the exotic pressures thrown at the league’s signal callers.

Quarterbacks Are Targets

Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer (12) passes the ball against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Johnson is the third QB for Washington behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. At the same time, Brosmer is an undrafted rookie in Minnesota after J.J. McCarthy’s numerous injuries, and Carson Wentz got knocked out earlier in the season. 

Meanwhile, Oladokun only sniffed the field for Kansas City after superstar Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL was followed by a Grander Minshew leg injury.

There is a method to the madness of protecting yourself as an NFL QB, especially one that’s dual-threat like Hurts.

Most of Hurts’ injuries over the years have come outside the pocket when attempting the run, including an ankle tweak against Las Vegas in Week 15 that he responded to in-game quickly.

A Christmas season with Tanner McKee is intriguing to some Eagles fans, and Sam Howell might be the Johnny Unitas of QB3s, especially after seeing Brosmer generate all of 3 net passing yards in 60 minutes of football on Christmas Day.

That said, championship aspirations are generally snuffed out when a top-tier QB exits the lineup.

Occasionally, a backup like Nick Foles in the run to a Super Bowl LII championship for the Eagled can catch lightning over a short period, but when you’re down to No. 3, all hope is gone.

The durability that produces availability might be the most important trait of quarterbacks like Hurts.

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