Jalen Hurts, Lane Johnson Willing to Lay it On the Line Despite Injuries

Seventeen games later, this is what the season comes down to the Eagles – boxes and boxes of Kinesiology tape and miles of ACE bandages.

Two of their best players, quarterback Jalen Hurts and right tackle Lane Johnson, are playing hurt, and probably won't be healing in the foreseeable future, or, at least, for as long as their postseason run continues.

Every NFL team still playing has it share of aches and pains, bumps and bruises.

It’s about playing through it all right now.

Some can’t do it.

Down I95 in Baltimore, Lamar Jackson can’t. His injured knee is either too swollen or he’s too worried about his next contract.

Either way, the Ravens look like sitting ducks going into Cincinnati to try to upset the defending AFC champion Bengals.

We saw what the Eagles looked like without Hurts already this season – 0-2.

The quarterback talked about accountability and wanting to play for his teammates, s back out he went in last week's game against the Giants even though his shoulder was, in the words of head coach Nick Sirianni after the 22-16 win, "hurting bad."

No painful throwing shoulder will stop him from answering the playoff bell next week.

He was at practice on Thursday and Friday wearing Kinesiology tape on the right shoulder. The tape is designed to mimic the skin’s elasticity so you can use your full range of motion and adds extra support to muscles or joints that need it.

If we learned anything during the bye week, it’s that Hurts will likely have to manage his shoulder over the next week or more and Johnson will definitely have his groin operated on once the final chapter of the 2022 season is penned.

“I’ve always been a man that’s embraced everything that’s been thrown my way,” said Hurts on Thursday. “Trying to find ways to overcome it, and make it happen. I think there are different challenges that come (along) in our career, and you have to find a way to look them in the face and face them.

“I’m fortunate to be where I am now, and I’m fortunate to be where we are … as a team to face all the different challenges that have come across this year, and we’ve been able to overcome them. So now, the best thing that you can ask for is to essentially be in the position that we’re in right now.

“That’s something that we want to take advantage of. It comes from the work. There’s nothing more that we have to do other than being ourselves. We have to be unwavering and be diligent in this whole entire process. But again, treat it the same, approach it the same. We’ve been a team that has focused on getting better every day this whole entire time. So, nothing changes now.”

Johnson said he wasn’t sure if he would have been able to play in the wildcard round but knowing how tough the right tackle is, it wouldn’t have been wise to bet against him playing if necessary.

He didn’t have to, though, and now maybe the extra week will serve as a benefit, remembering, though, that he does need surgery.

Johnson was at practice on Friday testing himself, seeing how much pain he could handle, and, he said, it went well.

“I think you limit the pain where you can move around and you’re not really feeling it,” he said. “I think performance can be, hopefully, good…(It was) good to go (Friday) without too much pain.

“I just want to be out there, and help my team, and not hurt my team.”

So, Johnson will likely wrap the groin tightly and carry on.

That’s what this time of the season is all about – being accountable even if it means playing through pain and agony because there are no tomorrows.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.