Jalen Hurts is a 'Freak!' 'Chance' Cowboys Could Face Eagles Injured MVP QB?

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni provided an update Tuesday regarding the status of quarterback Jalen Hurts for Saturday's meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.

Following some major NFL injury news Monday, the Dallas Cowboys seemingly had an easier game plan on their hands headed into a Christmas Eve matchup at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

After it was announced that Eagles quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts could miss the Dallas game and potentially more following a right shoulder sprain he suffered in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, the Cowboys defense seemed to be headed for an inevitable meeting with Eagles backup Gardner Minshew.

But call it mind games or not, Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni isn't ruling out Hurts ahead of Saturday. He even sounded pleasantly optimistic about the chances of his star signal-caller playing when speaking to the media Tuesday.

"I don't put anything past Jalen Hurts as far as his mental and physical toughness," Sirianni said. "There's a chance he could play this week."

Sirianni, who has gained the reputation as a witty and fiery head coach while leading the Eagles to a 13-1 record this season, could potentially just be bluffing in order to mess with Dallas' preparations. But he went into further detail about why he's got hopes for Hurts' availability in Week 16.

"He's one of the toughest guys I know," Sirianni said. "He heals fast, he's a freak. His body is not like yours or mine. ... He came back fast from his injury last year, and I will not rule him out, I will not put a timetable on him. We'll see what happens this week."

Hurts is coming off a stellar dual-threat performance against the Bears, as he rushed for three touchdowns while going over 300 yards passing for the fourth time this season.

In the first meeting against Dallas on Oct. 16, a 26-17 win for the Eagles, Hurts went 15 of 25 passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. One of the clear front-runners for the MVP, his absence at any points over the final three games of the regular season would significantly increase the small chances the Cowboys still have at stealing the NFC East crown.

The Cowboys and Eagles kickoff from AT&T Stadium on Saturday at 3:25 p.m. CT.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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