‘Chance’ Jalen Hurts Plays Feels Like a Fleeting One in Eagles' Locker Room
PHILADELPHIA - For one day in December second-year quarterback Ian Book was running the 13-1 Eagles through a walkthrough practice at the NovaCare Complex.
Starter and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts was nursing the sprained shoulder he suffered in Sunday’s 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears at frigid Soldier Field, and backup Gardner Minshew was excused to attend and speak at Mike Leach’s memorial service.
Minshew, who was coached by Leach at Washington State, is expected back in Philadelphia Tuesday night and is the odds-on favorite to start Saturday on Christmas Eve at Dallas in place of Hurts.
The Eagles refused to rule out Hurts, though, and the signal-caller himself said there is “definitely a chance” he could play against the 10-4 Cowboys, who would need to win out the rest of the way in addition to the Eagles losing out, to steal the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the conference.
He was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's walk-through.
READ MORE: It's a No-Brainer, Gardner Minshew Should Start in Dallas
The long odds for Dallas are the reason most outside the NovaCare Complex are focused on Minshew for the Cowboys.
Inside, the party line was business as usual.
"Day day to day for (Hurts) and I'm just going to prepare like I need to be ready every week, Book said. “Obviously, I hope he can heal fast but he's a hell of a competitor. Obviously gets injured and then balls out. He's a tough guy so a lot of respect for him so we hope for the best.”
A.J. Brown noted the time of the year.
“We’re all banged up," said the WR with 1,201 yards. "It’s week 15, something like that. (Jalen) said (the shoulder) was just a little sore. I don’t know how that goes into his week. I know he’s been treating it.”
All-Pro center Jason Kelce was a little more pragmatic.
“I’m sure Gardner will get reps this week, and he’s been here for a while. If he’s the guy that’s up, we’ll be ready to go,” said Kelce. “I think he’s done a good job when we’ve asked before, he’s a veteran player, played a lot of football in the NFL.”
Minshew was very effective against the New York Jets last season when Hurts was forced to miss that game with an ankle injury, completing 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards with a 133.8 passer rating in a 33-18 win.
Much of that success came on intermediate routes to Dallas Goedert, the Eagles' top tight end who was activated from injured reserve for practice on Tuesday after missing five games with a small fracture in his shoulder.
“Last week, I got to do routes-on-air with [Minshew], I got to do scout team with him a little bit,” Goedert said. “So I got that early connection with him, and then I’ll probably remind him a couple of times about what happened last year. Hopefully, he feels the same, and that I can get the rock a little bit.”
Book, the usual third-teamer, was excited about working with Brown and DeVonta Smith even if it’s just for a short time.
"Never (get to throw to them) but I'm excited man. I mean, they're pretty easy to throw to,” said Book. “Pretty special players."
As for Hurts, maybe the end game was foreshadowed by the QB1's own words.
Last season during the Jets week Hurts said that he expected to play. This time around that confidence was downgraded to the aforementioned "chance."
“Everybody knows that I’m dealing with something. I think that’s pretty public. It’s out there,” said Hurts. “I’m not one to really talk about myself. Obviously being a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles you can’t run from that. But I’m taking everything one day at a time with it and preparing for a really good defense.”
Brown, perhaps Hurts' closest friend in the locker room, understands the goal is 14-1 no matter who is playing.
“It’s unfortunate. But you always gotta have the next-man-up mentality,” Brown said. “The guys that are injured gotta do whatever they do to try to get back as fast as possible … Regardless of whoever is back there, our job as receivers and tight ends is to block, run routes, get open and make plays.
"That ain’t going to change (with) whoever’s throwing the ball.”
READ MORE: Business as Usual For Hopeful Jalen Hurts as Eagles QB ...
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
