Nick Sirianni has admitted that it will be “tough” for Jalen Hurts to play against the Dallas Cowboys, meaning it’s likely Kenny Pickett will start at quarterback on Sunday.
Hurts suffered a concussion in the 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 16 and left the game during the first quarter. Hurts was slammed by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu following a 13-yard run, and his head hit the turf hard, which forced his premature exit.
Pickett then went 14-of-24 for 143 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, as the Philadelphia Eagles blew a 27-14 lead in the fourth quarter. The defeat saw them miss the chance to clinch the NFC East division, and also lose sight of the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Eagles must now win one of their remaining two games to clinch the division, but are now four percent underdogs to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. While their fate is pretty much sealed, it’s a worrying injury for Hurts to suffer this close to the postseason.
“[Hurts] is still in the protocol. It’s going to be tough for him to make it this week,” Sirianni said to reporters on Friday. Their next opponents, the Cowboys, have already been eliminated from playoff contention after suffering several injuries themselves but have been handed a confidence boost heading into Sunday’s clash.
The 78 Cowboys have been rolling with Cooper Rush after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury, and now the Eagles are expected to rely on their backup in Week 16. However, Pickett will also be sore heading into Sunday’s game following a late incident against the Commanders.
Pickett was brought down by Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner in the fourth quarter but finished the game. He was instantly taken for X-rays after leaving the field and has since admitted that he will have to deal with a rib injury for the next few weeks.
It’s expected that Pickett will wear extra padding against the Cowboys, but Sirianni doesn’t appear too concerned after watching him practice this week. “He’s had a nice week of practice, he’s done a nice job and we’ve had some good practices and walkthroughs this week,” Sirianni said.
“I think anytime you get to work our plays against the defense that you’re going to be playing against with the guys you’re going to be going with that helps you… It was a good week of practice.”
Pickett, who was traded to the Eagles from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, is excited to get more reps with the starters after shaking the rust off last week. “It’s huge for a quarterback,” Pickett said on Thursday. “Timing is everything, especially in the NFL.
“Knowing how these guys get in and out of cuts. How they track the ball on deep balls and different things like that. It all plays into quarterback and receiver play. So anything I can get with them extra or during practice is huge.”
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