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The Philadelphia Eagles are just six days away from their NFC Wild Card round game against the Green Bay Packers and it appears they have a big, big problem. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter stunned football fans on Monday when he reported that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was still in the league’s concussion protocol.
The update comes more than two weeks after Hurts suffered a concussion during a run against the Washington Commanders. Hurts left the game and was replaced by backup Kenny Pickett. Washington went on to win the game 36-33. But Pickett did lead Philadelphia to a 41-7 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys the following week to clinch the NFC East and the second seed in the NFC.
Philadelphia then went with third string QB Tanner McKee in Week 18 against the New York Giants with Pickett dealing with a nagging rib injury. McKee completed 27 of 41 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants.
Philadelphia Eagles Have Remained Quiet About Jalen Hurts’ Health Status
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has offered little in the way of updates on Hurts, stating only that he was “progressing through” concussion protocol after the win over New York.
“Guys, he’s progressing through the protocol,” Sirianni said. “We’ve talked a lot about that. I respect your questions. I’m trying to answer them all. Yeah, he’s progressing through the protocol.”
Hurts was 12-3 as a starter in the regular season but came under scrutiny several times for his lack of production. The two-time Pro Bowler threw for just 193.5 yards per game with a further 42 yards per game on the ground.
Philadelphia opened as a 4.5-point favorite over the Packers in the NFC Wild Card round. Green Bay is dealing with injury concerns of its own after quarterback Jordan Love left Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears with an elbow injury. Love said he briefly lost feeling in his elbow after landing awkwardly, but he plans to play against the Eagles. Meanwhile, wide receiver Christian Watson was ruled out for the season after tearing his ACL.