The Philadelphia Eagles took on the New England Patriots in their second game of the NFL preseason. It was a much-anticipated reunion between former Alabama stars Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and Mac Jones. Unfortunately, Hurts was ruled out with an illness.

Well, the Eagles quarterback opened up on being ruled out for the game, and according to Mike Garafolo, he decided to be “smart about it.”

It is no surprise that Hurts wanted to give it a go, and why not? He's a competitor and also wants to build a rapport with Smith, who got his first run for the Eagles after he dealt with an injury.

But, Hurts will have to wait, and perhaps he can get some action in their preseason finale against the New York Jets with the regular season right around the corner. For what it's worth, the Eagles got smacked 35-0 against the Patriots as Joe Flacco got the start at quarterback.

For months, the Eagles had apparently had a quarterback controversy, but, he is the starter barring an injury, and rightfully so. There is a lot of excitement in Philadelphia, and hopefully the fans can get to see the Hurts-Smith Alabama connection in the NFL sooner rather than later.