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Jalen Hurts might not be back on the field until the postseason after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 15, according to one medical source.
The star quarterback was having an incredible campaign in 2022, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 13-1 record in a competitive NFC East Division. The Eagles will head to Dallas to play the Cowboys on Christmas Eve, with a chance to lock up the division and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
They'll have to do it with Gardner Minshew at the helm, after Hurts was officially ruled out of Week 16 on Thursday. The 24-year-old could be out for more than just one game, after a medical source told Philadelphia reporter Les Bowen that a shoulder injury of this nature could take up to another month to be “completely right.”
On Jalen Hurts’ injury, I checked w/a medical source, who isn’t involved in Hurts’ treatment, but has dealt w/SC joint problems in football players. Hard to say for sure but it COULD take every bit of time up to a Jan. 20-21 playoff game for Hurts’ shoulder to be completely right
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) December 24, 2022
That's not to say that Hurts couldn't return before that timeline, but it looks as though Minshew Mania will be the signal-caller for at least the Eagles' next two games in Dallas and against the New Orleans Saints.
Hurts won't be available as an emergency backup after failing to practice in any capacity this week while managing the right shoulder sprain, leaving No. 3 quarterback Ian Book to dress as Minshew's backup on Saturday.
The questionable tag has already been applied to Hurts for Week 17 against the Saints on New Year's Day, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Eagles plan to wait and see how Week 16 plays out with regard to the NFC playoff picture, as well as how well Hurts' throwing shoulder responds to rest and treatment.
The MVP candidate will continue to rehab from his joint sprain, and it seems likely that he will be shut down for the regular season if Minshew can get the job done against the Cowboys.
It's genuinely looking like Jalen Hurts will be 50/50 for the Eagles' first playoff game, and all eyes will be on Minshew to see how he responds over the next few weeks.
