There isn’t going to be a lot of wiggle room for the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes to preparation for their NFC playoff opener at home against the Green Bay Packers.
That’s almost entirely because they’ll be trying to bring starting quarterback Jalen Hurts up to speed after 3 weeks of inactivity since he was placed in concussion protocol following a hit by Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu in a Week 16 loss on December 22.
The good news? Hurts seems on track to actually play against the Packers after he practiced Wednesday for the first time since being injured just 12 plays into the game against the Commanders.
“He’ll be out there today … we’ll get you the injury report after practice,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told the media on Wednesday. “… this is why you practice to get on the same page and do everything there. We feel like we practice at a very high intensity level that’s why you do these things, to get ready to play.”
While Hurts still has several steps left to complete in the NFL’s concussion protocol, returning to practice is a great sign. The Eagles started 2 different quarterbacks over the final 2 games. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett started a Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys and third-string quarterback Tanner McKee started a Week 18 win over the New York Giants.
In a move to make room for Hurts to return to the active roster and have 3 quarterbacks eligible for the playoffs, the Eagles released quarterback Ian Book.
“It’s all smiles here in South Philadelphia at the NovaCare Facility,” ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said on January 8. “That’s because the No. 1 the prodigal son is back here in time for a playoff matchup against Green Bay Packers on Sunday.”
McKee Might Be Best Option if Hurts Out
Life without Hurts wasn’t as bad as we might have imagined thanks to the stellar play of Pickett and McKee, who had never played in an NFL game before filling in for Pickett after he exited the Week 17 win over the Cowboys with a rib injury.
McKee, 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds, was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round (No. 188 overall) out of Stanford in the 2023 NFL draft and is more of a pocket passer than Pickett, which might lend itself to being a better option for the Eagles if Hurts is hurt again with elite downfield receiving threats in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and the return of tight end Dallas Goedert.
McKee also impacts little of what the Eagles would do in the run game with 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley.
Hurts One of NFL’s Highest Paid Players
Hurts signed a 5-year $255 million contract extension before the 2023 season and has been one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks since he became a full time starter in 2021.
He’s also battled a series of nagging injuries in 2024 while leading the Eagles to a 14-3 record and the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
In Week 11 against the Commanders, Hurts had to meet with an independent neurotrauma special in the first half but returned to lead the Eagles to a 26-18 win.
Following a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 — the Eagles’ 10th consecutive win — Hurts told The Associated Press he’d been playing with a broken finger on his left, non-throwing hand.
