Throughout the 2024 season, speculation from national and beat reporters questioned Jalen Hurts' importance to the Philadelphia Eagles and their roster full of stars.
That speculation ended Sunday afternoon.
Hurts suffered a concussion in the first quarter of the team's 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders. He was injured during the team's second drive of the game and did not return.
Following Hurts' removal from the game, the Eagles - normally a dynamic team on third down and the red zone - struggled in key moments offensively.
Philadelphia finished 2-4 in the red zone and settled only for field goals after the first quarter while going a dismal 3-16 on third down.
Before Hurts left the game, the Egales were ranked seventh in the league in third-down percentage. Now, they are ninth.
Hurts' impact on the team can no longer be questioned. Philadelphia is now 0-3 when he leaves a game to an injury since 2022.
The issue with Philadelphia is that their playoff hopes hinge on the reality that they need to win at least one of their last two games of the season, and Hurts may not be cleared from concussion protocol in time for Sunday's contest against the Dallas Cowboys.
Why is that important? Philadelphia's hopes for a top seed in the NFC hinges on the Vikings and Lions both losing next week in winnable matchups. It's unlikely that the Eagles will own the top seed in the NFC.
That means resting players in the final game of the regular season against the New York Giants should be the main focus. They can't do that if they lose to the Cowboys this week. ... so fans are all saying the same thing about this worrisome situation.
All eyes now turn to see if Hurts can clear protocol in a safety but speedy manner Analysts and medical experts will not that here's some history of NFL quarterbacks returning to the practice field in time to be ready for the following week after a concussion, but it's still not a situation the Eagles want to be in right now.
