Jalen Hurts trudged off the field in his throwback Eagles uniform wearing a knee brace and feeling all kinds of beat up. Just not defeated.
Hurts clearly hasn’t been himself this season. The game-breaking runs have been kept in check and his eight interceptions are two more than he threw a season ago. Hurts has seemed hesitant at times, almost as if he didn’t trust himself to make the right play – and his knack for holding on to the ball has led to some of the picks and fumbles that plagued him this season.
Turns out, Hurts just may be hurt. Whether it was the lingering effects of offseason surgery on his left ankle or a series of hard hits that took a toll, Hurts has only 274 yards rushing this season. His six scores are largely the result of the 1-yard “tush push” that has become both copied and reviled around the league.
In the second half of a 31-17 victory over Miami, Hurts played with a brace on his left knee yet still led the Eagles on a go-ahead drive – after first throwing a tying pick-6. Never one to say much anyway, Hurts was mum on his health afterward and offered not much more than an “I’ll be fine” ahead of Sunday’s game against Washington. Hurts gutted out the knee injury and threw for 279 yards and combined for three scores.
“You all saw that he was going through a little something,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni told reporters. “So he is tough. He is tough, tough. This game always comes down to physicality and toughness. Always does. No matter what. Because it’s hard. And that’s physical and mental toughness, and Jalen Hurts has both.”
As Hurts goes, so go the Eagles. They started 13-1 last season before Hurts sprained his right shoulder and they lost two straight games. He returned in the finale and led the Eagles to a win over the Giants and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
