The Eagles’ opponents will not be at full strength when they take the field tomorrow, but Philadelphia is in line to have their starting quarterback available. Jalen Hurts is expected to start in the regular season finale, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Hurts has been out since Week 15 with a shoulder sprain, leaving the Eagles with Gardner Minshew as their top option at the position. The veteran has put up noticeable yardage totals during his two starts filling in for Hurts, but he took six sacks during last week’s loss to the Saints and has thrown as many interceptions (three) as touchdowns this year. Philadelphia has lost two straight, thus failing to clinch the top seed in the NFC along the way.
The Eagles will be heavily favored to guarantee themselves a first-round bye with a win on Sunday, however, with Hurts back in the fold and the Giants being locked into the No. 6 spot, leaving them with no need to play their first-stringers. Philadelphia will also have safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end Robert Quinn available after they were activated from IR earlier today, providing a boost to their defense.
Hurts was quickly reported to be in danger of missing multiple games as a result of the injury, but he made a push to return in time for last week’s contest against New Orleans. The fact that tomorrow’s game still carries seeding implications partially explains his presumed availability, of course, but the 24-year-old would have faced a month-long absence in the (likely) event the Eagles still wound up with the No. 1 seed and its associated bye week after another game with Minshew at the helm.
Notably, Garafolo adds that the Eagles plan to start Hurts with the hope of building a significant lead early on. That will allow him to get some game action in the lead-in to the postseason, while also allowing Philadelphia to replace him with Minshew after the result is no longer in doubt. Should that scenario not play out, though, they are confident in Hurts’ status with respect to his recovery and low risk of re-injury.
The former second-rounder put himself squarely in the MVP conversation prior to getting hurt, totaling 3,472 passing yards and a 22:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His improvement in the passing game has been coupled with an additional 747 yards and 13 scores on the ground, making him one of the league’s top dual-threat QBs and the focal point of the team’s offense. Should he return to full health in time for the postseason, the Eagles will be well-positioned for a deep playoff run.
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