Eagles Place QB Jalen Hurts On IR

While an IR placement would require a four-game absence, two anonymous doctors from other teams told Schefter and Rapoport that Hurts may be out up to six weeks. Those are opinions of individuals who have not treated Hurts, however, and the Eagles are inclined to let the 28-year-old and his medical team decide when he will return to the field.

At minimum, Hurts is going to miss the Eagles’ game against the Panthers on Sunday. Putting Hurts on IR right now would also rule him out for three consecutive bouts versus NFC East rivals. The Eagles will take on the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants from Weeks 7 to 9 before going on a bye.

Although Philadelphia is off to a 2-3 start and dealing with a litany of health problems, the team could still push for a third straight NFC East title in a wide-open division. The 3-1-1 Giants have a nice record, but it may not be sustainable after they lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart and top pass rusher Brian Burns to season-ending knee injuries earlier in the campaign. Meanwhile, the Cowboys (2-3) and Commanders (1-3-1) are under .500 and loaded with flaws.

Hurts’ completion percentage (57.8), yards per attempt (6.1), passer rating (84.7) and QBR (56.4) rank among the worst of his seven-year career this season. Nevertheless, having the one-time Super Bowl MVP available for any of the upcoming divisional matchups would seemingly improve the Eagles’ chances of winning. The Hurts-led Eagles have gone 20-11 against the NFC East, including a Week 1 win over Washington this year.

As the Eagles await Hurts’ return, backup Tanner McKee will make his third career start in Week 6. Rookie fifth-rounder Cole Payton and Joe Milton, whom the Eagles signed off the Cowboys’ practice squad on Friday, are the only other healthy QBs in the organization.