Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NFL Announces Punishment Decision For Jalen Hurts Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 17, 2026 4:12 PM ET

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles saw their Super Bowl defense end early on in the NFL Playoffs, falling to Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers 23-19 in the wild card round. Hurts couldn't get much going against the 49ers' defense, completing 20-of-35 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown, adding another 14 yards on the ground.

With 11:15 left in the fourth quarter and the Eagles down one, Hurts was attempting to give his team the lead, rushing to his left for a three-yard gain and a first down. However, before he could take a hit, the quarterback slid down to protect himself, but not before taking a late hit by 49ers safety Marques Sigle with what appeared to be minor head-to-head contact.

The officials ended up calling an unnecessary roughness on Sigle, giving the Eagles a free 15 yards. Philadelphia went on to score a 33-yard field goal later in the drive to take a 19-17 lead.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

And with his illegal hit on Hurts, the league likely reviewed Sigle's play for a potential fine. In the NFL, players can be fined up to $11,593 for a first late hit offense, which can increase to $17,389 upon a second violation. And on Saturday, the league revealed that Sigle was not fined for his hit on Hurts.

While no Eagles players were fined, the NFL issued two fines to the 49ers, both to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. He was fined $10,144 for illegal use of the helmet late in the second quarter and was assessed another $10,144 fine for the same infraction one quarter later.

This would not have been the first time a San Francisco player was fined for a late hit during the 2025 NFL season. In Week 10 against the Los Angeles Rams, linebacker Tatum Bethune was charged $5,447 for a similar offense, and in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was fined $11,593.

Niners flagged for a late hit to Jalen Hurts on this slide pic.twitter.com/cGyWRkreKI
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) January 12, 2026

Hurts and the Eagles will now turn to the offseason, looking to improve to get back to the Super Bowl in 2026. Sigle and the 49ers, on the other hand, will face the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: