Eagles' Nick Sirianni announces decision about possibly benching Jalen Hurts

Frustrated Philadelphia Eagles fans and some local media members had suggested that the club should bench quarterback Jalen Hurts after he committed five total giveaways in the 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that dropped the Eagles to 8-5 this past Monday night. 

During a Wednesday morning appearance on Philadelphia's SportsRadio 94WIP, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni made it clear that Hurts will be his QB1 until further notice. 

Nick Sirianni slams door shut on "ridiculous" Jalen Hurts idea

"I think that’s ridiculous," Sirianni said about possibly benching Hurts in favor of Tanner McKee or Sam Howell, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "...I know every time I go out in that field with Jalen Hurts as our quarterback, we have a chance to win the game. That’s something that’s been proven. We’ve won a lot, a lot of football games."

In the defeat against the Chargers, Hurts tossed four interceptions and lost a fumble. Following the game, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown accepted blame for the fourth-quarter pick that occurred after a Hurts pass deflected off Brown's hands. 

Why some thought Eagles could make desperate Jalen Hurts move

The Eagles offense has attracted criticism with its performances throughout the season. According to ESPN stats, Philadelphia began Wednesday ranked 24th in the NFL in total yards gained per game (309.4), 22nd in passing yards per game (198.9), 22nd in rushing yards per contest (110.5) and 19th in points scored per game (22.2). That said, the 8-5 Eagles remain in first place in the NFC East standings ahead of the 6-6-1 Dallas Cowboys. 

Neither McKee nor Howell is a proven commodity, while Hurts is the reigning Super Bowl Most Valuable Player who has guided the Eagles to a pair of NFC Championship Game wins since January 2023. On paper, Hurts and Co. should have an opportunity to produce a bounce-back performance when the Eagles host the struggling Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) this coming Sunday. 

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Eagles as 11.5-point favorites over the Raiders. One can't help but think the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field could turn ugly if Philadelphia doesn't hold a commanding lead over Las Vegas by the time the game's second quarter wraps up.