Eagles QB Jalen Hurts returns to practice, takes key step toward playing vs. Packers

EJ Smith, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 8, 2025

Published in Football

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PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts returned to Eagles practice Wednesday, marking a significant step for the quarterback’s progression through the concussion protocol.

Since leaving the team’s loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22 with the concussion, Hurts had missed all of the Eagles’ practices and each of the last two games.

Hurts was officially listed as a limited participant in practice, which Eagles coach Nick Sirianni elected to hold at Lincoln Financial Field because of less-than-ideal field conditions at the NovaCare Complex.

During the portion of the session open to the media, Hurts went through individual drills in full pads with the rest of the Eagles quarterbacks, which included practicing throws on the run.

Several Eagles players, including right guard Mekhi Becton, said Hurts looked like his usual self in his return to practice.

“He looked great,” Becton said. “He looked like Jalen.”

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson added, “It was awesome. We had pads on today, so we got to simulate what it’s going to be like. I thought we practiced really well. Obviously he was limited physically, but he was dialed in.”

According to NFL rules, Hurts will need to integrate back into team sessions without showing concussion-like symptoms and pass an evaluation by an independent neurological consultant to clear the protocol in time for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at the Linc.

While Sirianni didn’t offer many details regarding Hurts’ status for Sunday, the early signs suggest he is making meaningful progress toward returning. Hurts was present at the team’s Saturday walk-through the day before the regular-season finale against the New York Giants. On Tuesday, the Eagles waived quarterback Ian Book from the active roster, leaving them with the quarterback trio they had for most of the season: Hurts, Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Tuesday that he’s had conversations with Hurts about the game against the Packers as well.

“Yeah,” Moore said. “Certainly all of us have been in continuous conversations. We always are.”

Pickett started in place of Hurts for the team’s Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys but left midway through the game with an injury to his ribs and was among the players rested for the finale against the Giants. McKee got his first career start as a result and led the Eagles to a 20-13 win.

If Hurts can clear the protocol later this week, he will enter the team’s first playoff matchup after missing the majority of the last three games. He finished the regular season with 2,903 passing yards while completing a career-high 68.7% of his passes. He had 18 passing touchdowns, 14 rushing touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games.

Hurts similarly missed two games with a sprained right shoulder late in the 2022 season before returning for the regular-season finale that preceded the team’s Super Bowl run. Hurts was also dealing with a broken left ring finger from earlier in this season, which Sirianni noted has also recovered during Hurts’ absence.

Sirianni said he isn’t concerned about rust being a factor for Hurts, citing the team’s practice intensity as reason to believe he’ll be ready for game action after the layoff.

“This is why you go through the process of practicing,” Sirianni said. “All the things that you do at practice, to get on the same page and do everything there. We feel like we practice at a very high intensity level and this is why you go out there and do those things.”

If Hurts is eventually cleared, the Eagles will enter the postseason with all 22 of their Week 1 starters healthy. Reserve offensive lineman Trevor Keegan was the only nonparticipant in Wednesday’s session, although wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee/rest), Pickett (ribs), and running back Will Shipley (ankle) joined Hurts in the limited column of the team’s injury report. Linebacker Nakobe Dean, who missed the team’s Week 17 game against Dallas with a groin injury, was a full participant in practice, as were tight ends Dallas Goedert (knee) and Grant Calcaterra (shoulder), edge rusher Bryce Huff (wrist), and reserve defensive tackle Byron Young (hamstring).

The Eagles had similar injury luck in the 2022 season and have managed to do so again despite an increase in the intensity of the weekly schedule that included fewer days off and more padded practices implemented by Sirianni throughout the season.

“Sure, luck has something to do with it,” the coach said. “There are some unlucky situations that happen where you lose guys, but you can’t say enough about how much the guys have put into taking care of their bodies.”