Jalen Hurts is among the leading NFL MVP candidates through 15 weeks of the regular season, as he has led the Eagles to a 13-1 record (the best in the NFL), powering one of the most balanced offenses in the league.
This coming Sunday, the Eagles are heading to Dallas to face the Cowboys where a win would lock up the NFC East title for Philadelphia as well as the No. 1 seed (and the only first round bye) in the NFC playoff standings. However, in order to secure that position in Week 16, the Eagles may have to go without Hurts, as he injured his throwing shoulder on a third quarter hit against the Bears. While there were some rumblings among Eagles fans that the concern was a serious injury, word broke on Monday that Hurts has a shoulder sprain that is not considered a long-term injury, but that it may force Gardner Minshew into service on Sunday.
#Eagles star QB Jalen Hurts’ status is in doubt for Saturday’s game against the #Cowboys because of a sprained throwing shoulder suffered in the third quarter Sunday, sources tell me, @RapSheet and @MikeGarafolo. The injury isn’t considered long term. pic.twitter.com/k3sMH8aiPo
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 19, 2022
There is a real chance the #Eagles start QB Gardner Minshew this weekend. MVP candidate Jalen Hurts’ status is in doubt because of a sprained throwing shoulder, per me, @TomPelissero and @MikeGarafolo. pic.twitter.com/vjtpGaqAK1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2022
Eagles QB and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts is uncertain to play Saturday vs. the Cowboys due to a sprained shoulder that he suffered during Sunday's win over the Bears, per league sources.
Hurts was hurt late in the third quarter, when Bears' DE Trevis Gipson drove him into ground. pic.twitter.com/KsWbMkCszW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 19, 2022
Considering the Eagles are one win away from locking up the 1-seed thanks to their head-to-head win over the Vikings and have three games to get there, resting Hurts against a Dallas team with a strong pass rush might not be the worst idea. It is not a must-win, as they’ll have home games against the Saints and Giants left to get that one needed win to lock up the first round bye, and if rest would buy him time to get closer to 100 percent, that’s the only choice to make for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
It would, of course, put a bit of a damper on one of the best games of Week 16 on paper, and the betting markets have already shifted Dallas from a 1.5-point favorite to 5-point favorites amid this reporting.
