Hurts Sprains Shoulder

In a season where much has gone right for the 13-1 Philadelphia Eagles, they have received unfortunate news about their superstar quarterback.

Sources confirmed to Inside the Birds that starting QB Jalen Hurts has sprained his right throwing shoulder. According to multiple reports from ESPN, NFL Network, and other outlets, he is expected to miss time. However, it is not considered a long term injury.

The injury occurred during the Week 15 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Though Hurts did not miss a single snap in the 25-20 victory, he took many hits as he tied a season high with 17 carries on the ground.

While the Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot, Hurts was still looking to put an exclamation point on his MVP caliber season, where he has been dynamic in both the air and in the run game. He has thrown for 3,472 yards to go with 22 touchdowns and has rushed for 747 yards with 13 additional TDs.

Though Hurts is expected back for the postseason and possibly sooner, the injury comes at an inopportune time for the Eagles. Heading into Week 16, the team faces one of their biggest tests of the season, on the road against a 10-4 Dallas Cowboys team with QB Dak Prescott healthy. A win would clinch both the NFC East and the path to the number one seed.

Fourth-year QB Gardner Minshew is in line to start for the team while Hurts recovers. He is no stranger to this kind of experience with 22 starts to his name, including two in 2021 in place of Hurts.

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com