4:37pm: The Eagles have indeed ruled Hurts out for their matchup with the Cowboys, according to the team’s official injury report. Pickett is expected to start with McKee backing him up. Book could be a gameday elevation to serve as an emergency third quarterback.
11:00am: Jalen Hurts sustained a concussion last week, and it does not look like he will be ready to return Sunday. Nick Sirianni said Friday (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane) that Hurts looks unlikely to play in Week 17.
This would lead to Kenny Pickett making his first start since midway through last season. Benched and then traded by the Steelers, Pickett replaced Hurts in Week 16 — a shootout loss that ended the Eagles’ lengthy win streak — and picked up a rib injury in the process. This led to the Eagles adding a reinforcement (Ian Book) at QB, but Pickett logged a full practice Thursday and would be good to replace Hurts if/when that time comes this week.
As Hurts did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, Pickett moved from limited to full participation over the past two days. The Eagles appear set to avoid a scenario in which they would need to go to third-stringer Tanner McKee, but the Hurts-to-Pickett drop-off keyed the team’s loss to the Commanders. That defeat dropped the Eagles to 12-3, in a year in which three defeats might not be good enough to land the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The winner of Week 18’s Vikings-Lions rematch may well obtain that coveted perch, but the Eagles have a bigger concern in the short term.
As Hurts closes out his fourth season as Philly’s starter, he has done well to rebound from an inconsistent 2023 campaign — one marred by a leg injury the QB played through. Hurts has been available throughout this season, accounting for 32 touchdowns (an NFL-high 14 rushing) and just five interceptions. This came after the one-time 2022 MVP frontrunner — before a late-season shoulder injury — threw 15 INTs last season. Hurts left Sunday’s game in the first half, and the Eagles blew a 14-point lead.
Philly and Pittsburgh agreed to the Pickett trade not long after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson. Disappointed by both the way his 2023 season ended and the Steelers replacing him with Wilson, Pickett was eager for a fresh start. He could not live up to his No. 20 overall draft slot in Pittsburgh and finished his second season on the bench behind Mason Rudolph. A sprained ankle initially sidelined Pickett in Week 12 of last season; he did not play again for the Steelers.
Pickett went 14 of 24 for 143 yards last week, throwing a touchdown pass and an interception in Washington. A DeVonta Smith drop cost the Eagles dearly, preceding the Commanders’ game-winning drive. That sequence, in what has been a top-heavy NFL year, may plant the Eagles as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. With the current format no longer giving second-seeded squads a bye, Hurts would have two weeks to be ready for a wild-card game.
Recoveries from concussions obviously vary, but this timetable would make Hurts a fairly safe bet of being cleared in time for the Eagles’ playoff opener. Sunday’s Cowboys rematch, however, will give Pickett another opportunity. The Eagles have the 2022 first-rounder signed through next season.
Oh damn. At least they still have the best RB in the nfl
I got Eagles 31–27
Problem is they’ll stack the box on Saquan. Outside of that long TD against the Skins he took a beating as they became more predictable.
He’s still a game changer. If Sirianni is truly incomfident in Pickets play Barkley will get 25 to 30 carries and run the ball down Dallas throat
Good luck with that. He looks great in practice, but he can’t read a defense, can’t make the throws needed in the NFL. If it comes down to Picket to win the game, you will not. Not even if they were playing the Jets.
The difference is in Philly he actually has NFL talent around him. In Pittsburgh more like practice squad material. The kid will be just fine.
your wrong, high school level playcalling, canada almost got him killed out there. remember, they were still a playoff team with pickett
Complete baloney
He had Pickens and DJ and didn’t have the arm to hit either in stride
I get that Eagles fans are full of themselves these days but you can shove the BS
Unlike Hurts, this guy is incapable of winning a big game for you
Get ready Eagles fans you are about to witness one of the most trash QBs to ever touch a field. Amazing this dude has a job. There’s no drop off from Pickett to McKee and they’d be smarter to go the McKee route.
The Toilet Bowl game – Pickett Rush.
Yeah, agreed
How this guy got drafted in the first round is one of many great mistakes the Steelers have made under Tomlin
Then to watch him shut down and pout as he was benched in favor of Mason Rudolph told us all we needed to know about what a prima donna he is
Straight up loser Pickett is. I’ve watched so many better high school QBs than he currently is. His 5th year in college against a horrific ACC and Jordan Addison who has elevated every QB he’s ever played with got him drafted in the first round. Pitiful.
He was playing with high school players in Pittsburgh.
You are straight up delusional.
The Steelers and Tomlin have been exposed as the frauds they are . No talent offensively and a hugely overrated head coach. A defense living off the reputation of yesterday. A total sham.
Wrong.
Philly needs to sit Barkley. No reason to run him into the ground right before the playoffs. If Hurts was playing and they would have a more balanced O, then I see him playing but not w/ Pickett. Dude is a scrub.
Not happening, the Eagles are already down a RB and Barkley has a chance at 2000 yards and possibly the record.
You’re probably right, but a SB is more important than 2,000 years season for Barkley.
Kevin Colbert did a lot of great things for Pittsburgh, but boy was Pickett an unforced error to leave on. Don’t draft a guy with limited physical ability who wasn’t very good in the ACC until his fifth season in the first round. Don’t fall in love with a guy just because he’s local.
Teams are so hungry for QB1 they drive more players up by their thirst. No better example than Trey Lance, a guy that went 3rd overall when he should’ve gone in the 3rd round.
I think Trey Lance had some of the worst luck and timing in recent memory. He had clear first round talent, but desperately needed reps and development coming from limited experience and a lesser conference. Which made it extra rough when Covid shut down his college season and injuries shut down his shot at NFL reps before he got Pipped by Purdy.
Luck is what happens out of your control, but he opted out of playing when his team played in the spring, and also opted into the draft after only one season of playing FCS ball.
That’s fair, but again, bad timing. If the NIL situation had changed a little earlier, I’m sure he would have stayed in college longer. But also to your original point, I’d say guys like Christian Ponder are better examples of people who were artificially vaulted into the first round when they had zero business being there.
Pickett looks like overmatched JV QB just trying to not fumble QB/center exchange. Terrible.
I still beleive canada ruined him, i liked him until it came out he threw a fit when steelers acquired russ