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Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Unlikely For Week 17

December 30th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 30: Although the Eagles have kept their cards close to the vest regarding Hurts’ New Year’s Day availability, they effectively declared their intentions Friday. Philadelphia lists Hurts as doubtful to face New Orleans this week. Minshew looks set to make his fourth start as an Eagle, with the team one win away from locking up home-field advantage with a backup quarterback for the second time in six years. Unlike 2017, however, Philly’s starter is expected to lead the Super Bowl push.

DECEMBER 25: The Eagles failed to lock up the top spot in the NFC with their loss to the Cowboys yesterday, bringing the status of their quarterback into question for the remaining contests of the regular season. With something still to play for, Jalen Hurts could be back on the field on New Year’s Day.

Had Philadelphia clinched the No. 1 seed by beating Dallas, the team would have had the option of sitting Hurts for the remainder of the regular season as he continues to heal from a shoulder sprain suffered in Week 15. Instead, the door remains open (albeit slightly) for the Cowboys to win the division; meanwhile, the Vikings’ win on Sunday leaves them just one game behind the Eagles for the top spot in the conference and associated bye week to begin the postseason.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported yesterday that Hurts would “push to play” against the Saints in Week 17 in the event that game still had playoff implications (video link). Likewise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that there is a “real chance” the MVP candidate could suit up on Sunday (video link). That would represent a quick turnaround relative to the initial prognosis Hurts was given, which pointed to a two-week absence being likely.

At 13-2, the Eagles are still in pole position to win the NFC. Their offense also put up 27 points and 442 yards yesterday with Gardner Minshew at the helm, demonstrating the unit’s potential without Hurts in their matchup with the Saints. A return from the latter would nevertheless be a welcomed sight, given his substantial step forward taken this season in terms of production. The 24-year-old has totaled 3,472 passing yards and 22 touchdowns this season, adding 747 yards and 13 scores on the ground. Those figures have made him a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career, and put the Eagles squarely in Super Bowl contention.

Hurts’ participation in practice over the coming days will be worth monitoring closely. His ability to play through the pain caused by the injury will likely determine whether or not the Eagles dress him against the Saints, whose playoff fate has yet to be determined despite their 6-9 record. Even if Minshew starts once again, therefore, there will be plenty to play for next Sunday.

NFL Workout Rumors: Dolphins QBs, Jarwin

December 29th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins hosted a workout today including some interesting free agent names, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The tryout included quarterbacks Kyle Lauletta and Jack Coan and wide receivers Isaiah Coulter and Tarik Black.

Lauletta was a fourth-round draft pick for the Giants back in 2018. He spent one season in New York as Eli Manning‘s backup and, in his lone NFL appearance, threw five incompletions including an interception. Lauletta spent the next few seasons on offseason and practice squad rosters for the Eagles, Falcons, Browns (twice), and Jaguars. Most recently, Lauletta was the seventh overall pick in the 2022 USFL Draft, going to the Pittsburgh Maulers where he would start two games for one of the league’s worst teams. On a team that started four different quarterbacks over the year, Lauletta completed 31 of 63 pass attempts for 269 yards, adding 18 rushing yards on three carries. He was claimed off waivers by the New Jersey Generals but, with the USFL season over, he is available to audition for NFL teams.

Coan signed with the Colts as an undrafted rookie this past offseason after a strong collegiate career at Wisconsin and Notre Dame. He failed to make the Colts initial 53-man roster, getting waived in final roster cuts. He has since been drafted by the San Antonio Brahmas in the 2023 XFL Draft. The audition of multiple quarterbacks has some underlying concern as starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa deals with more concussion issues.

Coulter is a former fifth-round pick by the Texans out of Rhode Island in 2020. He spent the first half of his rookie season on injured reserve and was eventually waived before the 2021 season. Coulter would sign with the Bears, remaining a presence on the team’s practice squad from then until November 1 of this season. He would rebound again after being released, signing to the Bills practice squad before getting released once again earlier this month.

Black went undrafted in 2021 after a shortened senior year at Texas. Black had transferred to Austin after three years at Michigan where he had to compete for targets with Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Unfortunately for Black, a worldwide pandemic would lead to a shortened 2020 season, giving him only six games of production as a Longhorn. Black signed as an undrafted free agent with the Colts and started the season on their practice squad. After getting released midseason, Black would eventually join the Jets on the practice squad. He was called up last year for a game against the Bills, in which he would secure his first NFL catch.

Here is another workout rumor concerning a former Cowboys backup tight end trying out for a division rival:

  • Earlier this week, free agent tight end Blake Jarwin auditioned with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Jarwin signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and, after retirements by Jason Witten and James Hanna the following year, became the primary backup to Geoff Swaim. Jarwin ran with the opportunity, leading the team’s tight ends in receiving yards that season and serving as Witten’s primary backup when the veteran unretired in 2019. The Cowboys signed Jarwin to a three-year, $24.25MM deal with the intention to start him following Witten’s re-retirement, but ACL surgery after the season opener would end his season after only one game. After missing much of last season, as well, due to hip injuries, Jarwin was released. This is Jarwin’s first sniff of free agency since being released. The Eagles have some depth and youth at tight end behind starter Dallas Goedert with second year tight ends Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson (currently on IR) and rookie sixth-round pick Grant Calcaterra. If Jarwin can get back to his 2018-19 form, he could provide an upgrade over the receiving numbers Stoll and Calcaterra have put up so far this season.

Eagles RT Lane Johnson To Delay Adductor Surgery, Will Play In Postseason

December 28th, 2022 at 11:32am CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 28: Johnson will need surgery to address this injury, but the Pro Bowl right tackle will not undergo an operation that threatens his playoff availability. Following consultations with several doctors, the 10th-year Eagles right tackle will put off surgery on his torn adductor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Johnson plans to return in time for the Eagles’ first playoff game. The eventual procedure will shut down Johnson for around three months, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Rather than move in that direction now, Johnson will attempt to play through this injury after some rehab time.

DECEMBER 26: The Eagles may have their starting quarterback available to close out the regular season, but the same will likely not be true of one of their key offensive linemen. Right tackle Lane Johnson is dealing with a torn tendon in his abdomen, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Surgery may be required at some point, as noted (on Twitter) by Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Schefter adds that Johnson is expected to miss the final two weeks of the regular season. While that will make for a notable absence down the stretch, the team is hopeful at this point that he can recover in time for the playoffs. Philadelphia failed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC over the weekend, but doing so at any point in the remaining stretch of the campaign would guarantee them a bye in the Wild Card round and give Johnson extra time to get healthy.

The 32-year-old was recently named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time in his career, as his standout play has continued in 2022. Johnson has generated a PFF grade of 83.2 this season, the second straight season in which he has eclipsed a rating of 80 or higher and sixth overall. He has graded out as the seventh-best offensive tackle per PFF, underlining his importance to Philadelphia’s offense during what has been a hugely successful season to date.

The Eagles have a league-best record of 13-2, and have seen plenty of production on the ground due in no small part to the strength of their offensive front. Johnson has been instrumental in Philadelphia averaging 154 yards per game on the ground, which ranks fourth in the NFL. A ground-heavy approach could be in order if QB Jalen Hurts is once again forced to sit out due to a shoulder sprain, though a return in time for Week 17 against the Saints could still be on the table.

This injury will mark Johnson’s first missed time since a three-week absence last season, the cause of which he cited as mental health. The impact on the Eagles’ pass protection in particular will likely be substantial, as the former top-five pick has yet to allow a sack since 2020.

Jack Driscoll, drafted in the fourth round that year, is expected to be Johnson’s replacement at right tackle; he has made 14 starts in his career, including one this season. But Nick Sirianni said a potential Jordan Mailata position switch — from left to right tackle — that would allow Andre Dillard to man the blindside post is on the table as well, Zach Berman of The Athletic tweets. Dillard has played both positions but has more experience on the left side. The 2019 first-rounder started five games at left tackle last season. Mailata saw time at right tackle briefly last year as well, with Dillard playing the left side during the time in which Mailata was back and Johnson out.

The Eagles enter the closing stages of the regular season with Super Bowl aspirations, but the injuries to Hurts and now Johnson cast serious doubt on their offensive upside in at least the immediate future. Their respective recoveries will go a long way in determining how deep of a playoff run the team can go in January and February.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 27th, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.

The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.

With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.

The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 17:

  1. Houston Texans: 2-12-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-12
  3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
  5. Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
  6. Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
  7. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  8. Carolina Panthers: 6-9
  9. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  12. Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
  13. Tennessee Titans: 7-8
  14. New England Patriots: 7-8
  15. New York Jets: 7-8
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
  17. Green Bay Packers: 7-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 7-8
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
  21. Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
  22. New York Giants: 8-6-1
  23. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
  24. Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
  25. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
  27. Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
  30. Buffalo Bills: 12-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2

Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Eagles CB Avonte Maddox Facing Extended Absence

December 26th, 2022 at 9:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already spending a chunk of this season on IR, Avonte Maddox may be headed back. The Eagles lost the veteran cornerback to a toe injury Saturday, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report the injury is believed to be significant (Twitter link).

The Eagles used one of their IR activations on Maddox earlier this month, and the fifth-year corner played in three games upon returning. Maddox underwent an MRI on Monday and is out indefinitely, per NFL.com. He could go back on IR and return, but the 13-2 team has other players ahead in its IR queue.

[RELATED: Jalen Hurts Targeting Week 17 Return]

One of those is C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who could be an option to replace Maddox in the slot. Gardner-Johnson, acquired via trade from New Orleans this summer, is eligible to return from IR this week. Nick Sirianni stopped short of ensuring that would happen, however. Gardner-Johnson, who has shifted to safety in his first Philly season, is out because of a lacerated kidney. The former Saints slot defender has missed the past four Eagles games.

Maddox and Gardner-Johnson are part of the Eagles’ first-string secondary, joining Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Marcus Epps. Maddox finished with two tackles for loss against the Cowboys. He suffered an ankle injury against the Texans last month and returned from IR when first eligible. It remains to be seen if the Eagles will move him back to IR and/or if this toe problem would allow for a late-season return.

The Eagles can activate three more players from IR this season. In addition to Gardner-Johnson, Robert Quinn is on Philly’s injured list. He is eligible to return in Week 18. Hurts missed Week 16 but is not on IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/22

December 23rd, 2022 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves heading into the NFL’s largest slate of Saturday games of the season:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

  • Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Eagles To Start Gardner Minshew In Week 16

December 22nd, 2022 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Jalen Hurts‘ shoulder injury will lead to the MVP candidate missing at least one game. Nick Sirianni said Thursday the plan is for the Eagles to start backup Gardner Minshew against the Cowboys.

The former Jaguars starter whom the Eagles acquired via trade last year, Minshew has made two starts with Philadelphia. Sirianni’s decision will wrap a regular season that will have featured two Cowboys-Eagles games involving backup quarterbacks. Cooper Rush faced Hurts in October, as Dak Prescott rehabbed his thumb injury.

While the Eagles are going week to week with Hurts, it is possible he either misses multiple games or does not return until the playoffs. During a Week 15 game in which Hurts matched his season-high with 17 carries, he suffered a shoulder sprain in the third quarter. Hurts finished the game, and it is believed he could play through this were Philly’s Christmas Eve Dallas rematch a must-win game. But the Eagles hold a three-game lead on the Cowboys in the NFC East and are essentially three up in the home-field advantage race, thanks to an early-season win over the 11-3 Vikings, so Hurts-related caution can take place.

This will become a pivotal game for Minshew, who is on track for free agency in March. The former Jags sixth-round pick has been a quality backup with the Eagles, after flashing frequently on struggling Jacksonville teams during his first two seasons. Although Urban Meyer continued to give Minshew first-team reps for much of the 2021 offseason, Trevor Lawrence‘s expected ascent coming to pass led to a Minshew trade. The Eagles acquired the Washington State product for a conditional draft choice last year. It became a sixth-rounder after Minshew did not play at least 50% of Philly’s offensive snaps in three games last season.

Minshew, 26, did clear the 50% barrier in two games last season — both starts. He filled in for Hurts, who was battling an ankle injury, against the Jets and started with a cast of Eagles backups against the Cowboys in Week 18. When playing with Philly starters in New Jersey, Minshew completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. That win helped an Eagles team that was not viewed especially highly entering last season into the playoffs.

After replacing an injured Nick Foles as a rookie in 2019, Minshew took over the Jags job for good later that season. In 14 games (12 starts) in 2019, the former Mike Leach pupil surprised most by throwing 21 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions. QBR rated Minshew in the bottom five that year, however, and the Jags went 1-7 in his 2020 starts en route to securing the following year’s No. 1 overall pick.

A multigame audition this season, backed by a well-built Eagles roster, could put Minshew on the radar to be a potential bridge option or at least up his value as a backup on the market. The Eagles host the Saints and Giants to close the season.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 21st, 2022 at 10:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Christmas Day’s Broncos-Rams matchup will pit two of the league’s most disappointing teams against one another, and the Seahawks and Lions will have a vested interest in this contest. The loser of this game will give one of the latter teams — via the Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford trades — a better chance of landing a top-three pick in next year’s draft.

At 1-12-1, the Texans are cruising home. The Bears are on their heels, potentially set to become the team that selects the 2023 draft’s first non-quarterback. But eight four- or five-win teams reside behind these two, providing some intrigue for fanbases whose squads are not moving toward the playoffs.

The NFC South’s plunge toward becoming perhaps the worst division in NFL history carries draft stakes as well. The Falcons, Saints and Panthers each have five wins, and Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia (via the Saints’ pre-draft trade this year) would see those picks land in the top 10 as of now. The division-leading Buccaneers would see their draft slot check in no higher than 19th. Should one of Tampa Bay’s challengers vault the current first-place team in the standings, the Bucs would see their 2023 first-round slot rise considerably.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 16:

  1. Houston Texans: 1-12-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-11
  3. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  4. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  5. Arizona Cardinals: 4-10
  6. Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1
  7. Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
  8. Carolina Panthers: 5-9
  9. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
  11. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-8
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
  14. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
  15. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
  16. New England Patriots: 7-7
  17. New York Jets: 7-7
  18. Detroit Lions: 7-7
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
  20. Tennessee Titans: 7-7
  21. Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
  22. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
  23. New York Giants: 8-5-1
  24. Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
  25. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
  27. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 11-3
  30. Buffalo Bills: 11-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1

Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice.

Eagles Activate TE Dallas Goedert From IR

December 20th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

After having to wait longer than expected, the Eagles will have their top tight end available for Week 16. The team announced on Tuesday that Dallas Goedert has been activated from IR.

Philadelphia had designated him for return last week, leading to the expectation that he would be able to suit up for Sunday’s win over the Bears. Instead, he remained sidelined for that game, but this move still falls comfortably within the 21-day window he had to be activated. The move will allow him to play on Christmas Eve against the Cowboys.

Goedert has been out since Week 10 due to a shoulder injury. That interrupted what has been another productive season for him, the first without Zach Ertz present as competition for targets. The 27-year-old posted 544 yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches through nine games prior to being sidelined. Despite the missed time, he still ranks third on the team in receiving yards, behind only A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

The Eagles have won five straight games since the contest in which Goedert went down, their only loss of the season. That demonstrates the ability of their offense to overcome his absence, though a return to full strength will still be a welcomed sight given his production. A win on Saturday against Dallas would clinch the NFC East title and the top seed in the conference for Philadelphia.

A contest which was already important given its playoff implications became even more intriguing yesterday when it was reported that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is facing the possibility of a multi-week absence. Gardner Minshew is expected to play in his place, so having a full complement of pass-catchers via a healthy Goedert could prove critical for Philadelphia’s offense. The unit has been elite in the running game in particular, of course, but a return from the former second-rounder would boost the Eagles’ aerial attack as well.

The move leaves Philadelphia with three IR activations remaining for the season, with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and edge rusher Robert Quinn likely to use up two of the others. Their expected returns, along with that of Goedert, should help keep the Eagles in Super Bowl contention.

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts Suffers Shoulder Injury, Could Miss Multiple Games

December 19th, 2022 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles are the 15th team since the 1970 merger to start 13-1. Their September win over the Vikings currently gives them a three-game lead in the NFC’s home-field advantage race. This would allow for caution regarding injured players, and Jalen Hurts‘ status has now come up on this front.

This season’s MVP frontrunner suffered a shoulder sprain during the Eagles’ win over the Bears on Sunday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). This is not considered to be an injury that threatens Hurts’ playoff status, but the Eagles are preparing for the possibility Gardner Minshew starts against the Cowboys in Week 16 (Twitter link).

A Hurts return might take a bit longer, given the circumstances. The injury is to Hurts’ throwing shoulder, and with the team wanting him at full strength when he comes back, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane adds the third-year quarterback faces the prospect of missing Philadelphia’s next two games or being shut down until the playoffs. Were the Eagles to sit the MVP until the postseason, it would likely give him more than a month of recovery time. The divisional round begins Jan. 21.

Hurts suffered the injury on a third-quarter hit from Bears defensive end Trevis Gipson, who tackled the third-year passer on one of his 17 carries — which matched a season-high mark — in Week 15. While Hurts has made considerable strides as a passer this season, his rushing ability is a major part of Philly’s offense. The former second-round pick has amassed 747 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, three of those coming against the Bears on Sunday. Hurts, however, has either been hit or tackled 184 times this season, per ESPN, with that total ranking behind only Justin Fields and Daniel Jones.

Minshew started one game in relief of Hurts last season, filling in after Hurts suffered an ankle injury. The former Jaguars draftee should be viewed as likely to make another start Saturday, McLane adds. Hurts, who was not quite as effective after returning from that injury last year, underwent ankle surgery this offseason. He has removed previous doubt about an ability to be a high-end starting quarterback, and the Eagles have a recent history of securing a No. 1 seed without their starting quarterback. Nick Foles replaced Carson Wentz to land the NFC’s top seed five years ago. Wentz was on the cusp of MVP acclaim when he went down with an ACL tear, but Foles ended up lifting the team to a Super Bowl title. It does not appear the Eagles will need to consider Minshew for the playoffs, however, representing obvious good news for the league’s only team with fewer than three losses.

The Eagles host the Saints in Week 17, and the Giants will visit Philly to close out the regular season. Minshew went 20 of 25 for 242 yards and two touchdowns in his start against the Jets last season. He also started in Week 18 against the Cowboys, as the Eagles rested starters. After Dallas was forced to start Cooper Rush in its early-season matchup in Philadelphia, it is looking like this high-profile rivalry will not involve a Hurts-Dak Prescott duel this time around either.

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