PHILADELPHIA − So now we know how much the Eagles risked by playing Jalen Hurts last Sunday against the Giants.
Everything.
The severity of Hurts’ injury was telling enough in the Eagles’ 22-16 win over the Giants on Sunday when the Eagles did everything possible to make sure that Hurts didn’t get hit in his shoulder. That, of course, was by not letting him run.
It was also telling in Hurts’ comments after the game when he said his shoulder was “good enough” to win the game.
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But the confirmation came from Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni on Tuesday when he was asked if Hurts will have to deal with pain in his shoulder as long as the Eagles remain in the playoffs.
“I’m not sure I can answer that question,” Sirianni said. “We are fortunate that we have two weeks till the next time we play … He’s going to be a little bit healthier than what he was obviously the other day.
“We knew it was going to hurt him like hell; he knew it was going to hurt him like hell.”
Heck, even Hurts wouldn’t speculate after practice Thursday when asked how close he would be to full strength when the Eagles play next.
“It’s not (game day), so I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t give you a number.”
That’s how close everything the Eagles had built this season was to collapsing.
Hyperbole?
Consider that the Eagles determined that they were better off with Hurts with his shoulder at whatever diminished percentage than they would have been with Gardner Minshew at full strength. And this was against a Giants team that started a practice-squad QB and sat six of their best players in addition to quarterback Daniel Jones.
If the Eagles had lost that game, Hurts and the Eagles would be playing this weekend in the Wild Card round. And we now know that Hurts’ shoulder wouldn’t have been much better than it was against the Giants.
We also know that wouldn’t be “good enough” to beat a playoff team that won’t be sitting any starters in the first round.
It’s safe to assume that the Eagles’ intention was to have Hurts sit out from the time he suffered the injury against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 18 until the first playoff game, a total of five weeks. They would give Minshew two chances to lock up the No. 1 seed, against either Dallas or New Orleans.
But Minshew couldn’t get the job done, so the Eagles had to go to Hurts against the Giants.
So Hurts got three weeks, and now he’ll get another. Whatever condition Hurts’ shoulder is in when the Eagles play next, he’ll be better than he was against the Giants.
He has to be.
“I’ve always been a man that’s embraced everything that’s been thrown my way,” Hurts said. “Trying to find ways to overcome it, and make it happen. I think there are different challenges that come (along) in our career, and you have to find a way to look them in the face, and face them.”
Hurts began that this past Monday, when Sirianni had given the team the day off after beating the Giants. Hurts would have none of it. He called Sirianni and said he wanted to come in and study video.
“Nick Sirianni gave me a hard time about that one,” Hurts said with a laugh. “I told him we had business to attend to. Again, we have the opportunity of a lifetime … There’s so much that we have to be thankful for and grateful for, and the opportunities that we have. Why not give it your all while you can because you never know when you can be done?”
This leads to another question: Why would Sirianni divulge that Hurts’ shoulder “hurt like hell” against the Giants, and might not be fully healed when the Eagles play next weekend?
After all, it wouldn’t seem to help the Eagles to hint strongly that Hurts might not be fully healed. The Eagles’ potential opponent has the video from the Giants game to see what that might look like.
Hint: Not good.
But really, Sirianni didn’t sell the proverbial farm. If anything, Sirianni did the opposite.
That’s because Hurts was determined to play against the Giants because the Eagles needed the win, and the Eagles knew that Hurts was the best person to provide that win. Hurts knew what it would take from his injured shoulder to get the job done, and he made it work.
It’s the same in the playoffs.
And the Eagles needed the bye week just as much as Hurts did. There’s also right tackle Lane Johnson (groin), cornerback Avonte Maddox (toe) and defensive end Josh Sweat (neck) working back from their injuries. Sweat was back at practice, while Johnson was working off to the side with a trainer.
So this, then, was Sirianni’s most telling quote about Hurts’ status for the playoff game.
“That’s the kind of player he is; that’s the kind of teammate he is,” Sirianni said. “He fought through (the pain) because it was important for him to be out there, and he knew how important it was for him and his teammates to be out there.”
So yes, Hurts’ shoulder will be better in the playoffs. It might not be 100%, but Hurts will do everything possible to make sure it’s “good enough.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve done it, though,” Hurts said about playing through pain. “It’s happened a number of times. But I think this has been a very public venture. I’ve been able to navigate that. I have no problem with doing that.
“That’s the thing I have to kind of get my mind right to do. It takes what it takes. At the end of the day, if you want something done, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.”
The Eagles are confident that Hurts will do exactly that.
Reddick wins monthly honor
Pass rusher Haason Reddick was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for December. Reddick had eight sacks, 14 QB hits, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in the last six games in the regular season. He’s the second Eagles player to win a monthly honor. Hurts was named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month in September.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
