Will the Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts face the Dallas Cowboys in NFL Week 16?

With what’s riding on upcoming game between the Eagles and the Cowboys, it’s no wonder that Philadelphia’s coach doesn’t want to dismiss the possibility that his star quarterback could in fact recover in time for the clash.

Eagles’ Nick Sirianni won’t rule out Jalen Hurts facing Cowboys

If there’s one thing we can say about Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, it’s that he’s definitely a positive guy. Following his team’s most recent game, a win over the Chicago Bears, Sirianni has had to contend with the possibility that starting QB Jalen Hurts may not be able to face the Dallas Cowboys - their direct division rivals - in their next game. The signal caller was forced off the field during Sunday’s win with a sprained right shoulder and subsequently had to undergo X-rays on Monday. Indeed, it’s the result of that examination that has Sirianni believing that Hurts’ injury won’t be “long term.” Sirianni went on to indicate that Hurts is doing all he can to return on time. “He is attacking his rehab,” Sirianni said on Tuesday. “We’ll see what happens this week.”

To date Hurts has completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,472 yards with 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions (104.6 rating). The Eagles QB has also rushed for 747 yards and 13 touchdowns. With his 35 combined touchdowns, Hurts has now tied Randall Cunningham’s franchise record from 1990. Indeed, he was on track to become the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 800 yards in a single season prior to the injury. Ultimately, though they can cope, it goes without saying that the Eagles will want their main man on the field when they face the Cowboys.

What happens if Jalen Hurts can’t play?

In the even that Hurts is unable to take the field, The Eagles will almost certainly turn to backup signal caller Gardner Minshew. To be clear, with a 13-1 record the Eagles need just one win from their final three games to clinch the NFC East division and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Where Minshew is concerned, he started just one game in place of Hurts last season, completing 20 his 25 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 133.7 rating, which is to say he’s got game.

“This guy [Minshew] is a great backup quarterback that could be starting on teams in this league, and we know that,” Sirianni said. “He doesn’t need a lot of reps. He’s ready to go because of the football IQ he has, the intelligence he has. ...If he has to go, we’ll have 100 percent confidence in him because he can ball. He proved that last year. I think he’s proven that throughout his career. He’s a winner. He’s a winner. That’s all he knows how to do.”