Hurts throws for two scores as Eagles survive TEN

Fowler reportedly spoke to “some people who are hopeful” that Hurts can avoid injured reserve. He described the situation as being “very much touch and go” and said Tanner McKee will “probably” start multiple games. The Eagles go on bye in Week 10, so if Hurts does land on injured reserve, the Eagles’ Week 11 game against the Steelers would be his earliest possible return.

Hurts’ blood clot was initially a superficial issue in his calf. Unfortunately, the clot has moved and the situation now appears to be quite serious and, per Rapoport, “scary.” Rapoport said Hurts will now undergo treatment, “which, a lot of times, is blood thinners.” If that treatment option is deemed necessary, Hurts would not be allowed to play. Rapoport believes Hurts will be sidelined in Week 6 “and likely beyond.” Tanner McKee is his replacement.

McKee, 26, is a towering pocket passer (6'6/231) with 97 career dropbacks. He has two career starts and has made appearances in two other contests, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and a 73.8 percent adjusted completion rate. McKee was the subject of trade rumors last offseason, but luckily, the Eagles kept him. He faces a Panthers secondary missing its two starting perimeter cornerbacks, though he has almost exactly 72 hours to get himself ready and the Eagles’ pass-catching corps is banged up. He is a viable QB2 in superflex formats, but he offers a wide range of potential outcomes. McKee is backed up by rookie Cole Payton. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo thinks the team could reunite with Andy Dalton, whom they released last week.

Dalton is “an option” for the Eagles, who are down to two available quarterbacks this week, Tanner McKee and rookie Cole Payton, with Jalen Hurts having been ruled out preemptively due to a superficial blood clot in his calf. The Eagles released Dalton last week. A few teams have reportedly checked in with Dalton since his release, “though there’s familiarity and a clear role in Philly for him if he decides to return.”

The Eagles released an official statement announcing the news. Per their statement, Hurts took a cleat to the calf in Week 4. He went in for treatment the following Thursday and an ultrasound revealed the blood clot. Doctors ultimately cleared him to play in Week 5. He continued to receive treatment over the next two days. After practice on Wednesday (yesterday), a follow-up ultrasound revealed movement in the small blood clot. The team has now ruled him out for Week 6 as they determine the next course of action. They didn’t comment on how long Hurts will be out, but it’s possible this is a long-term issue for the veteran quarterback. Tanner McKee will draw the start versus Carolina.

Hurts added a grand total of two yards on the ground. The Eagles even seemed afraid to use him for tush pushes, opting for a shotgun handoff on an early fourth-and-one. The bulk of Hurts’ production through the air came on a single deep shot to Darius Cooper. Hurts’ pass was actually a bit off the mark, but Cooper adjusted well and sprinted into the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown. Hurts had Dontayvion Wicks wide open for his second long score of the day late in the third quarter, but an all-out blitz forced him to throw off his back foot and he overshot the attempt. A field goal with eight seconds left on the clock still should have been enough to win the game. Philly’s kick coverage unit then got burned by Ameer Abdullah, setting up a walk-off kick from Cam Little. The Philly offense is as lifeless as they come. Even if DeVonta Smith returns for Week 6 versus the Panthers, Hurts will fail to crack the top-12 at quarterback for the first time in years.

Hurts popped up with a calf injury on Friday, but practiced in full and seems to be expected to play. Tanner McKee, now the only game in town after Andy Dalton’s release, would take over if necessary on Sunday. It doesn’t sound like anything to be overly worried about at this point, though.

Mannion defended his approach during a Tuesday presser, two days after the Eagles offense — missing DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley — sputtered to a loss against the Rams. The Eagles have put Jalen Hurts under center and utilized play action much more than usual this season. It’s a strategy that hasn’t paid off quite yet. Hurts ranks 31st out of 38 qualifying QBs in adjusted yards per attempt on passes from under center; his 18 percent success rate from under center is by far the worst in the NFL. It’s hard to envision brighter days ahead for Hurts if Smith remains sidelined. He’s barely startable in 12-team formats for now.

Hurts contributed just five carries for 18 scoreless yards. With DeVonta Smith (hamstring) out and Saquon Barkley (hamstring) joining him early, the game ended up on Hurts’ shoulders. He responded by averaging 3.4 yards per attempt and generating 68 yards net passing when his four sacks for 25 yards are factored in. The Eagles went 0-12 on third down and blew a 20-10 fourth quarter lead. It, obviously, was a miracle the Eagles had a lead to begin with. Hurts’ longest completion — a fluke Darius Cooper touchdown reception — went for 18 yards. Tank Bigsby had the “long” gain of the day with a 19-yard rush. RT Lane Johnson’s last-minute deactivation was another hindrance, but this is now an Eagles offense that has spent nearly a quarter of the season looking like it is going nowhere fast. Its season high for points is 27, and it has produced 27 combined against the contending Bears and Rams. Things are unlikely to get much better against the Jags’ top-notch defense on the road in London next Sunday.

The Eagles’ only scoring drive came in the two-minute drill to end the first half, but the team still managed to enter the break down only three points to the Case Keenum-led Bears. The first half was mired by mistakes, one of which came with the team in the red zone when backup quarterback Andy Dalton threw an interception in the end zone with Hurts being checked for a concussion. The break did the team no favors as they would go three-and-out on their first three possessions of the second half, ending the game with a Hurts interception and a turnover on downs. In total, the Eagles held the football for just over 23 minutes and gained only 248 yards of total offense on a pedestrian 47 offensive plays. The loss drops them to 2-1 ahead of one of the more difficult matchups they’ll see all season against the Rams in Week 4. Hurts remains a back-end QB1 aided by his rushing upside.