The Eagles didn’t practice on Christmas Day, but they still were required to put out a practice report. That gave a better idea of where their quarterbacks are in their recovery.
Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts remains in concussion protocol and is estimated as a non-participant. His backup, Kenny Pickett, was limited with an injury to his ribs.
Tanner McKee is the team’s third quarterback.
Hurts was injured at the end of a 13-yard run in the first quarter of the loss to the Commanders. He dove head first and was hit by linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, slamming the back of Hurts’ head into the ground. Pickett played the rest of the game but underwent X-rays on his ribs postgame.
The Eagles estimated running back Saquon Barkley (rest), offensive guard Mekhi Becton (rest), wide receiver AJ Brown (rest), linebacker Nakobe Dean (abdomen), offensive guard Landon Dickerson (rest), right tackle Lane Johnson (rest), running back Will Shipley (concussion), cornerback Darius Slay (rest) and outside linebacker Josh Sweat (rest) as non-participants.
Wide receiver Britan Covey (neck) and defensive end Bryce Huff (wrist) were listed as full participants.
If there was any doubt, well, there shouldn’t have been.
The moment the NFL did an abrupt about-face on its vow to not play games when December 25 lands on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, it was obvious that the NFL will find a way to play multiple games on any day of the week that happens to be Christmas Day.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed the obvious during his weekly Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Whenever Christmas happens, pro football will happen, too.
“Christmas Day is Christmas Day, and it doesn’t wait around for what day it’s on,” Jones said, via Christian Arnold of the New York Post. “We want to be there on Christmas Day. . . . I would think the future is whatever day it’s on, we’re going to be there on Christmas.”
Wednesday is the toughest day to pull it off. And it really wasn’t that hard to do it. Have the teams that will play that day play on Saturday of the prior week, and it’s no different from a Sunday-Thursday turnaround.
Tuesday is even easier. Four (or six) teams that would have played on Sunday have their games shifted by two days. Then, they all play the following Sunday.
It’s longer than the usual short week, which has only three days off between games. With four days off between Tuesday and Sunday, it’s a no-brainer.
From the moment the NFL said there won’t be games when Christmas games on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, we knew that would change. First, there’s far too much money to be made. Second, why surrender the day back to the NBA?
It’s a captive audience, same as Thanksgiving. Even on Netflix, the cash and the ratings will justify peeling games away from the cluster of Sunday afternoon contests.
So, yeah, it’s permanent. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday. If Christmas lands on a day ending in “Y,” the NFL will be playing games on each and every December 25.
Mike McCarthy presumably has no idea what his future holds as he is in the final year of his contract with the Cowboys.
Do the Cowboys want him back? Does he want to come back?
Owner Jerry Jones has offered effusive praise for the job McCarthy has done in winning four of the past five games. The Cowboys knew they were out of playoff contention Sunday when they beat the Bucs 26-24.
On Tuesday, Jones intimated that he wants McCarthy back.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the way the coaching staff, led by Mike McCarthy, the way that the leadership on this team, and really proud of these young players,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “They just are growing mentally and physically by leaps and bounds. [It] makes me think we’ve got and outstanding future ahead of us.”
McCarthy was asked later in the day if he was eager to have a resolution on his status.
“I do believe in time and place, and this is not the time or the place for me to speak on it,” McCarthy said, via Ed Werder of ESPN. “Really, my focus is more about the staff. Their concern is higher for me, because change is something that happens in our league all the time. It’s part of this industry. And I understand it. I am at a different point in my life. I’m more focused on them, and I know that the best way to help everybody is to take care of what’s in front of us. And that’s why the commitment, the pride. . . . I think it benefits everybody for me just to stay on course.”
The Cowboys close out the season against the Eagles and Commanders.
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has become the best player in the NFL at his position.
On Tuesday, the NFL named him the NFC special teams player of the week. It’s the third time in two seasons Aubrey has earned the honor, the first this season.
He made kicks of 58, 49, 48 and 53 yards in the Cowboys’ 26-24 win over the Buccaneers. Aubrey was the only kicker in Week 16 to make multiple field goals of 50 yards or longer.
That gives Aubrey 14 field goals of 50-plus yards this season, an NFL record. Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn has 13 made field goals of 50 yards or longer this season.
The Eagles are hurting at quarterback as they seek to clinch the NFC East.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni offered no updates on Jalen Hurts (concussion) and Kenny Pickett (ribs) in Monday’s news conference.
Hurts will have to go through the league’s concussion protocol this week, so there is no way to tell whether he will clear it in time to play against the Cowboys on Sunday.
“When that happens, we just lean on the doctors to let us know on a daily basis where he is,” Sirianni said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Pickett had X-rays after Sunday’s loss to the Commanders, which kept the Eagles from clinching the division title.
Tanner McKee is the only other quarterback on the roster.
Hurts was injured at the end of a 13-yard run in the first quarter. He dove head first and was hit by Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, slamming the back of Hurts’ head into the ground. Pickett played the rest of the game.
“This is an unfortunate part of football,” Sirianni said of Hurts’ concussion.
The Eagles’ injury report on Wednesday will give an idea of the quarterbacks’ health and their potential availability for Sunday.
