The upcoming game of the year between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles is already having drama before the game has even started. With recent news revolving around how Quarterback Jalen Hurts may not play against the Cowboys, it has made many fans’ heads question whether he will be present or not.
It was confirmed after last week’s matchup against the Chicago Bears that Jalen had a sprained right shoulder and would not be able to play the following week. With this news, the Cowboys went from being 1-point favorites to 6.5 favorites to win. However, Hurts had other plans.
On Tuesday, when Jalen was asked if he’d play on Saturday he answered “Definitely a chance”. This made many football fans skeptical about what is to come. Is Jalen going to sit out? Will he play? All of this is up for grabs for even Head Coach Nick Sirianni stated “I do not put it past Jalen Hurts, I don’t put anything past Jalen Hurts as far as his physical and mental toughness”.
What if Jalen did play, what would happen? Well, we would all know that Jalen would be playing with an injured shoulder which is never good as a QB. Last week vs Chicago, Jalen threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns. This isn’t good, and if this is something that he’ll carry into the next game, the Eagles could be in trouble.
On the other hand, if the Eagles were to sit out Jalen Hurts, backup Quarterback Gardner Minshew will play. Gardner used to be a starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2019 and 2020. He came onto the Eagles in 2021 and served as mostly just a backup. This will be Gardner’s first start for the Eagles this year.
I think that the Eagles should consider benching Hurts. If he were to throw some bad passes because he is playing injured, then those could end up in turnovers and give the Cowboys an easy win. If the Eagles are smart, they will bench Hurts.
For now, fans can expect to see a “hurtless” Eagles team that will be going up against the Cowboys on Saturday in the Game of the Year. Rumors have been moving around that Jalen has not even attended any practices this week. Only time will tell if Hurts will be present at Saturday’s game.