{"id":163195,"date":"2022-12-20T12:25:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T12:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/eagles-gardner-minshew-set-to-play-as-jalen-hurts-has-shoulder-injury\/"},"modified":"2022-12-20T12:25:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T12:25:10","slug":"eagles-gardner-minshew-set-to-play-as-jalen-hurts-has-shoulder-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/eagles-gardner-minshew-set-to-play-as-jalen-hurts-has-shoulder-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Eagles’ Gardner Minshew set to play as Jalen Hurts has shoulder injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
PHILADELPHIA \u2212 The Eagles traded for Gardner Minshew in the summer of 2021 so that he would be ready to take over if necessary, even if it means starting in perhaps the Eagles’ biggest game of the season against their most bitter rival, the Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n
But the Eagles might not have a choice after starter Jalen Hurts, a leading candidate for the MVP award, a shoulder injury Sunday in the Eagles’ 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n
Hurts has a shoulder sprain and could conceivably miss the final three regular-season games.<\/p>\n
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who was not available Monday, has a press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
There is a lot at stake against the Cowboys, likely with Minshew at quarterback. With a victory, the Eagles (13-1) can clinch the NFC East division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, and the bye week that goes with it.<\/p>\n\n
But the Eagles would still be in good shape for those goals with a loss. That’s because the Eagles lead the Cowboys (10-4) by three games with three games remaining. All it would take is one more Eagles victory or one more Cowboys loss.<\/p>\n
PLAYING THROUGH PAIN:<\/strong>How Jalen Hurts played through shoulder injury that leaves him ‘in doubt’ for Cowboys<\/p>\n FREEZE OUT:<\/strong>Jalen Hurts, Eagles warm up late’to ice Bears after slow start; Dallas Goedert kept on IR<\/p>\n\n In that scenario, the Eagles could let Hurts sit out until their first playoff game the weekend of Jan. 21.<\/p>\n Minshew has started 22 games in his NFL career, with 20 of them coming in his two seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starter in 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n While it would be easy for Eagles fans to dream about a Nick Foles redux with Minshew, the circumstances are very different. In 2017, then-Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz was a leading candidate for the MVP award as he led the Eagles to an 11-2 record before tearing his ACL.<\/p>\n Foles, an experienced backup like Minshew, took over, and eventually led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl victory. Foles was the MVP in the championship game, throwing for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns.<\/p>\n But Hurts’ injury is not considered nearly as serious as Wentz’s. There was no fracture in Hurts’ shoulder, and the best remedies are rest and rehab.<\/p>\n\n Hurts apparently the injury midway through the third quarter on a running play that gained six yards. Hurts landed on his right shoulder with the full force of Bears defensive lineman Trevis Gipson.<\/p>\n Hurts writhed in pain on the ground momentarily. He was helped to his feet before the referee could call for an injury timeout. Hurts later made his best throw of the game in the fourth quarter when he hit receiver AJ Brown on a deep ball for 68 yards down to the Bears’ 3 yard line.<\/p>\n\n Hurts then ran the ball in for his third rushing touchdown of the game, giving the Eagles a 12-point lead.<\/p>\n “He’ll be sore from that,” Sirianni said after the game Sunday. “We’ll be on a short week. He’s tough … I know he took a couple big hits, but they were pretty clean shots. He got up and he was good to go.”<\/p>\n