SEATTLE — Jalen Hurts is going to tough it out.
The Eagles’ franchise quarterback has been ill for a few days and was downgraded to questionable this weekend. But he is active and will play against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
Hurts, 25, missed practice on Saturday with that illness and when he woke up on Sunday morning, he was still sick. That’s when the Eagles downgraded him to questionable and Hurts flew to Seattle separately in an attempt to keep his teammates healthy.
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While Hurts and the offense haven’t played well in the last couple of weeks, Hurts has been an MVP candidate all season. This season, Hurts has led the Eagles to a 10-3 record while completing 66.5% of his passes for 3,192 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has also accounted for 460 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Even though Hurts is active, it’ll be worth monitoring him throughout the game. His backup is Marcus Mariota.
Hurts is active but the Eagles are without three key starters. Here’s a complete look at their inactives:
CB Darius Slay (knee)
LB Zach Cunningham (knee)
RG Cam Jurgens (pectoral)
RB Rashaad Penny
TE Albert Okwuegbunam
QB Tanner McKee
Philadelphia Eagles
Meanwhile, the Seahawks will have starting quarterback Geno Smith, who entered Monday listed as questionable with a groin injury that kept him out last week. His backup in this game is Drew Lock, who started last week against the 49ers.
Slay last week had arthroscopic surgery on his knee and will miss some time but the Eagles hope he’ll be back before the end of the regular season. He played through the injury last week. In Slay’s absence, expect rookie Kelee Ringo to fill in. The fourth-round rookie had played just one defensive snap all last season until last week when he played 22.
Without Cunningham, the Eagles will play newcomer Shaq Leonard next to Nicholas Morrow. Leonard, 28, played 14 defensive snaps in his Eagles debut last week. But he’ll need to have a much bigger role in this game. The only other off-ball linebacker on the 53-man roster is rookie UDFA Ben VanSumeren.
Jurgens injured his pec last week against the Cowboys in North Texas and missed practice all week. During offensive line drills this week, Sua Opeta was filling in at right guard. The Eagles are expected to start the veteran in this game in a loud atmosphere at Lumen Field.
The Eagles on Monday afternoon elevated rookie defensive back Mekhi Garner for this game. Expect the rookie to play a role on special teams and add some depth in the secondary. This is his third and final elevation of the 2023 regular season.