Hurts returns to practice, status still ‘day by day’
Just as Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni predicted, quarterback Jalen Hurts was back at practice Wednesday working his way through a shoulder sprain that has sidelined him the last two games.
Even with the official injury report estimating that Hurts participated on a limited basis, it’s better than last week when he didn’t work at all in the Wednesday walkthrough. Hurts demonstrated last Thursday that he could throw without issue. Still, the Eagles scratched him in favor of Gardner Minshew for the second straight week.
The Eagles (13-3) have much more at stake this week as they attempt to halt the two-game losing streak that has prevented them from locking down the top seed in the NFC and the NFC East pennant.
The good news is that the Giants, who they oppose Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, are locked into the sixth playoff seed and could rest starters. Head coach Brian Daboll, perhaps borrowing a page from Nick Sirianni’s competitive advantage playbook, hadn’t announced a plan as of quitting time Wednesday.
No one would be surprised if the Eagles were waiting to see if the Giants regulars were playing before determining whether to start Hurts, who took them apart a few weeks ago at the Meadowlands.
“We’ll still keep that day by day,” Sirianni said. “We don’t have to make a decision yet. We’re going to see how this week goes, and we’ll see how today’s walk-through goes of everything. Tomorrow we’ll see a little bit more because we’ll be more than a walk-through. We’ll be practicing. So, we’ll get a better idea here within the next couple of days.”
Hurts was listed as limited along with running back Miles Sanders (knee) and linebacker Shaun Bradley (wrist).
The list of Eagles who didn’t practice Wednesday included offensive tackle Lane Johnson (groin), defensive backs Avonte Maddox (toe) and Zech McPhearson (illness) and defensive end Josh Sweat (neck).
The Eagles activated the practice windows on safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who has a team-leading six interceptions, and defensive end Robert Quinn. Gardner-Johnson is bouncing back from a lacerated kidney, Quinn from a
surgical procedure in his knee.
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The collapse of Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin brought back memories of the passing of Chuck Hughes.
The Philly-born Hughes played wide receiver for the Eagles from 1967-69 before joining the Detroit Lions. He collapsed and died during a game against the Chicago Bears in 1971.
Hughes was just 28 and reportedly had a history of heart disease. The Eagles at that time showed a lot of class commemorating the loss with a Christmas card. The personal and very classy touch came from the late Charles B. “Chick” McElrone, who grew up in Delaware County, attended Villanova, served in the Armed Forces and was a sportswriter at the Delaware County Daily Times, and the late Jim Gallagher.
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Philly-born and Templemade NFL officiating guru Art McNally passed away this week at age 97. McNally was the first game official enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is
considered the Father of Instant Replay. (I forgive him.)
The word among Delco officiating types is McNally helped county officials like Bill Reynolds and Jim Kearney get into the NFL. McNally graduated from Roman Catholic and Temple University.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell nailed it when he said McNally was, “A Hall of Fame person in absolutely every way. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Sharon, his children Marybeth, Tom, and Michael, and his grandchildren.”
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Bayard Rustin’s Mike St. Clair is the Eagles high school coach of the year. The Rustin football program received grant money and a custom Eagles football.
St. Clair is among 32 nominees for the Don Shula Award to be announced at the Pro Bowl. The winning coach receives $12,500 and his high school program $17,500. The runnerup receives $7,500, his program $12,500, and remaining finalists get $1,000.