Ahead of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders, the health of Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts has been a major focus. Despite Hurts’ knee injury, which has kept him as a limited participant in practice throughout the week, the Commanders do not plan to ease up on the former Pro Bowler.
Hurts has repeatedly stated that the injury will not prevent him from playing on Sunday, though it’s uncertain whether he will be at 100 percent or if he will show signs of being hampered during the game. Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt discussed their strategy for dealing with Hurts at a press conference on Thursday, indicating that his players are prepared to “hit Hurts like a running back.” “The one thing is, if he’s gonna run the ball and the coordinator makes a decision for him to run, we’re gonna treat him like a running back,” Whitt told reporters. “And we’re gonna hit him that way. They have to decide if they want him to get hit like that; otherwise, they’ll keep him in the pocket. So that’s our approach.”
Hurts has established himself as one of the most physically imposing quarterbacks in football when healthy, making Whitt’s desire to force him to stay as a pocket passer quite reasonable. However, this statement effectively serves as a warning from Whitt to the Eagles coaching staff, whether intended or not. If Hurts plays at less than full strength, he risks re-aggravating his injury under the Commanders’ physical style of play.
Fortunately for the Eagles, Hurts’ condition has been improving, as evidenced by his full participation in practice on Thursday for the first time that week. The Eagles are currently favored by 6 points across most sportsbooks; however, if Whitt follows through on his promise to treat Hurts like a running back, the Commanders may very well make the game much more competitive than anticipated.
