Washington QB outlook remains uncertain; Eagles’ Jalen Hurts on track to start

With less than 24 hours until kickoff, the Washington Football Team still had lingering questions on who will be available to play Tuesday, when the Eagles host their division rival at Lincoln Financial Field.

Washington regained several players on Monday, but starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke and backup Kyle Allen remained on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Washington also placed All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff on the list.

Heinicke and Allen have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to test out of the league’s COVID protocols, which would allow them to play three hours later for the 7 p.m. kickoff. If neither quarterback is able to test out of protocols, Washington will likely go with Garrett Gilbert, who was signed off the Patriots’ practice squad on Friday. Gilbert is familiar with Washington coach Ron Rivera’s system, having spent the 2018 season with Rivera in Carolina.

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“Our video department has everything of what we need to see,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said last week regarding his preparations for Washington’s unknown starting quarterback situation. “It’s about scheme and players and talent and what they do. Obviously we’ve done a lot of homework at getting that information. Our video department has cut-ups of everybody, every play they’ve ever played in any situation.”

In addition to the 15 players that remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Washington announced it also will be without seven assistant coaches: running backs coach Randy Jordan, wide receivers coach Drew Terrell, defensive line coach Sam Mills, defensive backs coach Chris Harris, assistant defensive backs coach Brent Visselmeyer, defensive quality control coach Vincent Rivera, and defensive coaching intern Christian Garcia.

On Friday, the NFL postponed the scheduled Sunday game involving the pair of NFC East teams due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. At the time of the postponement, the Eagles had only two players on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Washington had a reported 23 players on the list.

Since then, the Eagles have activated wide receiver Quez Watkins and running back Jason Huntley, but they also have placed starting left guard Landon Dickerson and backup left tackle Andre Dillard on the list.

If Dickerson is unable to play, he’ll likely be replaced by Sua Opeta. The offensive line has sustained injuries to multiple starters and backups throughout the season, but it has proved to be one of the team’s most consistent position groups.

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Coming off their bye week, the Eagles haven’t played since Dec. 5, and quarterback Jalen Hurts hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 28, when he suffered a high ankle sprain.

In the final injury report released Monday afternoon, Hurts was not listed with any type of injury designation, an indication he could be ready to make his return Tuesday night.

“It’s been a day-by-day thing,” Hurts said Wednesday. “I’ve been coming in every day doing everything I can in my power to be available. ... At this point of the season, everybody is playing for a lot. Regardless of who’s out there ... we are going to try to go out and play good football all around.

“They have something to fight for and so do we. We want this win in December.”

With four regular-season games remaining — including two against each other — Washington and the Eagles both stand at 6-7. New Orleans has the NFC’s final playoff spot with the No. 7 seed with a 7-7 record.