Jalen Hurts still in concussion protocol and listed as nonparticipant on Eagles injury report

Eleven days after he went down in the Eagles’ Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders, Jalen Hurts remains in the concussion protocol, Nick Sirianni said Wednesday afternoon.

The 26-year-old starting quarterback was listed as a nonparticipant on the injury report, which was an estimation because the team held a walk-through instead of a practice on Wednesday. Hurts has not been present at portions of practices open to the media, even as an observer, since sustaining his concussion.

Hurts isn’t the only Eagles quarterback dealing with an injury. Kenny Pickett, who suffered a rib injury while playing in relief of Hurts against the Commanders, was also listed as a nonparticipant on Wednesday’s report. He played through the pain while making his first Eagles start in last Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, but cumulative hits sidelined him in the third quarter.

Even if Hurts was healthy, Sirianni said he plans to “rest some guys” in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the New York Giants with the team locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs. Since Pickett also is dealing with an injury, Tanner McKee could get his first NFL start one week after he saw his first game action.

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McKee, the 2023 sixth-rounder out of Stanford, took over for Pickett in the third quarter against the Cowboys and made the most of limited playing time. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns for a 156.2 passer rating. According to the team, McKee is the first Eagles player to throw multiple touchdowns with fewer than five attempts in their first career game.

“Obviously was super excited just to get in for the first time,” McKee said Wednesday. “Get a few snaps. But it is great because it feels like practice. It feels like when you’re out there, I’ve been here before. I’ve run these plays so many times before, which is a good feeling. You feel like you’re prepared.”

McKee said he expects to “get a little bit more reps this week” in practice with his teammates who are going to suit up against the Giants, but he would not confirm if he will start on Sunday. Regardless, the 24-year-old said he is preparing to play, just as he would any other week.

While the Eagles may not have anything to gain or lose through the result of the game, McKee emphasized the benefit of taking plenty of snaps in a regular-season contest from an individual standpoint.

“Any time that I can get an opportunity to step on the field, I think it’s super important for me to showcase what I can do,” he said. “For our team, for other teams, for just me, my confidence, the confidence of the organization, the guys around me. So, obviously, you want to put your best foot forward any time you step on the football field.”

Nakobe Dean, who did not play Sunday against the Cowboys with an abdominal injury, was listed as a full participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report. The 24-year-old inside linebacker said he was held out of game action as a precautionary measure with the playoffs upcoming.

“I’m feeling good,” Dean said Wednesday. “I wasn’t really feeling too bad last week, either. Probably could’ve played, wanted to play, but got to do what’s best. I mean, they felt we could handle the Cowboys well, which we did, without me.”

Dean said he sustained the injury in the second quarter of the Commanders game when he felt a “tear” in his abdomen. Once the medical staff determined that he wouldn’t require surgery to repair the issue, Dean returned to the game later in the quarter. Even though Dean prepared throughout the week as if he was going to play against the Cowboys, he found out Friday that he would be held out.

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Now, with Dean and a number of key starters expected to sit out against the Giants, his focus is on preparing his body for what he hopes is a long playoff run.

“Just having that week of rest and trying to get our bodies right and mind, body, and soul right and relaxed, because we haven’t had a bye since Week 5,” Dean said. “So it’s just getting right and getting ready for the playoffs.”

The Eagles opened the 21-day practice window for Dallas Goedert (knee) on Wednesday, making him eligible to come off injured reserve after missing the last four games. He was listed as a full participant on the estimated injury report.

The veteran tight end suffered a knee injury in Week 13 against the Baltimore Ravens early in the fourth quarter, and landed on injured reserve for the second time this season. Goedert previously missed Weeks 6-8 while dealing with a hamstring issue. He has played just nine games this season, which is his fewest in a season in his seven-year career.

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When asked how quickly Goedert would be able to return to action, Sirianni said: “we’ll see” and “it’s hard to tell.”

“Getting back on the field and doing things, started his window, and it’ll be super important to have him back,” Sirianni said. “He’s a great football player who has helped this team win a lot of football games. So really excited for the possibility of getting him back, and, like I said, we’ll see when that happens.”

Will Shipley (concussion) was listed as a limited participant on the estimated injury report, which indicates that he is progressing through the concussion protocol. The rookie running back did not play against the Cowboys after sustaining the concussion in the loss to the Commanders.

The Eagles placed C.J. Uzomah on injured reserve with an abdominal injury. The 31-year-old tight end exited last week’s game against the Cowboys early in the fourth quarter after he appeared to hurt himself while blocking for Saquon Barkley on a run play.