Will Jalen Hurts be healthy for the playoffs? The loss left the Eagles injury-riddled and a QB’s finger disfigured

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The visual of Jalen Hurts’ disfigured middle finger may have been the only thing uglier than the Eagles’ performance in their regular-season finale.

During the team’s 27-10 loss at the hands of the New York Giants (6-11), the insult of the game turning out to be meaningless was added to the injuries to several key players going into next Monday’s wild-card round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Chief among them was Hurts, standing on the sideline with the middle finger of his throwing hand seemingly dislocated before trainers ushered him to the medical tent for treatment. Hurts sustained the injury on a fourth-and-3 pass attempt in the second quarter, a few series before the Eagles pulled their starters with the Dallas Cowboys securing the NFC East with a rout of the Washington Commanders as the Giants extended their lead.

Hurts got pressured by Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke coming on a delayed blitz and came off with the injury. The Eagles struggled mightily against Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme, resulting in Hurts facing constant pressure throughout the game.

After the game, Hurts had a gauze wrap over his middle and pointer finger and initially walked through the locker room with a towel wrapped around his throwing hand.

“It’s a very unfortunate, crazy thing,” Hurts said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

“It popped out.”

Hurts didn’t miss any snaps because of the injury, returning with his finger taped up to play three more series before Eagles coach Nick Sirianni pulled the starters late in the second quarter.

Hurts went 1-for-4 for 8 yards and one interception after the injury and was sacked twice. He finished 7-for-16 for 55 yards in the game. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota went 13-for-20 for 148 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

When asked about Hurts’ status for the upcoming game in Tampa Bay, Sirianni pointed to Hurts’ returning after the injury Sunday but was non-committal.

“He came back in and played, he’s tough as heck,” Sirianni said. “After he got hurt, he came back in [and] ripped it. So, yeah, we’ll see. I haven’t even talked to the trainers yet, or the medical staff. We’ll see.”

Hurts was similarly unequivocal about his status for the postseason.

“I’m taking it day by day at this point.”

When asked how the hand felt when he returned, Hurts said it felt, “OK.”

“I don’t really know — I don’t like to talk about the injuries,” Hurts said. “I’m just trying to see and let time play out. In the end, I think as a team, we have everything in front of us, we have the opportunities we want in front of us. We have to seize that moment. Nothing else really matters.”

Sirianni said the decision to rest starters so early in the game was a result of the game going so poorly for the Eagles. They came in hoping to right the ship after losing four of their last five games, but trailed by 24 points late in the second quarter. The Cowboys, who entered Week 18 only needing a win over Washington to clinch the NFC East and render the Eagles’ game meaningless, were also gaining momentum in their 38-10 win at the time.

“We went out there to play and to try and get ourselves going,” Sirianni said. “Obviously I was doing a little bit of scoreboard watching, and I think at that time the Dallas game was close, but our game was a three-score game and we haven’t moved it very well. They were up 24-0, and that’s why I made the decision at that point.”

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Hurts wasn’t the only Eagles player to leave Sunday’s game nicked up. Star wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and was later ruled out. Both Sydney Brown (knee) and Reed Blankenship (groin) suffered injuries that knocked them out of the game. Brown wore a large knee brace on his right leg after the game, and The Inquirer confirmed an NFL Network report that the rookie defensive back is feared to have a torn ACL. Cam Jurgens also left the game with an eye injury.

A.J. Brown’s injury came after a catch and fumble in the first quarter. He walked off on his own power and later greeted teammates and coaches at the entrance of the Eagles locker room after the game. Brown wore a sleeve on his right leg, but didn’t have a brace on.

“I’m hoping that he’s OK,” Sirianni said. “But we’ll se how the week goes.”