Kenny Pickett vows to be ready for the Eagles if Jalen Hurts can’t play against the Cowboys

Since joining the Eagles as Jalen Hurts’ backup this offseason, Kenny Pickett said he has been staying prepared for his chance to start.

This Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, he will likely have to put his preparation to the test.

Jalen Hurts (concussion/left finger) did not participate Thursday in practice, casting doubt on his availability against the division rival. Pickett, who is dealing with injured ribs that he sustained Sunday in relief of Hurts during the loss to the Washington Commanders, was a full participant. Regardless of the injury, Pickett said he will be “ready to go for Sunday.”

“It’s a big opportunity,” Pickett said after practice. “Been working hard to stay ready. Felt like I was in a good position last game with my preparation. Now having a week to practice, I’ll feel even better going into the stadium. I’m excited. Just want to get the win.”

The 26-year-old backup quarterback typically wears a flak jacket underneath his jersey to protect his ribs and spine. During practice Thursday, Pickett tested out additional padding, which protruded beneath his red noncontact jersey. With a few more days of recovery still ahead, Pickett said he doesn’t expect to have any limitations on Sunday.

A change in gear wasn’t the only reason practice was a little bit different for Pickett. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback took reps with the first-team offense, which is a rarity during the season when the starter is healthy. Pickett also noted that he didn’t get any playing time during training camp with the starters.

Unlike last week against the Commanders when he came off the bench cold, Pickett is relishing the reps with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley in the lead-up to the showdown against the Cowboys.

“It’s huge for a quarterback,” Pickett said. “Timing is everything, especially in the NFL. Knowing how these guys get in and out of cuts. How they track the ball on deep balls and different things like that. It all plays into quarterback and receiver play. So anything I can get with them extra or during practice is huge.”

Pickett saw his first game action as an Eagle in the first quarter against Washington when Hurts went down on a run and hit his helmet on the ground. The backup had an up-and-down day against the Commanders, going 14-for-24 for 143 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 72.0 quarterback rating.

He also attempted to contribute on the ground, running three times for 13 yards. While Pickett was mostly frustrated after the loss, in hindsight he said that he saw the value in getting more experience playing with the starting receivers.

“I think the biggest thing is just getting a chance to play with these guys with live bullets flying,” Pickett said. “Not having many opportunities to throw to A.J. and Smitty, going in there cold, pretty much, it’s a different kind of experience. But at the end of the day, I felt good mentally going in there. I knew what I was doing. I knew where the ball needed to go. So the physical piece is something I’m going to continue to catch up on.”

Barkley expressed an understanding of the difficult situation that Pickett was thrust into against the Commanders. Still, he spoke highly of the backup quarterback and his preparation all season, including his efforts this week with the opportunity to start on the table.

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“I love Kenny,” Barkley said. “I love his approach. Love the way that he comes to work all year. And sometimes being a No. 2 quarterback, you never know when your time is going to be, but you’ve got to be ready. I think he did a really good job coming in the game, making some plays for us. But he handled practice great today and obviously I don’t know the exact thing, who it’s going to be, but we’re ready to go no matter what.”

Pickett is also getting used to working with the starting offensive line. Cam Jurgens said he will take extra time with Pickett to make sure that they are on the same page. The center planned to meet with the quarterback to go over the game plan, watch practice, and watch blitz cut-ups, just to iron out all of the small details that make an offense flourish.

Even with an additional walk-through on Tuesday and a practice on Thursday under Pickett’s belt, Jurgens said, the quarterback doesn’t look any more comfortable than he did against Washington.

“He just seems like Kenny Pickett,” Jurgens said. “He’s confident, he’s loud. It’s really nice when any time a quarterback that’s not your starter goes in there and he’s very loud in the huddle and everybody knows what they’re doing. That’s why I said after the game I was proud of him. I thought he did a good job stepping in, being a good commander there. So we’re going to rally behind him.”

Before being traded to the Eagles this summer, Pickett spent the last two seasons as the primary starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 25 games (24 starts), Pickett completed 62.6% of his passes and threw for 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Pickett called that experience “really, really, really valuable,” especially for a quarterback, in understanding the speed of the game and the challenges presented by NFL defenses. Even though he hasn’t had many live game reps since departing Pittsburgh, Pickett said that he has learned “a lot of football” under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.

A native of Ocean Township, N.J., who grew up rooting for the Eagles, Pickett said his younger self would be “pumped up” if he knew he would have a chance to play in a game against the rival Cowboys that could clinch the division. But Pickett isn’t letting perspective get in the way of his preparation.

“When it’s all said and done, the game’s over, and I’m back [with] my family, I think that will be the time to kind of sit back and talk about it a little bit,” Pickett said. “But I’m just focused on being as prepared as I can be right now.”

A.J. Brown and Josh Sweat popped up on the injury report on Thursday with new ailments. The receiver was listed with a knee injury and the edge rusher has an ankle issue. Both players were limited in practice.

Running back Will Shipley (concussion) did not participate. Linebacker Nakobe Dean (abdomen) was a limited participant. Wide receiver/punt returner Britain Covey (neck) and edge rusher Bryce Huff (wrist; IR) were both full participants.

The Eagles play in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.