Futures of Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni are the biggest questions of the playoffs; injuries, avoided: NFL Week 18

The No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs might not have its quarterback in the first round and might not have its head coach if he doesn’t win Sunday.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is “progressing” through return-to-participation concussion protocol, according to coach Nick Sirianni, who parroted on Sunday his update from Friday, but then, there’s little Sirianni could have added. Hurts got hit in the first quarter of the Commanders game two weeks ago. He has yet to participate in a full practice, and the Eagles won’t have one until Wednesday, and he has to report no symptoms Thursday. The good news: He has “progressed” to some degree. The bad news: The Eagles won’t know until Thursday if he can play against the visiting Packers on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

If he doesn’t, might that affect Sirianni’s future? If Sirianni loses a third first-round playoff game in four years, will owner Jeffrey Lurie lose faith in his latest unorthodox hire? Sirianni got the Eagles to the Super Bowl after his second season, but Sirianni’s lack of control of his players and himself, both on and off the field, has been a talking point since his introductory news conference, and was the oblique subject of an ESPN report last week: oblique, because the report was sourced to folks outside of the organization who were speculating. Not the best reporting, but NFL gossipers outside of organizations tend to reflect the inner workings, because the NFL is, at its core, one hair salon.

If Hurts doesn’t play and the Birds lose, will Lurie take that into consideration? If the Eagles lose Sunday and first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore becomes a hot head-coaching candidate, will Lurie abandon Sirianni to keep Moore? The 2025 season is the last of Sirianni’s contract; will Lurie let him coach as a lame duck?

Sirianni is 48-20 in his first four seasons, and, at .706, he boasts the No. 1 winning percentage among active coaches. Further, when he lost in the first round the past two times, there were mitigating circumstances: Hurts was injured after the 2021 season and three starters missed last year’s playoff crash. As crazy as it sounds, if he falters in the playoffs again, his job just might be in peril.

How hurt is Jordan Love?

The Packers’ quarterback left their game against the Bears with an injured elbow and did not return. His coach, Matt LaFleur, said Love could have come back, but Love seemed to contradict that — and anyway, if Love had been available, he’d have come back, because the Packers were playing to win. He lost feeling in his throwing hand. Asked if he would be able to play Sunday in Philly, Love said, “Yes.” Stay tuned.

Does the Saquon Barkley decision seem smart yet?

Last year, the Eagles had a slight chance to marginally improve their wild-card seeding, so they played their starters against the Giants. The Eagles lost receiver A.J. Brown to a knee injury, Hurts got hurt, too, and the Birds got blown out in their wild-card game.

» READ MORE: How the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni, Jalen Hurts, and Kellen Moore cost Saquon Barkley the rushing record

This year, the Packers had a slight chance to marginally improve their wild-card seeding, so LaFleur played his starters against the Bears. The Packers lost receiver Christian Watson to a knee injury, and Love got hurt, too. Stay tuned.

Also this year, the Eagles had a chance to secure the single-season rushing record for Barkley, who needed 101 yards to pass Eric Dickerson. Sirianni declined and sat most starters, including Barkley. Maybe he learned something from 2023. Maybe LaFleur will learn something from 2024.

Whither Mike Tomlin?

The Steelers’ four-game losing streak landed them in the No. 5 slot in the AFC, which means a Saturday night visit to Baltimore, where that losing streak is likely to run to five games. If it does, could it finally mean the end of Tomlin’s 18-year run in Pittsburgh? He signed a three-year extension in June that keeps him in black and gold through 2027, and he won one Super Bowl and went to another in his first four seasons, but the franchise has just three playoff wins in the last 13 years and none in the past seven.

Will Mike McDaniel’s Miami circus continue?

Star receiver Tyreek Hill has had enough of the quirky Dolphins coach, but owner Stephen Ross apparently has not. After the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff qualification Sunday, Ross gave McDaniel his vote of confidence not long after Hill told reporters, “I’m out, bro,” and tweeted his appreciation to Fins Nation.

Any divorce between Hill and Miami would sorely injure the Dolphins’ salary cap, but the Cheetah doesn’t have faith in McDaniel, who this year missed the playoffs for the first time in his three-year stint as head coach — one marred by first-round playoff losses and a concussion controversy involving franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Will Cowboys fans riot?

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this after Mike McCarthy lost Game 17 to Washington: “Mike’s one of the best coaches that I think there is. He was made the coach here because I thought that, and he’s done absolutely nothing to diminish my opinion of him as a coach.” McCarthy’s five-year contract is done. He is 1-3 in the playoffs, which he missed after his first season, 2020, and this season. Will Jones actually consider signing McCarthy to a new deal? NFC East teams can only hope.

Giants coach Brian Daboll also survived, but former Eagles coach Doug Pederson is out at Jacksonville and Jerod Mayo is one-and-done in New England, where the shadow of Mike Vrabel is expected to coalesce into the actual Mike Vrabel in the next few days.

» READ MORE: Nick Sirianni’s finest hour

In-season dismissals of Robert Saleh with the New York Jets, Dennis Allen in New Orleans, and Matt Eberflus in Chicago bring the number of vacancies on Black Monday to five, but that doesn’t mean other owners won’t still come to their senses.

Mormon Missile warning: Are the Eagles really this deep?

Yes, it was only the Giants, but second-year, third-string quarterback Tanner McKee, running back Will Shipley, and receivers Ainias Smith and Jahan Dotson looked pretty smooth in extended action during the meaningless 20-13 win. McKee finished 27 for 41 with two touchdowns and — by far the most important stat — zero interceptions.

It burnishes the legend that McKee’s nickname, the “Mormon Missile,” is the best Eagles alias since redheaded proselytizer Carson Wentz adapted “Ginger Jesus.” Hopefully, McKee’s tenure in Philadelphia is less disappointing.

Kenny Pickett, the No. 2 QB, has no cool nickname, but he does have first dibs as Hurts’ understudy, as long as Pickett’s injured ribs allow. At any rate, Pickett is under contract through 2025. McKee is signed through 2026. Howie Roseman’s enduring genius has restocked the Quarterback Factory.

Are the Lions really this good?

Yes.

They destroyed the 14-win Vikings, 31-9, to finish 15-2, take the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and drop the Vikings to No. 5 and a road date next Monday night at the Rams.

The Seahawks were out of contention, but Geno Smith’s strong fourth quarter and the team’s win over the Rams made him $6 million: $2 million each for exceeding his 2022 marks of 4,282 passing yards and a .69755 completion percentage and 10 wins for the team (or a playoff berth). It was a deal designed to make sure his 2022 renaissance in Seattle was no fluke.

Tampa Bay, with the game in hand late over the Saints, inserted receiver Mike Evans so he could gain 5 more receiving yards and thereby qualify for a $3 million incentive for gaining 1,000 in the season. (He also needed five catches in the game but already had eight at that point).

Bills free-agent bust Von Miller’s pillow-soft, first-quarter sack of Patriots rookie Drake Maye gave him six for the season and kicked in a $1.5 million incentive.

Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton needed 82 yards against the Chiefs, and he finished with 98, for a $500,000 bonus.