PHILADELPHIA -- The entire city went silent once Jalen Hurts was thrown down by Micah Parsons late in the second quarter. Something wasn't right once Hurts emerged from the wrath of Parsons, as he stayed on the ground for an extensive period before getting up and limping to the sideline.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called timeout to give Hurts some extra time on a knee that's been bothering him for over a month. Hurts didn't even miss a play, as the Eagles handed the ball off to Kenneth Gainwell before punting away to the Dallas Cowboys -- as Hurts got a head start on getting his knee right as the half came to a close.
Everyone was worried about Hurts. Except the players and coaches in the Eagles locker room.
"That's just who he is," said Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, one of Hurts' closest friends (Hurts is the godfather of Brown's daughter Jerzee). "You're not gonna see a reaction out of him. I know it personally. I know things that he's been through. I know tougher things (he's been through).
"I know exactly how he's gonna respond. If he can go, he can go. He's a fighter. He's gonna continue to fight. You're gonna have to drag him off the field. That's his life. That's the mindset he has."
Hurts came out for the start of the second half and thrived, even if the knee was clearly a hinderance. He went 7 of 10 for 87 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions in the second half, finishing with a 136.3 rating. Hurts went 17 of 23 for 207 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions (130.2 rating) in the 28-23 victory over the Cowboys.
The Parsons sack could have been disastrous for Hurts and the Eagles, but that's not how Hurts is built.
"Again, he's tough as heck. Never been on the injury report though because his play status has never been in doubt," Sirianni said. "Great leader, great player, rises to the occasion in big time moments.
"That's who he is. And so, whether his body is feeling 100%, whether his body is not feeling 100%, which nobody's body is at this particular time, he's a warrior. He's going to play through bumps and bruises and at a high level because he's a big-time player."
Hurts doesn't want to talk about the injury, nor to the Eagles. yet it lingers every week and clearly the bone bruise in his knee is more severe than he or the organization has let on. Brandon Graham even admitted Hurts has been dealing with more stuff off the field than usual thanks to his massive contract, in addition toward handling the knee injury.
This year has been a whirlwind for Hurts, yet the Eagles are 8-1 and he's starting to play at the MVP level from last year. Even if the knee injury he limited Hurts to being a pocket quarterback.
Things will get better.
"I don't think the bye week could come at a better time," Hurts said. "I don't like it being that way. I love to be all good but, as I said I'd do anything for this city and for my teammates. It takes what it takes and that's simply put. Whatever it takes and I'm just happy that we were able to gut out this win and we showed so much resilience."
