Eagles Coach Explains Jalen Hurts’ Unexpected Absence Vs. Patriots

Two former Alabama star quarterbacks were expected to lead their respective offenses at times Thursday night in Philadelphia.

But in the end, only one of the pair took the field at Lincoln Financial Field.

Mac Jones completed 13 of 19 pass attempts for 146 yards in the Patriots’ 35-0 win over the Eagles. Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, was a late scratch from the preseason Week 2 clash, with “illness” cited as the reason for his absence.

Speaking with the media after the game, Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni shed light on what led to Hurts being ruled inactive, as well as the medical attention the sophomore signal-caller received.

“He came in, wasn’t feeling great when he came in,” Sirianni told reporters, per a clip shared by SB Nation. “So, we put him through pregame warmups. He wanted to go out there and go through pregame warmups. Came back in, still wasn’t feeling good and we evaluated him. We just decided it wasn’t in his best interest to play with what he was feeling. We evaluated him and he’s fine now. He’s doing OK now. That’s why we held him out.

“He actually went to the hospital to get evaluated for his stomach. He came back, everything was good and he’s going to be OK. … He had pain in his abdomen. For a guy like that to tell us — he’s a tough guy, so it must have been hurting pretty good for him to let us know about that.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Hurts was diagnosed with a stomach infection and was instructed to rest at home for at least two days. Schefter added the 23-year-old tested negative for COVID-19.

Fortunately for the Eagles, it sounds like their starting QB won’t be out of the mix for very long.