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The Philadelphia Eagles will close their preseason with a game against the New York Jets on Friday. Jalen Hurts will be in the spotlight following his absence against the New England Patriots because of a stomach bug last week, but fans will be disappointed if they expect any prolonged action from the quarterback.
Jalen Hurts is set for a rest
After a week of joint practice against the New York Jets where Jalen Hurts had a good performance, it seems that the Eagles' quarterback will be rested during Friday's game.
The practice between the Eagles and the Jets had a physical tone with live reps and a lot of humidity. Last week, Hurts was set to play the entire first half, but he felt a little bit of pain in the stomach and, while he still felt like it was possible to play, the coaching staff decided to play it safe and keep him out.
With the regular season just around the corner, Nick Sirianni doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks with his starting quarterback. Hurts and most of the first-team offense are all set to rest during Friday's game.
With the deadline for roster cuts on Tuesday, this provides another opportunity for players that are still fighting for a roster spot to impress the coaching staff and lock themselves into the 53-man roster.
How did Jalen Hurts fare in the 2021 preseason?
Well, 3-7 doesn't look like a pretty statline to begin with, but Hurts was really impressive in the two series he played against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
Of all the four incompletions, there were two drops, one throwaway when pressured and a little underthrow to Quez Watkins on a deep route that would be a touchdown if Watkins isn't slowed down during his route.
Sure, it was only two series, and it was still a preseason game. But Hurts was a much better player than what we saw in the final games of the 2020 season. There's a fair reason to be excited about his development.
It's impossible to predict if this will translate to the regular season, but the evolution was clear. Now it's up to Nick Sirianni to design an offense that will take the best of Hurts, especially with his rushing ability.
