It was announced by head coach Nick Sirianni on Thursday that quarterback Gardner Minshew will be starting in Saturday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys due to the likely absence of Jalen Hurts, who is dealing with a sprained shoulder.
Sirianni stated, “Gardner will be our guy. Gardner will be ready, and Gardner worked his butt off for this opportunity.” Initially, Sirianni had indicated on Tuesday that Hurts had a chance to start. However, Hurts suffered the shoulder injury during the third quarter of last week’s game against the Chicago Bears, and though he was slow to get up after the tackle, he remained in the game.
Sirianni further commented that while Hurts is disappointed at not being able to play, the organization must prioritize the safety of its players and sometimes have difficult conversations in order to make the best decision for the team.
Hurts, who is having a potentially MVP-worthy season and has led the Eagles to a 13-1 record with 4,219 yards and 35 touchdowns, has started all 14 games this season.
Minshew, on the other hand, has only started two games this season, but he led the Eagles to victory over the New York Jets in Week 13 last season, completing 20 passes on 25 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
