Eagles give injury updates on Jalen Hurts, Quinyon Mitchell after walkthrough for NFC championship game
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (knee) and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (shoulder) were both limited participants in Wednesday's walkthrough ahead of Sunday's NFC championship game against the Washington Commanders.
Tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) and center Cam Jurgens (back) did not practice.
After practice, Hurts said he still believes he's on track to play Sunday.
"I've just been progressing, taking it a day at a time," Hurts said Wednesday. "I was able to participate today and be involved in stuff. So, just taking it a day at a time. Every game is different. Just want to take it a day at a time and continue to progress."
In the third quarter of Sunday's 28-22 win over Los Angeles, Hurts' left leg got caught under Jaylen McCollough as the Rams defensive back sacked him. Hurts stayed in the game, handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley and then went to the blue medical tent on the sidelines.
The Eagles quarterback didn't miss a drive but returned with a brace on his left knee, which limited his mobility.
"I was able to finish the game," Hurts said Sunday night. "I'll see how the week goes."
Hurts added he was confident that he would play against the Commanders.
If Hurts can't play Sunday, Kenny Pickett is No. 2 on the Birds' depth chart. On Monday, Sirianni praised both Pickett and Tanner McKee.
"As far as the backup quarterback goes, Kenny played really well, and Tanner played really well when he was in. So, it makes you have tough decisions, and that's a good thing to have," Sirianni said Monday. "The entire year, Kenny was our backup, and when he played, I thought he did a really nice job and put us in positions to win games. And when Tanner played, he did a really nice job at putting us in position to win games. So we have three guys that we're so excited to have on this roster."
Mitchell left the NFC divisional playoff round game after the Rams' first drive. The rookie cornerback appeared to injure his right shoulder while tackling Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford appeared stung by Mitchell's hit but didn't miss any snaps.
Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers replaced Mitchell and was immediately targeted by Stafford. The veteran QB completed a 48-yard pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson with Rodgers in coverage. Rodgers had a chance at an interception, but Robinson took it out of his hands. The Rams ended the drive with a field goal, which made it a 13-10 game in LA's favor.
Philadelphia selected Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft out of the University of Toledo, one of two early picks used on corners. Eighteen picks later, the Eagles traded up draft Cooper DeJean out of Iowa at No. 40.
Mitchell and DeJean played key parts in transforming the Eagles' defense into the NFL's top unit. Philadelphia was the league's top overall unit (278.4 yards per game) and pass defense (174.2 ypg) in coordinator Vic Fangio's first season calling the shots.
In his rookie season, Mitchell started 16 games and played 954 snaps, the 22nd most out of all NFL cornerbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell had nine pass breakups and allowed 40 receptions.
While he didn't have an interception in the regular season, Mitchell picked off Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the Eagles' wild-card win.
The Birds and Commanders kick off at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Linc with a ticket to Super Bowl LIX on the line.
