According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, quarterback Jalen Hurts has undergone ankle surgery. Pelissero added that Hurts should be fully recovered by the start of OTAs this spring.
Hurts first suffered his ankle injury back in Week 12’s 7-13 loss to the New York Giants, when he threw three interceptions. Despite having a bye week to heal, Hurts was unable to suit up in Week 14 against the New York Jets, leading to Gardner Minshew getting the start.
Hurts returned in Week 15 and didn’t miss a game for the rest of the season (and postseason). However, the second-year QB was clearly still suffering from the effects of his ankle, which severely limited his rushing ability.
In the last three games of the season, Hurts rushed for just 89 total yards (29.7 yards/game), not reaching 50 in a single game once despite having done that eight times in his first 12 games, while also averaging 57.9 yards/game in that span. His rushing attempts also dropped significantly, from 10.7 in the first 12 to 5.7 in the last three.
As for passing, it was a mixed bag in the final stretch. Hurts posted games with passing ratings of 110.4 and 102.5, and then followed that up with a game of 90.9 and a horrendous 60.0 with two interceptions against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wildcard Round. To be fair, however, those unpredictable performances match his season as a whole.
Part of what makes Hurts so dynamic is his rushing ability, which gives him something to work with if his throwing isn’t on/needs improvement (which it does). Having him back up to full strength — if Philadelphia decides to roll with him as their starting QB — will be sorely needed if the Eagles want to reach the postseason again in 2022.
