Eagles have statue of what can happen without Jalen Hurts, and what can't

PHILADELPHIA − The season-ending injuries to star players happen all the time in the NFL. So what the Eagles are going through losing Jalen Hurts being for the season because of blood clots that have spread to both lungs is nothing new.

The Cincinnati Bengals saw their season ruined last season when Joe Burrow went down with turf toe. The same happened to the Kansas City Chiefs when Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL. The Saquon Barkley-led Giants saw it when he tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. He then went through it again with the Giants in 2023 when QB Daniel Jones tore his ACL.

None of those teams made the playoffs in those seasons.

This is the challenge facing the Eagles, who take a 2-4 record into their Monday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, also 2-4.

Throw in injuries to Barkley and his two backups; wide receiver DeVonta Smith; tight end Dallas Goedert; left guard Landon Dickerson and a growing list of defensive players. Then add in right tackle Lane Johnson’s sudden retirement on Oct. 6, followed a day later by center/left guard Cam Jurgens getting traded to Baltimore.

That’s enough body blows to knock out any team. And Hurts’ could be the proverbial knockout punch. Or not.

“Outside of the Jalen situation, which is extremely rare, I feel like this was every year in New York, to be honest,” said Barkley, who has missed two full games and almost all of two others with injuries this season. “I guess I have some experience with dealing with that. There were times it was me, I was out for the year, out dealing with the crazy injuries. There were times it was Daniel (Jones), or it was this person, that person.

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

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Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

Eagles vs. Panthers. 9 key plays that led to Philadelphia’s loss

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Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

Eagles vs Panthers highlights during NFL Week 6

“But the beautiful thing in this situation, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, it doesn’t look the way you want it to. But right now, you’re not looking too far ahead. The NFC East is struggling. The NFC East is really asking for someone to take it over.

“It’s gonna be a team that figures it out and starts playing at a high level. We have the opportunity, we have that chance. And even with all these injuries and all the crazy things that are happening, we still have a lot of talent.”

Remember what the Eagles were dealing with even when Hurts was playing. That is, an offense that ranks in the bottom five of the NFL in yards per game, rushing yards and points per game.

The Eagles do lead the NFL in number of punts and 3-and-outs. That’s not a good thing.

And now they’re turning to Tanner McKee at quarterback. McKee, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick in 2023, was 26-for-45 for 215 yards in his first start without Hurts in the Eagles’ 25-14 loss to the Panthers on Oct. 18.

It was the Eagles’ fourth straight loss, the longest losing streak during head coach Nick Sirianni’s five-plus seasons with the Eagles.

Maybe Barkley’s return, along with perhaps Dickerson at left guard, will help. And, well, the Eagles are going against a porous defensive team in the Cowboys.

“We’ve been here before, that next man up mentality,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “And so, just having that experience and just giving confidence to the guys up front that they know what they’re doing, spending more time with them after practice, spending more time talking about it in the meetings.

“It all adds up and compounds. So just feeding them nuggets of confidence throughout the week, that’s really what helps, especially these young guys. And they’re actually really smart. They take in information really well, and they don’t seem too bothered by it. They just have a carefree attitude about it.”

Basically, they don’t know what they don’t know. Center Drew Kendall, for example, is more worried about blocking the Cowboys’ Quinnen Williams than becoming the next Jason Kelce. McKee will never run and move around the pocket like Hurts does. But he can stand in the pocket and deliver the ball to DeVonta Smith − as long as McKee gets a little bit of time.

“It’s so easy to come in the building with a smile, and come to work when the world’s patting you on the back and you’re 13-4,” Barkley said. “I mean, you’re the hottest thing and everyone’s scared of the Eagles.

“It’s a little challenging when it’s the opposite way … You kind of have to take that underdog mentality. No one kind of believes in us anymore. But there’s a reason why there’s a statue of a fictional boxer and his name is Rocky, and that’s that’s what this town’s about.

“And I feel like they’re going to back us up. But also, it takes us to take that mindset and the leadership’s going to have to step up, and positivity’s going to be at an all-time high.”

There is another statue of an underdog outside Lincoln Financial Field. That 2017 Eagles team overcame a season-ending injury to a star quarterback in Carson Wentz, not to mention a future Hall of Fame left tackle in Jason Peters, a broken leg to a star cornerback in Ronald Darby.

That team found a way to win a Super Bowl, and there’s a statue of backup quarterback Nick Foles, who took over for Wentz and was named the Super Bowl MVP. Foles and head coach Doug Pederson are immortalized on a statue outside the Linc.

This Eagles team? They’re not there yet.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles‘ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com

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