Jalen Hurts will MISS Eagles game after shoulder sprain… with Gardner Minshew set to start

Jalen Hurts will miss his first game of the season this Sunday as the Eagles face the Cowboys, putting Gardner Minshew in the starting role in what has been an emotional week for the backup quarterback.

Minshew was excused from Eagles practice Tuesday to speak at the funeral of his former coach Mike Leach, who died on December 12 following a heart attack. 

Leach coached Minshew for one highly successful season at Washington State as he played his way into being a sixth-round draft selection.

Gardner Minshew will start this week in place of Jalen Hurts after he sprained his shoulder

And with Hurts currently struggling from a right shoulder sprain, Minshew will get his chance to start vs. a division rival. 

‘Jalen did everything he possibly could to get his body ready to go,’ coach Nick Sirianni said Thursday. ‘And at the end of the day, he’s not going to be able to do it. He tried like crazy.  

‘Gardner will be our guy and Gardner will be ready,’ he said. ‘Gardner worked his butt off for this opportunity against a really good football team.

‘He had a great practice [Wednesday].’

Hurts injured his throwing shoulder vs. the Bears last week as he was tackled to the ground

Hurts was injured last week vs. the Bears as he was tackled by defensive lineman Trevis Gipson in the third quarter. He did not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The dual-threat quarterback has had a breakout season for the 13-1 Eagles, as he’s thrown 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding 747 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

However, with the division essentially wrapped up (the Cowboys are in second place at 10-4), the Alabama product absence’s is not considered a massive deal with the competent Minshew ready to fill in.

The 26-year-old has started 22 games in his career, including 20 for the Jaguars where he threw 37 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

He started two games for the Eagles last season and led the team to a 1-1 record, with 439 passing yards and four touchdowns.

While Minshew will be eager to showcase his abilities vs. Dallas, he’ll be playing with a heavy heart after the loss of his ‘favorite coach.’  

Mike Leach died earlier this month at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack

‘To say that playing for coach Leach was a dream, that really doesn’t cover it. He was my favorite coach long before I met him,’ he said on Tuesday according to the Deseret News.

‘He changed what I thought was possible for myself.’

Leach was 61 years old.