Jalen Hurts injury: Updates, return date, more about Eagles QB's concussion

The Philadelphia Eagles entered Week 16 with visions of capturing the NFC East title and fighting the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings for the No. 1 seed in the conference dancing in their heads.

But now, the Eagles have pushed a different request to the top of their Christmas list: a healthy Jalen Hurts.

Hurts suffered a concussion early in the Eagles' 36-33 Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders. It isn't clear how long he'll be sidelined by the malady, but the Eagles may have to try to capture the NFC East title without him.

Here's everything to know about Hurts' injuries, including the latest updates on how long he might be in the NFL's stringent concussion protocol.

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What happened to Jalen Hurts?

Hurts suffered a concussion after a scramble early in the Eagles' Week 16 loss to the Commanders. He took off on what appeared to be a designed quarterback draw on second-and-20 with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter and gained 13 yards before he was brought to the ground by Bobby Wagner.

As Hurts was being tackled and turtling up, linebacker Frankie Luvu came over to help Wagner out. He put a hard-but-legal hit on the Eagles quarterback, which made Hurts hit the ground hard, and with his head.

Hurts got up after the play and signaled to umpire Alex Moore that he was OK, giving him a thumbs up. However, Moore, who was looking Hurts directly in the eyes at a close distance, stopped the game regardless and sent the quarterback off the field to be evaluated for a concussion.

Hurts appeared ready to return to the game later in the drive, but he was called back to the sidelines by the medical staff on Philadelphia's sideline. He was then taken into Philadelphia's locker room and diagnosed with a concussion, which ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

Kenny Pickett took over for him and completed 14-of-24 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the loss.

Jalen Hurts injury updates

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni didn't provide much of an update on Hurts' status during his postgame news conference.

"I haven't talked to the medical staff yet, so I don't have updates on any of that stuff yet," Sirianni told reporters.

Sirianni did address the brief moment where it appeared that Hurts was preparing to re-enter the game before being called back to the sidelines. The coach explained control of Hurts' status at that point laid in the hands of the NFL's unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) as part of the league's concussion protocol.

"Anything that has anything to do with the head is out of our hands there," Sirianni said.

So, even if Hurts wanted to return to the game or felt capable of doing so, he could not do so until clearing concussion protocol. He ultimately failed to do.

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How long is Jalen Hurts out?

It isn't clear how long Hurts will be out as a result of his concussion. The Eagles did not immediately provide an update on his status, but Sirianni will likely do so at some point early in the week.

The good news for Eagles fans is that Hurts could be back for the team's Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He just has to clear the NFL's concussion protocol first.

However, Hurts' isn't guaranteed to pass that test in short order. Several NFL players have endured longer-term absences because of concussions during the 2024 season. That doesn't just apply to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed five games after suffering a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills and landing on IR; Cleveland Browns receiver Cedric Tillman has missed four games and counting since suffering a concussion in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All that's to say there is a wide range of potential outcomes for Hurts as he looked to return to action and help the Eagles wrap up the NFC East.

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NFL concussion protocol rules

The NFL's concussion protocol is a wide-ranging policy that is designed to protect a player's safety after suffering a head injury.

It all starts on gameday, when a player is identified as needing an evaluation for a head injury. These are typically flagged by one of the officials or by the UNC in the booth, who is watching player movements and replays to spot any significant blows to head.

Once identified, tests are conducted by a team's physician and a UNC. They look specifically for any "no-go" symptoms, which include loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia, ataxia and more. The two parties also assess the player's history of concussion and review video to further evaluate the injury.

The team physician and UNC also provide a neurological exam to the player, who is escorted to the locker room if there is any doubt about his faculties in the sideline evaluation.

Once a player is in the concussion protocol, he must clear a five-step process before being able to return to play. Below are those five benchmarks, according to the NFL:

1. Symptom limited activity

2. Aerobic exercise

3. Football specific exercise

4. Club-based non-contact training drills

5. Full football activity/clearance

The NFL's concussion protocol notes that each concussion is "unique" and that "recovery time will vary from player to player." That makes it hard to predict exactly how long a player might be out because of the injury.

Thus, Eagles fans may need to be patient while awaiting Hurts' return to action.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Hurts injury updates: How long is Eagles QB out?