https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js
Even in a season when both teams are playing below their standard, the Cowboys and Eagles always bring a little extra juice when they face off.
Trash talk and bulletin-board quotes are common in the days leading up to the next installment of the rivalry. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni even let his wardrobe do the smack-slinging back in 2018.
This year, though, it appears he may have crossed the line from motivational tactics and strategic gamesmanship to flat-out lying about the health of one of his star players ahead of Sunday’s matchup in Arlington.
Sirianni had a head-scratching exchange with the Philadelphia media on Friday regarding quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had been listed as “limited” on the first practice report of the week.
Sirianni was asked about it, and things got confusing in a hurry.
“Yeah, you know, he’s dealing with the– it was on the injury report– dealing with the ankle,” Sirianni began. “Just making sure we’re precautious [sic] with everything.”
Except that’s not what was on the injury report.
“Rest” had been the official reason given for Hurts’s limited participationon Wednesday, not an ankle injury. Though a day off for “load management” is common for many veteran players- including several Cowboys- it was apparently rare for Hurts to have received the classification, prompting the original inquiry.
After a stunned and awkward silence to Sirianni’s answer, several Philadelphia media members followed up at once, with one finally reminding the coach that Hurts wasn’t listed with an ankle issue.
Sirianni was asked to confirm: “I’m sorry. Jalen Hurts: it was an ankle injury?”
“What’s that?” Sirianni asked, looking off to the side to a team PR representative.
That individual answered, “It was a rest.”
And Sirianni’s story suddenly changed.
“It was a rest, yeah. Yeah,” the coach offered before continuing, “Sorry, I thought you were talking about somebody else. All right.”
It was even more thoroughly unconvincing to those in the room than it reads in a transcript.
Despite Sirianni’s attempt to quickly move on, the media pressed.
“Is Jalen dealing with an ankle problem, then?”
“Unh-unh,” Sirianni said with a showy shake of the head and a smirky grin, to the laughter of the assembled reporters.
“No. Rest,” he said with extra emphasis.
Here’s video of the awkward exchange at today’s press conference where Nick Sirianni may have accidentally revealed that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is dealing with an ankle injury.
pic.twitter.com/MZNUiMhoBA
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) November 8, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
It certainly seemed as though Sirianni was more forthcoming with his original answer than perhaps the team meant for him to be and then tried to walk it back in order to stick to the agreed-upon version.
The Athletic‘s Eagles beat writer Brooks Kubena posted on X shortly thereafter that Hurts was warming up on a separate field from the team’s other quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee.
A few minutes later, though, Hurts was seen taking a snap, dropping back, and following through on a throw. He did not appear to be hobbled in the eight-second video clip posted by NBC reporter Dave Zangaro.
Hurts was listed as a full participant on Thursday’s report as well as Friday’s. But ESPN’s Tim McManus notes that, according to his league source, Hurts has, in fact, been dealing with a mild ankle issue “for a couple weeks.”
The quarterback has rushed for 322 yards in eight games this season, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. Of his eight rushing touchdowns in 2024, six have come over the last three weeks.
He tried to laugh it off in the moment, but Sirianni’s apparent slip-up on Friday could invite a league investigation. If the team is found to have violated the NFL’s clearly-stated policy by withholding a bona fide injury (even minor), there could be fines or other punishment meted out.
In any case, it sounds as if Hurts may not be 100% heading into Sunday’s clash with the Cowboys.
And in this rivalry, any little edge could loom large for either team.