Philadelphia Eagles rookie QB Jalen Hurts getting first-team reps

The Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie quarterback is getting some first-team reps.

Here’s some news that may not mean a ton unless Carson Wentz stinks it up again for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 12. It’s still worth taking note of though. According to multiple reports, including one from ESPN’s Tim Mcmanus and another from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Philly’s rookie signal-caller Jalen Hurts has been taking a few reps with the Birds’ first-team offense at practice.

Rapoport also reports that last year’s runner-up for the Heisman Trophy ‘is expected to receive increased playing time on Monday night without Carson Wentz on the field’. Now, those of you who are on the ‘sit Wentz’ train should be forewarned. QB2 is still the backup. Wentz Wagon is still the starter, but it’s hard not to find this interesting if you’re a Birds fan.

What might we see from this Philadelphia Eagles offense on Monday night?

Truthfully, it’s hard to determine where Rapoport got his info. On the Saturday leading up to Philly’s Week 12 game, Coach, in his final presser of the Week, stated he wasn’t going to reveal any of the offensive game plan, especially as it relates to Hurts, but based on his excellent track record, it’s hard to ignore anything Rapoport says about the NFL. That could mean that someone in the Eagles organization wanted the info to get out, no?

During the first ten games of Philly’s season, Wentz has failed to register a quarterback ranking of over 100 in every game. McManus puts it this way.

"Wentz is in the midst of his worst season as a pro. He is first among all players in interceptions (14), fumbles (10), and sacks (40), ranks 32nd in completion percentage (58.4), 31st in yards per attempt (6.2), and has the worst off-target percentage (23%) among all qualifiers, according to ESPN Stats and Information."

While playing 31 snaps on the season, Hurts has thrown two passes, both completions that have resulted in 27 yards. He’s run the ball 12 times for 56 yards and moved the chains four times.

His insertion into the Eagles lineup will only be seen as a threat if Philly decides to let him throw the ball more. Otherwise, every snap he’s given going forward won’t threaten opposing defenses too much. Perhaps, the increased workload in practice will alert the Birds to the idea that he can be trusted to air it out a little.

Carson Wentz is still the starter for now, but whether it’s because of some stale playcalling or the desire to see what the rookie has, it looks like getting Hurts some work with the first-team offense is more important now than it was a few weeks ago. Stay tuned. This could get interesting.