After the clock ran out, Philadelphia Eagles fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief. This Divisional Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams ended up coming down to the wire in a hurry.
With just over four minutes left in the game, Philly was up 13 and feeling mighty confident after a 78-yard touchdown run from Saquon Barkley. And then, the Rams responded with a touchdown drive of their own and in quick fashion. Of course, we know how this one ended. L.A. would get the ball back and come oh, so close to pulling off the comeback.
Alas, the Eagles sweated this one out. They now advance to the NFC Championship Game to take on their division rival Washington Commanders. But, one big question will be looming this week before kickoff.
Just how healthy is quarterback Jalen Hurts?
After he took a brutal hit to his knee late in the third quarter, Hurts was forced to exit the game for a few minutes. Hurts would go to the medical tent and come out a couple of minutes later wearing a brace. From there, his mobility was visibly limited. But, he stayed in the game.
Jalen Hurts was quick to provide his own injury update after advancing to the NFC Championship Game
Of course, his health is of utmost importance and became the buzz-worthy topic among the media come time for postgame press conferences.
When asked about his thoughts on the game, Hurts initially commented about how difficult the contest was in light of his knee injury.
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“Tough game. A challenging game. I was able to finish the game and we’ll see how the week goes," the quarterback said.
When getting more specific about his knee injury and overall status now going into the NFC Championship, Hurts said he felt confident he will play against the Commanders.
Of course, this is his initial, gut reaction. There is a lot of adrenaline pumping after a playoff win and the aftermath has not yet set in. Tomorrow morning, Hurts will probably end up feeling more pain than he was right after the game's conclusion.
Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be bad enough that he'll need intricate testing done. If he's able to take care of himself this week and partake in regular maintenance and recovery, there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to play through even a little bit of pain next week.