SEATTLE — The Eagles have downgraded Jalen Hurts to questionable for Monday Night Football’s game against the Seahawks due to illness, league officials confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Hurts, 25, appeared on the team’s injury report on Saturday, but missed practice due to the illness and is still not feeling well.
Hurts is traveling to Seattle separately to avoid getting his teammates sick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Eagles were originally scheduled to play the Seahawks on Sunday, but the game was moved to Monday night. That might give him enough time to get good enough to play.
If Hurts is unable to play on Monday, the Eagles will likely turn to veteran backup Marcus Mariota. Mariota appeared in his first seven offensive games of the season against the 49ers and Cowboys over the past two weeks. Mariota, 30, is in his ninth season in the NFL and has started 74 games in his career.
The Eagles signed Mariota as a backup this offseason. Gardner Minshew left as the Colts’ backup quarterback, but has been the starter since Anthony Richardson was sidelined with an injury.
It could end up being a matchup between backup quarterbacks. Seahawks starter Geno Smith is also listed as questionable with a groin injury that kept him out last week. If Smith is unable to play, the Seahawks will start Drew Lock.
The Eagles also ruled out three players for Monday Night Football on Saturday: CB Darius Slay (knee), RG Cam Jurgens (pectoral muscle) and LB Zach Cunningham (knee). Expect rookies Kelly Ringo to replace Slay, Sua Opeta to replace Jurgens, and Shaq Leonard to replace Cunningham.
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