Jalen Hurts took a nasty low hit late in the first half that left the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback limping Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. He didn't miss a snap but left early for the locker room as time expired in the second quarter with the Eagles trailing by three.
Hurts emphatically brushed off the injury on the first drive of the third quarter, scrambling at one point then placing a perfect deep shot to DeVonta Smith for a 29-yard TD to give Philly a lead they'd cling to the rest of the way, escaping with a 28-23 victory over rival Dallas.
"I don't really know what to say. It was a gritty win, it was a gritty win," Hurts said after the game, via the official transcript. "It was a tough win. Much respect to that team. Always very competitive and have great players. But I don't think the bye week could come at a better time."
Hurts has been dealing with a knee issue for the past several weeks, wearing a brace for extra support. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that entering the game, Hurts was managing essentially a knee bruise.
The bye week could help the MVP candidate avoid playing limited as the Eagles hit the meat of their schedule with games against Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco, a rematch in Dallas and Seattle in the five games post-bye.
Hurts' ability to play through injury buoys his teammates.
"As long as he can do it, and it's safe to go back out there, there ain't nothing that's going to keep him off the field," center Jason Kelce said on Sunday.
Hurts brushed off his ability to play through injuries, saying he'll do whatever his club needs to come out with a win.
"I don't like it being that way," he said of dealing with injuries. "I love to be all good, but, as I said, I'd do anything for this city and for my teammates. It takes what it takes, and that's simply put. Whatever it takes, and I'm just happy that we were able to gut out this win and we showed so much resilience."
Hurts will rest for a week and then chase a victory over a Chiefs team that bested them in Super Bowl LVII when the QB was the best player on the field.
