Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts briefly left Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears to undergo a concussion evaluation. He was later cleared to return to the game.
The Eagles confirmed the update, saying: “QB Jalen Hurts was evaluated for a concussion and cleared to return.”
What happened during the game?
Jalen Hurts, the Eagles and their fans appeared frustrated by the timing and length of the evaluation, which came during a potentially important scoring drive.
Sideline footage showed Hurts visibly upset as he spoke with officials after being taken off the field. Head coach Nick Sirianni also appeared frustrated by the situation.
With Hurts temporarily sidelined, Andy Dalton stepped in at quarterback before Hurts was cleared to return.
The decision to remove Hurts sparked debate among fans and commentators.
One injury analyst wrote on X, “Jalen Hurts never should’ve been pulled off of the field. The contact was to his shoulder/chest, not his head. His head also never hit the turf. Spotters were excessive on this one and it cost Philly a drive.”
A fan added, “The concussion specialist wasn’t even in the tent while Jalen Hurts was being evaluated. So Hurts sat longer than he needed to. So Andy Dalton came in. So Andy Dalton threw a pick. You can’t make this up.”
Another fan commented, “Jalen Hurts was begging to go back in the game before Andy Dalton threw an interception in the endzone.”
Nick Sirianni reacts to the incident
Speaking to ESPN’s Lisa Salters at halftime, Sirianni acknowledged his frustration but said the medical staff had to prioritize player safety.
“Obviously frustrating. The doctors have to do their job. They’ve got to protect these guys. We had a hit on a sideline that they looked yet. We’ve got to be able to run the ball there. We’ve gotta take care of the ball with Andy. They are doing their best to keep the players safe,” he said.