Jalen Hurts shares concerning update ahead of Buccaneers game

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a nasty-looking injury to the middle finger of his throwing hand during this past Sunday's loss at the New York Giants and was asked Thursday if he's attempted to throw passes this week ahead of Monday's wild-card playoff game at the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

"I have not," Hurts admitted, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "Obviously, leaving that game and attempting to go back in that game probably wasn’t physically the best idea. I can assure you everything’s progressing in the right way." 

The Eagles began Week 18 knowing they would've won the NFC East division title with a victory over the Giants coupled with the Dallas Cowboys losing at the Washington Commanders. Dallas ultimately defeated Washington to improve to 12-5, while Philadelphia suffered a 27-10 loss that dropped the defending conference champions to 11-6. 

Tampa Bay starting quarterback Baker Mayfield is also banged up during the midweek, as he hurt his ribs in Week 17 and then suffered an ankle injury early into this past Sunday's win at the Carolina Panthers. He noted while speaking with reporters on Wednesday that it's a "blessing" he has until Monday night to recover from his setbacks, and logic suggests Hurts feels the same way. 

"Everything is a challenge when you have a finger out of place," Hurts acknowledged. 

Last January, Hurts dealt with a "nagging" shoulder issue that didn't stop him from guiding Philadelphia to Super Bowl LVII, where the club fell to the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith mentioned that the Eagles "still hope to have a healthy Hurts" for Monday's prime-time showdown at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles as three-point road favorites against the Buccaneers. It will be interesting to see if that line moves as more is learned about Hurts' finger leading up to Monday.