Dec. 16, 2025Updated Dec. 17, 2025, 7:53 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA − Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was among a group of players who did not practice on Dec. 16. He was listed with a stinger.
But quarterback Jalen Hurts did practice after apparently hurting his ankle at the end of the third quarter in the Eagles’ 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 14.
“I’m fine,” Hurts said, and thus should be able to play in the Eagles’ next game, when they face the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, on Dec. 20 with a chance to clinch the NFC East division title.
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The Eagles held a walk-through practice on Dec. 16, so the injury report was an estimation.
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The Eagles practiced outdoors on Dec. 17, and Barkley was a full participant. But three offensive linemen − RT Lane Johnson (foot) and his replacement Fred Johnson (ankle), and LG Landon Dickerson (calf/rest) − sat out. So did DT Jalen Carter (shoulders).
TE Cameron Latu was listed as limited (stinger).
Johnson is headed towards missing his fifth straight game while Carter would be missing his third.
How did Jalen Hurts get hurt?
Hurts was injured on the last play of the third quarter against the Raiders when he ran to his right on second-and-4 and lost a yard as he was tackled by ex-Eagles linebacker Devin White. Hurts’ leg appeared to bend backward, and he came up hobbling.
That was the final play of the third quarter. Hurts was stretching out his ankle or foot on the sideline during the break between quarters. Hurts stayed in the game. Then on the first play of the fourth quarter, he threw a pass down the middle to A.J. Brown that went for a 27-yard touchdown.
That gave the Eagles a 31-0 lead with 14:54 left. Hurts and most of the offensive starters, including Barkley, came out of the game when the Eagles got the ball back.
Hurts finished 12-for-15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns, with a passer rating of 154.9, just off a perfect score of 158.3.
Hurts’ performance came after a turbulent week in which he faced criticism after throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble against the Chargers in the Eagles’ 22-19 loss on Dec. 8.
Hurts said he didn’t hear that criticism from outside the Eagles’ practice facility.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Hurts said. “So very unprecedented journey to be here. But unprecedented is unprecedented.”
Instead, he focused on coming through when the Eagles needed him. Against the Raiders, Hurts helped the Eagles end a three-game losing streak, putting them on the precipice of winning their second straight NFC East crown.
“You work really hard to show up when your team needs you the most,” Hurts said. “All of the perceived pressure, whatever that is, is just really preparing for a moment, preparing for an opportunity, and knowing that resilience, determination and perseverance can bring it home for the group.
“I’d say that’s pretty valuable to me, to take pride in showing up when my team needs me to the most.”
Hurts has often shown that so-called “clutch gene” in December and January ever since Hurts became a full-time starter in 2021. In those five seasons, Hurts is 18-10, including playoffs, in December through early February.
“I see it as an opportunity,” Hurts said about those late-season games. “That’s it. You play in September, October, important games. You’re kind of finding yourself. It’s a new team. You find your groove. But the real things are found in December, January and February.
“And so, I think just being built off perseverance, being built off learning from all of my experiences, and learning from everything, you definitely look forward to that.”
For Hurts and the Eagles, that has included finding more success in the running game. Barkley, who has 940 yards this season, has averaged 86 yards on 4.7 yards per carry over his last three games. That’s an improvement over the first 11 games, when Barkley averaged 62 yards per game on 3.7 yards per carry.
Against the Raiders, Barkley (78 yards on 22 carries) had help both from Hurts (39 yards on 7 carries) and Tank Bigsby (57 yards on 17 carries).
In all, the Eagles had 183 yards rushing against Las Vegas. It’s the diversified running game, when Hurts can complement Barkley and vice versa, that makes the Eagles most effective.
“I think it’s important to run it regardless,’ Hurts said. “It doesn’t matter who’s running it. It’s just about being able to run it.”
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The Eagles have made adjustments, too. They have lined Hurts up under center more often lately instead of strictly operating out of the shotgun. The Eagles have even passed more out of the under-center formations.
“I think he can be very successful and efficient any way he needs to go and play,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Whether that’s the gun, whether that’s in pistol, whether that’s under center, he’s shown the fact that the ability to be able to win and be efficient with everything from all different levels.”
That, too, has helped Barkley. It’s not known when Barkley was injured. But he too played through the third quarter against the Raiders, gaining 17 and 11 yards on his last two rushes.
After the game, Barkley said Hurts’ running helped him.
“It’s like playing basketball,” Barkley said. “You start making some layups, it opens up other parts of the game. I felt like it helped the offense.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com