Nick Sirianni doesn’t rule Jalen Hurts out for Eagles-Saints game

Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters on Friday, and said they haven’t decided yet who be the starting quarterback on Sunday.

He mentioned that Jalen Hurts had a good practice on Thursday and did some things well, but they have to take everything into account when making the decision.

“Everything matters. Everything matters with how he’s feeling and what we feel like the timetable is, what the doctors are saying — all those things. Everything matters, everything’s in play. Obviously, the first and foremost thing that’s most important for Jalen [Hurts], is that his health is always taken in consideration first, and if it’s safe for him to be out there. From there, you do what’s best for the team, but at first you do what’s best for the individual.”

He wouldn’t say how they divvyed up QB1 reps at practice, but said that Hurts did some good things — noting the velocity and accuracy were both there, and that he felt good. There’s nothing specific that Sirianni is looking to see in order to make the decision, when they get closer to the game, they’ll see what the doctors and Hurts have to say.

Sirianni emphasized that the doctor’s information is a factor because Hurts would do whatever he could — and say whatever he had to say — to play, and so they utilize a group effort to make the best decisions.

“Again, Jalen’s health is the first thing you think of, and so we all gotta be responsible for that. Jalen — and we urge him to be as truthful as possibly can in that scenario.”

He later mentioned that they could make the decision between Hurts and Minshew as late as game day, noting that in two days, Hurts will have healed two days longer.

“Gardner [Minshew] has been in this position, where he has to do everything he has to do to prepare on limited reps, on a lot of reps, all those different things. And that’s why Gardner is a great pro, and we got a lot of confidence in him that he’s going to be ready no matter what the scenario is, whether he’s the backup, whether he’s the starter, whether he’s the starter right now and turns into the backup, whether right now he’s the back up and turns into the starter, Gardner will make sure he’s ready because that’s just the type of guy he is, and that’s the role he has to play in that position.”

Other notables

• Sirianni wouldn’t have clues to what they were planning on doing in place of Lane Johnson. He mentioned that they have three options: 1) moving Jordan Mailata to the right side, 2) Andre Dillard to the right side, or 3) Jack Driscoll on the right side. The head coach acknowledged it’s nice to have options.
• He said that they watched the tape of the last time the Eagles played the Saints, and probably the time before that, and also utilized the time they had joint practices with the Saints when Sirianni and Shane Steichen were with the Chargers. Sirianni said that they leave no stone unturned when it comes to preparing — while also acknowledging that the Saints have the same film to watch, too.