Still from Fox Sports' video broadcast of Eagles/Commanders (Dec. 22)
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts remains in the NFL's mysterious concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.
Jalen Hurts #eagles
Being evaluated for a concussion after this hit pic.twitter.com/CS0gRQD5hp
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) December 22, 2024
Hurts was removed from the Birds' Week 17 game against the Commanders on December 22, which will give him a total of 21 days of recovery before the Eagles host Green Bay.
That length of time has led many to speculate that Hurts will be just fine for the playoffs, but Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has been tight-lipped on Hurts' status. Sirriani has said only that Hurts continues to work through the concussion protocol.
Nick Sirianni said QB Jalen Hurts continues to progress through the concussion protocol.
He was present at Saturday’s walkthrough, Sirianni said, but wouldn’t say whether that represents a step forward.
But what exactly does that mean?
According to the league, a player who takes a hit to the head goes into the concussion protocol if he exhibits symptoms of a concussion and/or if one of certain designated individuals believe the protocol is warranted. This "Concussion Game Day Checklist" is generally considered the "protocol" during the game itself. Somewhere along these steps, a physician determined Hurts could not return against the Commanders:
.png)
Hurts is now technically in what the NFL calls the "Return-To-Participation Protocol." From the league:
"Every NFL player diagnosed with a concussion must follow a five-step process before being cleared to fully practice or participate in an NFL game . . . Each player and each concussion is unique, and there is no set time-frame for return to participation. Team medical staff consider the player's current concussive injury, as well as past exposures and medical history, family history and future risk in managing a player's care. After a player has progressed through the five-step process, and is cleared for full participation by his club physician, he must be seen and separately cleared by an Independent Neurological Consultant (INC), jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA, who is not affiliated with any NFL club. Until cleared by this independent physician, a player may not return to contact practice or play in an NFL game."
The NFL provides a second handy graphic to describe the five steps of the Return-To-Participation Protocol:
The Eagles have not indicated which of these five phases Hurts has cleared, whether a club physician has cleared Hurts for full activity, or whether an INC will soon be asked to concur with the club physician's clearance.
It's very likely that the organization will do everything it can to get Hurts green-lit for the wild card round of the playoffs.
The Eagles assessing Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol pic.twitter.com/3LaabTYhaD
But if an INC does not believe Hurts should be cleared, there will be nothing that the Eagles can do.
