Eagles’ Jalen Hurts is ‘out indefinitely’: 5 outside options to replace him, including ex-Philly QB

PHILADELPHIA — The recovery timeline for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts who was diagnosed with a blood clot, varies by source.

Hurts will be out for one week or for the entire season, people say.

One doctor NJ.com spoke to on Thursday said he did not believe the blood clot would be a long-term issue, but estimated that Hurts could miss four to six weeks, depending on the severity of the blood clot and other factors, including whether he is already taking blood thinners.

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport took it even further and said that Hurts is "out indefinitely."

If Hurts is out for an extended period this season, fourth-year backup quarterback Tanner McKee will take over as the starter until he is cleared to return — assuming he returns this season.

McKee has flashed intriguing potential in his two NFL starts. But after a bad summer, the hype has cooled down. McKee lost the backup job during training camp to Andy Dalton, though McKee reclaimed the position from Dalton before Week 4. Dalton was cut by the Eagles last week.

The Eagles have been bullish on McKee's potential for years, but they changed their tune this summer by demoting him to the third-string quarterback position.

If the Eagles aren't comfortable moving forward with McKee as their only option to replace Hurts, they could explore trading for another team's backup quarterback.

They could also re-sign Dalton, but he wouldn't be an upgrade over McKee.

Here are five potential options the Eagles could pursue if they want to add competition for McKee:

After playing two seasons for the Eagles from 2021-2022, Minshew is already comfortable playing under Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and throwing to playmakers DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.

Philadelphia's current offense is slightly different from it was four years ago, but Minshew won't be starting from scratch.

He has started 47 games during his eight-year career, posting a 17-30 record. He has been considered one of the NFL's best backups for many years, including when he won seven of his 13 starts with the Colts in 2023.

Playing with a gunslinger mentality, Minshew has recorded 68 touchdowns and 35 interceptions in the last eight years.

For a more fun option, the Eagles could check Richardson's availability. The former first-round pick requested a trade from the Colts in February, six months after he lost the starting job to Daniel Jones.

Richardson has the highest upside among the quarterbacks listed here, but he also offers a lower floor than some QBs. He has absurd physical tools (6-4, 244 pounds), elite arm talent and top-end athleticism, but his inconsistency as a passer is the reason why he never developed into a franchise quarterback.

Richardson has recorded a 50.6% completion percentage during the first four years of his career. He has played his entire career under Colts head coach Shane Steichen, the former offensive coordinator of the Eagles from 2021-2022.

Rattler lost his starting job last year to second-round pick Tyler Shough.

He played well at times, but the Saints always planned to make Shough the starter after spending that draft capital on him.

Rattler, a former fifth-round pick, has posted a 1-13 record as a starter. But he's not the sole reason the Saints struggled during the previous two seasons. New Orleans was a bad team during Rattler's first two seasons, and the Saints have a 1-4 record this year.

Rattler, who possesses good arm talent, could develop into one of the NFL's best backups. The Saints could make former first-round pick Zach Wilson the backup if they traded Rattler elsewhere.

O'Connell would provide more depth behind McKee and could be a better option than Dalton for the Eagles' second quarterback.

In 17 career starts, he has recorded 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and completed 62% of his passes. He has posted a 7-10 record.

O'Connell has good size (6-3, 209 pounds) and throws an accurate ball. He is currently the Raiders' No. 3 QB, which could make him expendable.

Bennett could run the system that the Eagles hoped would transform their offense, though it has not yet worked.

As the Rams' backup, he has a good understanding of the West Coast passing attack, but due to his lack of experience — zero starts across four seasons and just 13 career passing yards — he wouldn't be the Eagles' best option.

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