The Philadelphia Eagles are set to play the Washington Football Team this Sunday. The game will certainly have playoff implications and the birds need a win to stay alive in the Wild Card hunt. Luckily for the Eagles, it looks like they are going to catch a massive break, with the WTF having 20 players out due to COVID-19.

The list keeps growing too. Nearly half of their starting defense will likely not play, and it’s beginning to look like a preseason roster in one of the most crucial games of the season.

On the Eagles front, Jalen Hurts is still battling an ankle sprain, and while he’s getting better, we have been told over the past week that he’s still not 100% ready to play. Throughout the week, both Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew have been splitting first team reps with the offense, incase Hurts can’t play on Sunday.

When healthy, Hurts is the Eagles’ starting quarterback. That’s really not up for debate.

A good question to ask is the following:

If Philadelphia has a capable backup quarterback, why risk throwing Hurts back in the fray when he’s not fully healthy?

Hurts’ best skill is his athleticism and dual-threat ability. An ankle sprain not only limits that, but could get worse by continuing to run and potentially tearing the ligament. As for the WTF, they are forced to start a quarterback by the name of Garrett Gilbert, who hasn’t played an NFL game since 2019.

Minshew allows the Eagles to have a QB comfortable in the pocket who thrives as a game manager. Hurts can do this and likely win the game, but having an extra week could be vital for over the final stretch of the season.

Starting Minshew also allows the Eagles to continue building his trade value and seeing what their backup quarterback is capable of. A worst-case scenario is having Hurts active but not play. Therefore, if things go south with Minshew, Hurts can step in and salvage the game for the Eagles.

There have already been rumors of teams reaching out to the Eagles on Gardner Minshew’s availability. Starting him against a COVID-ridden Washington Football team could increase his trade value. Let Minshew pack the stat sheet against a depleted WFT defense and give hurts more rest.

There’s no reason that Gardner Minshew can’t win this game for the Eagles and bring their record to 7-7. Washington has no pass rush and they are without good portion of their secondary.

Let Hurts prepare for the Giants next week and get to 100%.

Mandatory Credit: FOX