Jalen Hurts had one of his best rushing games of the season in the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over the Los Angeles Rams last week, and Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is essentially daring the quarterback to try doing it again.
With the Commanders getting set to face the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, Whitt was asked on Thursday about preparing to defend Hurts’ dual-threat ability.
“We’ve had a number of these guys that we’ve had to prepare for. The one thing is, if he’s gonna run the ball and the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we’re gonna treat him like a running back,” Whitt said. “And we’re gonna hit him that way. So, that’s their decision if they want him to get hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket.”
👀 Watch out Jalen Hurts?
Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr says they will hit Eagles QB #JalenHurts if he runs like a RB
"we are going to hit him that way. That's their decision if they want to get him hit the way that he gets hit"https://t.co/ZCfqwTKQDK pic.twitter.com/DkhcWE9zqM
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) January 23, 2025
While the Eagles might try to use Whitt’s comments as bulletin-board material, he was really just stating the obvious. Quarterbacks are afforded certain protections when they remain inside the pocket. Once they leave the pocket (especially for a designed run play), defenders can treat them like a runner and tackle accordingly. Players are coached to make the quarterback pay in those situations.
The Eagles undoubtedly have the same mindset toward Jayden Daniels, who runs far more than Hurts does.
Hurts had 70 yards and a touchdown on 7 rushing attempts in Philadelphia’s 28-22 win over the Rams last week. He also had an injury scare on one play where he was tackled, so it is possible the Eagles will want him to throw more against Washington.
