Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on Tuesday announced that rookie Jalen Hurts will start at quarterback against the New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday.
This will be the first career NFL start for Hurts, the former Alabama Crimson Tide and then Oklahoma Sooners star who was drafted in the second round earlier this year.
The Eagles are 3-8-1 on the season under quarterback Carson Wentz.
“I have come to a decision, and I am going to go with Jalen Hurts this week against New Orleans,” Pederson said on the “Eagles Insider Podcast.” “We’re not where we want to be as an offense. I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better.”
He reportedly told the quarterbacks of the decision on Monday evening before Tuesday’s public announcement.
Pederson has not committed to Hurts starting beyond this weekend; the coach said both quarterbacks handled the news well.
“I just want to see development. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, a great opportunity for the team,” Pederson added of Hurts starting on Sunday.
Tuesday’s news will mean that the Crimson Tide will have two of its former quarterbacks starting this weekend: Hurts and Miami Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa.
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Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
