The Week 6 matchup in Philadelphia changed in a hurry on Thursday. The Eagles ruled out quarterback Jalen Hurts for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers with a superficial blood clot in his calf, and backup Tanner McKee will make the start. On today's Two Growls One Roar podcast we break down what happened, who McKee is, and what it means for a Panthers team sitting in first place in the NFC South.
We start with the timeline. Hurts took a cleat to the calf in the Week 4 loss to the Rams, practiced in full the next week, and an ultrasound in London found a small clot. Doctors cleared him to play the Jaguars, but a follow-up scan Wednesday night showed the clot had moved, and the Eagles shut him down while they decide on treatment. Carolina knows this injury better than most after Taylor Moton spent three months on blood thinners this summer, and the Panthers made a point of wishing Hurts well.
Then we get into Tanner McKee: a 6-foot-6 pocket passer from Stanford with 88 career attempts, five touchdowns, one interception and two career starts. Jaelan Phillips saw him every day on the Eagles scout team last year and says he doesn't play like a backup. Kenny Pickett, his former teammate in Philly, expects a quick-release game plan. Derrick Brown and Devin Lloyd explain how the defense is scrambling to study him. The betting line moved from Panthers -1.5 to -3.5 after the news.
Next is the Panthers' own injury report. Rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling returned to practice on a limited basis with his knee, AJ Dillon missed again with an ankle, and Damien Lewis, Jaelan Phillips, Tommy Tremble and Darren Waller were limited. Bryce Young, Jalen Coker, Thomas Incoom, Trevor Etienne, Taylor Moton and Tershawn Wharton were all full participants. We also run through who is still on injured reserve, including Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Xavier Legette, Jonathon Brooks and Cam Jackson.
We spend real time on the comebacks. Moton is back after a pulmonary embolism, and Turk Wharton is cleared after neck fusion surgery, with Ejiro Evero calling him one of the best players on the team when he's available. Does Moton start at right tackle Sunday, or does Freeling get his job back?
We close with the coordinator press conferences: Brad Idzik on handling Jalen Carter and that Georgia front, Evero on preparing for Saquon Barkley whether he plays or not, and Tracy Smith on Brycen Tremayne leading the team in special teams tackles.
Your turn: with Hurts out, is anything less than a win in Philly a disappointment for this Panthers team? Let us know in the comments.
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