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Doug Pederson’s praise for Jalen Hurts falls short of committing to start him next week

Asked if Hurts would start next week against the Cardinals, Pederson said he wanted to enjoy this win before preparing for the Eagles' next game.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks to quarterback Jalen Hurts during the offense's last possession against the Saints in Sunday's 24-21 win.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson talks to quarterback Jalen Hurts during the offense's last possession against the Saints in Sunday's 24-21 win.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

For one week, Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s decision to bench Carson Wentz and start Jalen Hurts at quarterback paid dividends. Hurts enjoyed an impressive debut in the Eagles’ 24-21 upset win over the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field.

Despite the performance, Pederson wasn’t ready to commit that Hurts would be the starter next Sunday in Arizona against the Cardinals.

When asked if Hurts would start, Pederson replied, “I am going to enjoy this one and go home and relax and be with my family tonight, enjoy this win and get ready for next week.”

Hurts was asked if he was nervous and while he didn’t say that, he acknowledged what a big moment it was making his first NFL start.

“It was a new experience for me for sure, my first NFL start out there,” Hurts said. “I am excited that I was able to do it with this group of guys, with this team. So we are ready to get back to work and fix the things we need to fix.”

Hurts completed 17 of 30 passes for 167 yards, and threw for one touchdown with no interceptions. He also rushed for 108 yards on 15 carries and had a passer rating of 83.6.

» READ MORE: Grading the Eagles’ performance on Sunday’s impressive 24-21 win over the Saints

“Jalen got the start this afternoon and I thought overall there were some good things and really kind of gave us a spark as a team that I was looking for and I think we were looking for as a team,” Pederson said. “This win today is not about one guy, this win is about this team and how resilient this team is. And we went through it again today and injuries piled up a little bit in the second half. Guys stayed strong.”

He later expanded on the fact that this was a total team win.

“Jalen played well, obviously we won the game,” said Pederson, whose team snapped a four-game losing streak. “There were a lot of good performances out there tonight. And again, the defense stepped up, the offensive line, some of our young receivers and obviously Jalen, so it’s a start and we are excited to get the win.”

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts shows that Carson Wentz was Eagles’ biggest problem | Marcus Hayes

    Marc Narducci
    I’m a South Jersey Sports Hall of Fame writer who has covered sports on every level at The Inquirer since 1983.
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