It doesn’t sound like the Washington Commanders are planning to take it easy on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during their NFC Championship game this weekend.
The Eagles regularly use Jalen Hurts in the running game on offense. If that happens this weekend, the Commanders intend to punish him for it with their hits.
During his press conference this week, Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. offered a pretty clear threat to Hurts, making it clear that if they had the chance to hit Hurts, they would hit him as if he were a running back.
“The one thing is, is if he’s gonna run the ball and the coordinator makes a decision for him to run the ball, we’re gonna treat him like a running back,” Whitt told reporters according to Pro Football Talk.
“And we’re gonna hit him that way. You know, so that’s their decision if they wanna get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket. So that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Hurts has been a dominant force on the ground. Over the past four seasons, he’s led all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns each season and consistently ranked in the top six for rushing touchdowns across all positions.
While Hurts never exactly shies away from running the ball, this weekend might require him to proceed with added caution after this clear warning from Whitt.
It’ll be interesting to see how Hurts responds to this warning from the Commanders.
About Kevin Harrish