Injured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts won't play Sunday against Dallas

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts is still in the NFL's concussion protocol, forcing the Philadelphia Eagles to play against Dallas without their star quarterback.

The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is still dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington.

Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles would lean on the medical staff on a daily basis to know where Hurts — who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores in the first meeting against Dallas in November — was in his recovery from the head injury.

The 26-year-old Hurts did not practice this week, leaving Pickett — who suffered a rib injury in relief action against the Commanders — in line for his first start as an Eagle.

Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards against the Commanders, throwing a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception.

Pickett is from New Jersey and said when he was acquired from Pittsburgh that he had “great memories” of going to games at Lincoln Financial Field with his dad and grandfather since he was 5. The chance to run out of the home team tunnel — which he could get Sunday if he’s the starting QB — left him absolutely delighted.

“It's a big opportunity,” Pickett said this week. “I've been working hard to stay ready. I felt like I was in a good position last game with my preparation. Now, having a week to practice, I'll feel even better going into the stadium.”

Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers.

The Eagles will bump third-stringer Tanner McKee to the backup spot. The Eagles also signed QB Ian Book this week to the practice squad.

There has been recent precedent for quarterbacks to play a week after entering the league’s concussion protocol.

Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence sustained a head injury while scrambling up the middle on the team’s final drive in Week 15 loss to Baltimore last season. Lawrence misfired on seven of his final eight passes after the hit, a stretch that raised concerns on the sideline about his health. Lawrence reported symptoms after the game.

He entered the protocol but was cleared in time to start the next game at Tampa Bay.

The Eagles (12-3) could decide to play it safe and rest Hurts with the team needing a win against Dallas or the New York Giants to clinch the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Hurts shook off a sluggish start over the first four games and has thrown 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions to turn the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders. Thanks in large part to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season.

The Eagles won the Super Bowl for the 2017 season behind backup QB Nick Foles when starter Carson Wentz went down with a late-season injury.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) warming up before the start of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throwing the ball before the start of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrating his touchdown with teammate Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs with the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Just days away from his return to tennis at the Brisbane International, Nick Kyrgios hasn't minced his words in referring to doping-related charges against Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, labelling breaches of the sport’s anti-doping program as “disgusting for our sport."

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) levelled charges against world No.1 Sinner and former world No.1 Iga Swiatek. Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.

Swiatek also accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

“Two world No.1s both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look,” Kyrgios said at his Brisbane International press conference on Saturday. “Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it but no one wants to speak about it, it’s awful.”

Kyrgios, 29, has not played tournament tennis since June 2023 due to wrist and knee injuries. He was asked about his motivations for speaking out on the Sinner and Swiatek situations.

“Someone like me … I would never even in my entire life ever try and dope in this sport,” he said. “Especially going through an injury like I went through, obviously there are things out there that could speed up healing, help me get back to prime level, help my recovery.

“There’s so many things out there that are prohibited in our sport that I could have been doing to get me back quicker … (but) that’s just not who I am. I’m always against that."

Sinner had successfully argued that his physiotherapist had accidentally contaminated him during treatment with clostebol which had transferred from a cut on his own hand.

Kyrgios raised questions over what happened next.

“I (pay) my team hundreds and thousands of dollars to be the professionals they are, to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Kyrgios said. “So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months to do anything about it? He kept his team for five months … that doesn’t make sense."

Kyrgios will take on 21-year-old Giovanni Perricard of France in the first round in Brisbane.

It will be the first tour-level appearance by Kyrgios since the Stuttgart Open in June 2023. Kyrgios has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Kyrgios is also entered in the Australian Open beginning Jan. 12. It would be his first Grand Slam singles tournament in more than two years.

Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International in 2018, will partner Novak Djokovic in doubles in Brisbane. Djokovic beat Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon singles final.

Djokovic is the No. 1-seeded player at the Brisbane International and will play Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the opening round following the singles draw held Saturday.

Kyrgios and Djokovic are in the top half of the singles draw and are not slated to play each other until the semifinals should they both win through.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)