R1 Jalen Hurts’ arm and legs are forcing adjustments on every snap as the Eagles gear up for a chaotic Wild Card showdown with the 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers‘ defense will have their hands full when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card Round playoff game on Jan. 11. Moreover, one of the unit’s main worries will be stopping quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Despite all the hurdles the Eagles faced during the 2025 NFL regular season, Hurts posted a passer rating of 98.5 with 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 16 games, per StatMuse.
Ahead of the playoff game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with the media on Jan. 7 and was asked about Hurts.
“He’s got a big-time arm,” Shanahan said (h/t Grant Cohn of On SI). “With those wideouts and stuff he has, he’s capable of making any throw, whether on time or whether extremely late, because usually, when a quarterback is late, you can’t throw it that far and catch up with those guys—he can.
“So, you got to honor the entire field with them. And anytime you have a quarterback who’s capable of doing that, who also is a threat every single play throughout an entire game with his legs, it’s an issue, whether he uses it or not.
“When someone is a threat like that, you have to adjust certain things that you don’t have to worry about versus other people. And whether they do it or not, you got to honor it, and that slows down your whole defense as a whole.”
Eagles Are Also Praising 49ers QB Brock Purdy
Moreover, the Eagles are also worried about the 49ers’ QB, Brock Purdy, who will be looking to bounce back after his Week 18 performance in the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Purdy went 19-for-27 on his pass attempts while recording 127 passing yards, one interception, and having a 64.9 passer rating. Additionally, he was sacked three times by the Seahawks’ defense.
Despite the challenging game against Seattle, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, understands that Purdy can harm his unit and isn’t taking the QB lightly.
“He’s a scrambler,” Fangio said while speaking to reporters on Jan. 6. “When he’s scrambling, he’s looking down the field. His eyes go down the field. He’s wanting to throw out of the scramble before he decides to run it. He’s very good at it. They have a lot of maximum play-action type protections, where he’s going to have some time anyway. Then, if he doesn’t like what he sees, can buy even more time. And I think that’s why his average is up there so high, as far as holding the ball.”
49ers Give Trent Williams Injury Update
Nonetheless, for Purdy to have a big game against the Eagles, he’ll need his starting tackle back in Trent Williams, who missed the game against the Seahawks.
Williams suffered a hamstring injury in Week 17 in the win over the Chicago Bears. On Jan. 7, Shanahan provided an injury update on the veteran, who didn’t practice that day as the 49ers prepare for Philadelphia.
“He’s still hurt,” Shanahan told reporters on Jan. 7 (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Hopefully, he’ll be better [on Jan. 8] and can get some practice in, but I’m not sure where he’ll be at.”
