Fans noticed a familiar sight on the Philadelphia Eagles bench on Monday at Soldier Field. Quarterback Jalen Hurts sat apart from his number one receiver, DeVonta Smith , as the Eagles trailed the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter.
After three quarters at Soldier Field, the Bears led by thirteen points. Third-string quarterback Case Keenum threw two touchdown passes compared to the Eagles’ one rushing score.
Hurts briefly left the game injured. Andy Dalton came in and threw an interception on his first pass. To make matters worse, all of the Eagles’ third-quarter drives ended with punts.
The Bears took over possession in the fourth quarter. During this time, the ESPN camera crew focused their attention on the Eagles dugout and filmed a familiar sight. Hurts and Smith sat in their seats, ignoring one another.
The Eagles entered the Monday night game in the Windy City after securing victories over the Tennessee Titans and the Washington Commanders. However, any avid student of football will admit that the Eagles had to labor hard to earn both wins.
So, the writing was already on the wall. Despite the absence of star quarterback , the Bears delivered a match-winning performance. In his first start since 2023, Case Keenum barely put a foot wrong.
The same can’t be said about the Eagles. Hurts targeted Smith 8 times; Smith caught 6 passes for 65 yards (most by an Eagles receiver). The exchange, or lack of it, at the start of the fourth quarter painted a bleak picture. It’s something the Eagles fans have witnessed in the not-so-distant past.
A couple of years back, WR AJ Brown was seen reading books in the dugout because apparently . Brown eventually to join the New England Patriots. Fans worry that Smith could be forced to take the same step as his former colleague, even though he considers himself a loyal Eagle.
Jalen Hurts completed 16 of 25 passes for 153 yards, zero touchdowns, and 1 interception. He rushed 4 times for 25 yards and scored one rushing touchdown. After three games, Hurts has completed 64.4% of his passes for 620 yards, 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and one rushing TD. DeVonta Smith has 19 receptions for 235 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Eagles still lead the NFC East with a 2-1 record. Up next, they host the 1-2 Los Angeles Rams.