News:Jalen Hurts injury update: Latest news on Eagles QB knee injury before NFC championship see more :

The Philadelphia Eagles have aspirations of reaching their second Super Bowl in three seasons with a win this Sunday when they host the Washington Commanders. But without a healthy Jalen Hurts, those hopes could be squashed.

Hurts missed the final two games of the regular season after suffering a concussion and gave Eagles fans a scare again in the divisional-round win against the Los Angeles Rams.

In Sunday’s divisional-round victory, he came up hobbled after a third-quarter sack. He was bent backward by Desjuan Johnson and Jaylen McCollough.

The quarterback promptly went to the medical tent after the drive. Hurts returned to the game on the Eagles’ next possession, wearing a knee brace and finished the contest.

Here’s the latest on Hurts, including updates on his practice status heading into the NFC championship:

Hurts was listed as a full participant at Eagles practices on Thursday and Friday. As a result, he was able to avoid an injury designation for Sunday, which means he will be good to go for the NFC championship game.

It’s been progressing, like coach said,” Hurts told reporters.

Hurts was initially listed as a limited participant on Wednesday. The Eagles held a walkthrough, meaning that the injury report is an estimation.

Hurts said he is taking it a day at a time, but believed he was on track to play in the NFC championship game.

Now, it appears he is set to do just that as he looks to get the Eagles back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.

Who is the Eagles’ backup QB?
The Eagles’ backup quarterback is Kenny Pickett. Tanner McKee will likely be the emergency quarterback on Sunday afternoon. He can only enter the game if both Hurts and Pickett leave and do not return.

I would call him whenever I got frustrated,” Smith told Breer. “He talked me through things, and he still coached me. And I think that’s what makes him such a special man, is that he was coaching me even when he wasn’t my head coach. A lot of the things that he was telling me, a lot of conversations we had really kept me steady throughout the season, and kept my head on straight. Because, again, man, this is a team that I gave everything I had to.”

Smith was frustrated last year in part because he didn’t get an extension from the Seahawks. And nothing would have prevented Carroll and Smith from agreeing to try to partner up in 2025, if Carroll gets another job.

Such a plan would have violated no rules, as long as they stopped talking after Carroll took the Las Vegas job. And, as it turned out, Smith and Carroll are together again. And Smith has the new contract he didn’t get in Seattle.

Still, Smith has landed in a tougher spot. Regardless of whether the Seahawks and Raiders have similar overall talent, the AFC West is much more loaded than the NFC West.

And the clock will be ticking on both Smith and Carroll to get things turned around. Quickly..