The 49ers’ chances of obtaining the No. 1 seed in the NFC were very slim going into Sunday. They were made more slim by the Eagles’ 25-20 victory over the Bears that moved them to 13-1 on the season. Those chances widened just a bit though with news of quarterback Jalen Hurts dealing with a shoulder sprain that could keep him out for multiple weeks.
Reports indicate the injury isn’t believed to be serious, but the Eagles are aiming for their star QB to be fully healthy before he returns. It appears backup QB Gardner Minshew will start Saturday in Dallas.
To be perfectly clear, the Eagles could simply beat the Cowboys in Week 16 and lock up the No. 1 seed behind Minshew. He’s a capable backup who went 1-1 in two starts for Philadelphia last year.
There’s also no guarantee the injury will keep Hurts out for the duration of the regular season.
However, this makes things at least a little bit interesting since the 49ers to this point have clinched at least the No. 3 seed and they hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings for the No. 2 seed if they manage to pick up a game on Minnesota over the final three weeks.
The No. 1 seed has been considered off the table with Hurts and the Eagles playing as well as they have all year. Now it’s on the table for at least a week, and will remain on the table as long as Minshew starts.
Philadelphia visits the Cowboys on Christmas Eve, then they host a pesky Saints club before closing their season with an NFC East showdown at home against the Giants.
In the event the Eagles do lose out, the 49ers would also need to win out and get at least one loss from the Vikings. It’s a tall task, but it’s just a little bit shorter for as long as Hurts is out.
