Eagles Activate 6 WRs, go with 12th Different OL combination in Jalen Hurts' First Start

Quez Watkins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside enter the lineup, John Hightower takes a seat

PHILADELPHIA – The quarterback position isn’t the only tweak the Eagles are making against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Jalen Hurts, of course, will make his first professional start in place of the benched Carson Wentz, but the Eagles are also mixing up the receiver group, inserting Quez Watkins and making John Hightower a healthy scratch.

The Eagles also have active J.J. Arcega-Whiteside for the first time since he got five snaps against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 1. That was the last game the Eagles won, having lost four straight games since then.

Watkins hasn’t played since a 15-snap run against the Ravens on Oct. 18. He is still looking for his first catch as a professional after being taken in the sixth round of last spring’s draft.

The Eagles’ other receivers are Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Travis Fulgham, and Alshon Jeffery.

Other inactives for the 3-8-1 Eagles against the 10-2 Saints are quarterback Nate Sudfeld, running back Jason Huntley, safety Rudy Ford, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and cornerbacks Michael Jacquet and Grayland Arnold.

With the Eagles going with six wide receivers they are opting to keep just three running backs active: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement.

Keep six WRs would also seem to indicate that the Eagles will play more 11 personnel – three receivers on the field at once – with Hurts starting.

That could mean less of the 12 personnel packages, despite Zach Ertz healthy for a second straight game to go with Dallas Goedert and Richard Rodgers.

The Eagles are using their 12th different starting offensive line combination in 13 games, which is an NFL record since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule 42 years ago.

From left to right on Sunday the Eagles will go with Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Nate Herbig, and Jack Driscoll.

Jason Peters was placed on Injured Reserve on Saturday, and his season is over after head coach Doug Pederson announced on Friday that Peters would have surgery on his toe.

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