Eagles' Best Approach To Week 18 Is Rest And Health For Playoffs

It was in the immediate aftermath of the Eagles’ recent win over the Washington Commanders, the 29-18 victory that gave them their second straight NFC East crown on Dec. 20, when left tackle Jordan Mailata was asked if rest would be a benefit at some point over the next two weeks. Before the playoffs start. He didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said, then pointed out something every Eagles fan has seen all season long – there is something not right with the offensive line.

“I think it’s the nature of football, the nature of being an offensive lineman,” Mailata added. “You’re carrying injuries, small ones. No one’s 100 percent going into the back end of the year, going into the playoffs. I think it would benefit us, just with the injuries we’re carrying up front. But that’s the nature of any NFL team heading into the late part of the season and playoff run. I think there would be benefit to that, but I’m not the coach.”

The coach, Nick Sirianni, decided to go full steam ahead with the starters in Buffalo on Sunday. The Eagles won 13-12, but, best of all, they came out without a serious injury.

“I thought it was really important that we played in this particular game,” said Sirianni, before the Eagles boarded a plane and jetted back to South Philly.

“Fortunately, we got through this, I think, I haven’t talked to the doctors yet, but we got through this - I know there will be some bumps and bruises – but we got through what we need to get through, and you feel really good.”

Starters Could Benefit From Rest In "Marathon Season"

Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) blocks New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

By all accounts, the Eagles got through it fine, health-wise. Sirianni now comes to another crossroads – to play his starters or not. Week 18 will matter for them. They can still be the No. 2 seed if they beat the Commanders on Sunday and the Bears lose to the Lions. Both teams will play at 4:25, so neither team will have an advantage.

“This is a marathon of a season,” Sirianni said. “I look back and, I guess to say why would we not play?”

He added that he is still gathering information. Here’s some he might want to look at:

The Eagles were the No. 1 seed when they went to the Super Bowl in 2017 and won, and were the top seed in 2022 when they went to the Super Bowl and lost. Last year, they were the No. 2 seed but played the NFC Championship Game at home because the No. 1 seed, Detroit Lions, were unable to hold serve and lost in the Divisional round.

There’s no chance at the No. 1 seed, but a No. 2 seed guarantees a team two home games, and, like last year, could lead to hosting the conference title game if the No. 1 seed is toppled.

So, like Sirianni said, why would we not play his starters?

Well, health is a good reason. His offensive line is banged up, and resting a week might serve it well, as will the expected return of Lane Johnson for wild-card game in Philly the weekend of Jan. 10.

If you play the backup linemen, then you probably can’t play Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley. The Eagles beat the New York Giants in Week 18 with Tanner McKee as the starting quarterback, but who can forget A.J. Brown twisting a knee in the regular-season finale back in 2023 on the Giants’ terrible MetLife Stadium turf? The injury forced Brown to miss the following week’s wild-card game in Tampa, one they lost to the Bucs.

Nobody wants a repeat of that disaster.

The defense is playing lights out, so do you rest them or keep the momentum rolling and hope nobody gets hurt. Jalen Carter will likely have a seat to rest his fragile shoulders.

Rested and healthy would seem to be Sirianni's best approach. Perhaps he will play some of his starters, but not for long, or some starters longer than others. Somebody has to play, after all, and, heck, who’s to say the backups, with some regulars sprinkled in, wouldn’t beat a banged-up Commanders team that has a 4-12 record and whose management would probably prefer a higher draft pick than a fifth win in a lost season?

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