Eagles Make Jalen Hurts, Starter Decision For Week 18

The Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon and it appears as though the team has decided whether or not the starters will play.

This has been a topic of conversation around the team since the Week 17 win over the Buffalo Bills. Last season, the Eagles rested the starters with the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture locked up. This year, there's still wiggle room. The Eagles have the No. 3 seed and could still move up to No. 2. While this is the case, the Eagles reportedly will be resting "most starters" on Sunday against the Commanders, including Jalen Hurts, as reported on X by Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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"Eagles are expected to rest QB Jalen Hurts and most starters in the season finale vs. the Commanders, sources told The Inquirer," McLane wrote on X. "Shouldn’t come as a surprise based on HC Nick Sirianni’s comments when asked about the benefit of having a 'bye' week heading into the playoffs."

The Eagles will look a bit different Week 18

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hands the ball off to running back Saquon Barkley during first half action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 28, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said the team was still taling through the decision while joining 94WIP Sports Radio.

"Yeah, still talking through that," Sirianni said. "Obviously, it's not something that we haven't talked through yet. Is it something that is finalized and we know exactly what we're going to do yet? No, we have time. We still have time to be able to do that. That's what this staff meeting I have coming up. We'll talk about in depth. There's benefits to rest. There's benefits to play. We just have to do what we think is best for the football team and really that's all that we can ever do."

It's hard to argue against the idea. It's been a roller coaster of a season so far and at this point, a trip to the Wild Card Round is guaranteed. The Eagles will be welcoming a team to Lincoln Financial Field in the first round of the playoffs, whether that's as the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. The Eagles should beat the Commanders, even with backups. Last season, the Eagles were refreshed in the playoffs and it worked. Can it work two years in a row?

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