Eagles’ Old Friend Could Stand Between Philly, Ending 3-Game Skid

The Philadelphia Eagles are four days away from taking on the Las Vegas Raiders. The matchup has more implications than just a typical regular-season showdown.

Philadelphia is ice-cold right now and is trying to avoid a four-game losing streak. The Eagles last played on Monday and lost against the Los Angeles Chargers in a contest that featured plenty of turnovers.

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The Eagles are going to facethe Raiders on Sunday

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) throws downfield against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

If the Eagles want to stop the skid, it sounds like they're going to have to go through old friend and former Philadelphia backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shed some light on the upcoming matchup and reported that Raiders starter Geno Smith is "unlikely" to go on Sunday due to a shoulder injury.

"Raiders QB Geno Smith, dealing with a shoulder injury, is considered unlikely to start on Sunday, sources say. He won’t practice today," Rapoport wrote on X. "That would put Kenny Pickett in line to start against the Eagles, his former team."

Eagles fans will remember Pickett fondly as a member of the Super Bowl LIX-winning team from last season. Philadelphia acquired Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the season. Overall, Pickett appeared in five regular-season games last year, including one start, and had 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. This is a guy who also got a few snaps in the Super Bowl with the Eagles blowing Kansas City out.

Philadelphia traded Pickett to the Cleveland Browns this past offseason and then they sent him to the Raiders. Now, he is likely going to be between Philadelphia snapping its losing streak, or extending it to a disastrous territory.

Right now, the Eagles are still 8-5 on the season. Even with the cold streak, the Eagles are comfortably in first place in the NFC East ahead of the 6-6-1 Dallas Cowboys. A loss on Sunday would make things a bit less comfortable. Fortunately, the Eagles have a one-game lead and the tiebreaker over the No. 4-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Playoff picture. But again, a loss on Sunday would start to really bring up the narrative of the 2023 collapse. It sounds like the Eagles will have to face Pickett as they try to avoid that narrative.

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