Nick Sirianni Declines To Confirm Report That Eagles Will Rest Starters In Week 18

Nick Sirianni refused to admit whether his starters will or will not play in Week 18 against the Commanders on Sunday. The Eagles coach said he had not yet met with his players to give them his decision, and that a players' meeting was scheduled after his Wednesday morning news conference with reporters.

“I’ll always talk to our players, discuss it with them before I discuss it,” he said. “Nearing in more on a decision, but I want to discuss it with those guys before I say anything else.”

It was reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer just before Sirianni met with the media that a decision was already made and the Eagles will rest several starts on Sunday, including quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Perhaps players will talk about it when the locker room opens later in the day. Hurts is scheduled to meet with reporters as well.

Tanner McKee Would Start If Jalen Hurts Rests

The Eagles can still earn the No. 2 seed, which would guarantee them a second home game should they win on Wild Card weekend. To get there, they would need a win and for the Bears to lose at home to the Detroit Lions, who have nothing but pride left to play for after being eliminated from the playoffs two weeks ago.

Hurts’ backup, Tanner McKee, would get the start, his first since last year’s regular-season finale. He beat the New York Giants, 20-13, that day, completing 27-of-41 passes for 269 yards, and two touchdowns to finish with a passer rating of 100.6.

“When you see Tanner, he’s really good about knowing where to go with the football and seeing the defense, being able to deliver things accurately, it’s a great room, where those guys feed off each other and learn from each other,” said Sirianni. “Being able to learn from Jalen, which is a huge deal. Anytime you’re around a really good quarterback, your game goes up, too, and he’s able to sit in that meeting room with Jalen for hours upon hours a day, just learning from him. That’s a big deal. And (quarterback coach Scot Loeffler) has done a nice job coaching him and continuing to help him develop.”

If Hurts rests, he will finish the season with a career-high 25 touchdown passes and a total of 33 touchdowns.

There’s a chance the Eagles could use some starters on Sunday for short periods of time, especially those who have contract bonuses or milestones within reach.

Saquon Barkley, for example, needs 87 all-purpose yards to reach 1,500, which would trigger a bonus of $250,000. Last year, however, the Eagles sat him out even though he was within reach of the NFL’s all-time, single-season rushing record.

DeVonta Smith needs 44 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the third time in his career. As a rookie in 2021, he needed 32 yards to break DeSean Jackson’s rookie record of 912 receiving yards set in 2008, so the Eagles played Smith until he got what he needed. He played 14 snaps, caught four passes for 35 yards, and took a seat.

“Every situation is a little bit different,” said Sirianni. “We’ve had a couple different type situations. …there’s no book that says, or in my notes, that says do this. Every situation is a little bit different, every position is a little bit different, and you try to make the best decision for the team always, and you always want these guys to get their individual awards and accolades as well.”

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