The New England Patriots have Drake Maye as their franchise quarterback. The Philadelphia Eagles have Jalen Hurts. Both quarterbacks have guided their teams to Super Bowl trips. Now that the teams face off in the 2026 NFL Preseason Week 2, will both signal-callers play?
Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, it is very unlikely that Drake Maye plays vs Eagles. After all, Maye received heavy work during joint practices. Hence, the coaching staff might be content with the evaluation of him during those periods.
Backup Tommy DeVito is again expected to start under center. In last week’s preseason opener against the Colts, DeVito completed 13 of 22 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles will be yet another test against him.
Is Jalen Hurts playing for Eagles vs Patriots?
Nick Sirianni also indicated that his starters will rest, so Jalen Hurts is not likely to play vs. Patriots. Hurts didn’t have the best of practices and questions around him might be growing, but he is still the certified QB1 on the team.
Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton are likely to carry the major workload for the Eagles under center against the Patriots. As always, this is more a “go out and stay healthy” kind of game for NFL teams.
Maye and Hurts have different points to prove in 2026
Maye was the MVP runner-up last season and went to the Super Bowl, albeit on a losing effort. However, his season was criticized because of the easy schedule he faced. Now, he has to prove he can deliver in a consistent basis with a tougher schedule.
As for Hurts, the Eagles offense is entering a new regime with Sean Mannion as the offensive coordinator, and they lost AJ Brown, upgraded DeVonta Smith to WR1 and drafted Makai Lemon. Hurts needs to prove he can be a leader and produce.
