Eagles send clear message to Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley about chasing the No. 2 seed

The Philadelphia Eagles have already achieved their first goal of the season by clinching the NFC East division and securing a spot in the playoffs. In this context, head coach Nick Sirianni made a decision regarding Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders, making it clear that obtaining the No. 2 seed was not the priority.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, there was a concrete possibility that Sirianni would choose to rest his starters and face the Commanders with an alternative lineup. Ultimately, the coach confirmed this decision, prioritizing the health of his players over securing the No. 2 seed.

“At the end of the day, it’s not a guarantee that we can get the two seed, but I can guarantee that I can rest the starters,” he said during the Eagles’ press conference. “I just felt that was the best thing for our football team”.

“I feel really good about the guys that are going to go in there and play — obviously you can’t rest everybody — we had a good week of practice and we’re going in there to try to win the game with some guys who haven’t played a ton of snaps on offense and defense but who have contributed. I just felt that was the best thing for the football team this week and moving forward,” Sirianni concluded.

Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles. (Getty Images)

Sirianni made this decision because the risk of a loss is minimal, as the Eagles would not move from the No. 3 seed even if they fall to the Commanders. However, a Philadelphia victory combined with a Chicago Bears loss to the Detroit Lions would give the Eagles the No. 2 seed, securing an extra home game in the playoffs.

Tanner McKee ready to take the field

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This will be a significant opportunity for reserve players like quarterback Tanner McKee, who will replace Hurts and typically does not see much playing time during the regular season.

This will mark McKee’s second start of the season. In his limited action so far, he has been efficient, completing 65.9% of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

“Obviously, there’s excitement when you haven’t gotten meaningful snaps in a while, so I am excited,” McKee said during a press conference. “Coach was saying it before when we were talking about ball security, he’s like, ‘Oh, some of us haven’t gotten hit in a while,’ and he turned right towards me. I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s actually been a while since I’ve gotten hit.’ So, yeah, I’m excited to go out and play the game. It’s fun getting in a rhythm and playing football again. This feels familiar, and it’s great. I’m excited”.