The Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot, and while the No. 2 and No. 3 seed is still up for grabs, it looks like head coach Nick Sirianni will opt to give his players a manufactured bye week. Jeff McLane reported that the team is expected to rest Jalen Hurts and other starters against the Washington Commanders in Week 18.
Sirianni was non-committal about his decision to rest starters earlier in the week, but shared the many benefits of having a bye week heading into the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see who exactly sits, though, because DeVonta Smith is less than 50 yards away from breaking 1,000 receiving yards this season, and that would be nice milestone for the wideout — however, Sirianni held Saquon Barkley from the rushing record last year and they won a Super Bowl, so he might not be willing to risk it.
The team also has a really solid second-team roster, so they likely have a lot of confidence in Tanner McKee still getting the win and helping their chances at the two seed. Ultimately, the Eagles are already guaranteed one home playoff game, and keeping guys healthy for a postseason run is the priority.
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