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With the Philadelphia Eagles having clinched the NFC East crown heading into their Week 18 clash against the Washington Commanders, head coach Nick Sirianni and company decided that it’d be best if they give the likes of quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receiver AJ Brown, and defensive tackle Jalen Carter, among other key guys, the night off.
As a result of fielding a depleted lineup, the Eagles ended up taking a 24-17 loss to the Commanders, finishing the season with an 11-6 record, and, in turn, losing out to the Chicago Bears for the second seed in the NFC playoff picture. Nevertheless, Sirianni said that he doesn’t regret making this decision at all.
“No [regrets]. Again, you go through your process, you make what you think is the best decision for the football team, and that’s what we did,” Sirianni said, via 97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter). “One thing I could guarantee was giving them rest. I couldn’t guarantee anything else. Us being healthy and going into the playoffs healthy is a big deal for us and that’s served us well in the past.”
Nick Sirianni says he doesn’t regret resting the starters.
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) January 5, 2026
With the Eagles being the third seed as a result of their loss to the Commanders, they will be facing the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The 49ers, despite being the lower-seeded team, have a better record than the Eagles. Instead of facing the 9-7-1 Green Bay Packers, the Eagles are going to be facing tougher opposition in the 49ers.
However, earning the second seed would have been a bigger deal had the NFL given the top two seeds per conference first-round byes. But now that seven teams per conference make it to the postseason, only the one-seed gets a first-round bye. The reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles know what they’re doing; only time will tell if it pays off or not.
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