Rest or Play: Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles Make Decision on Week 18 Matchup
The Philadelphia Eagles have a tough decision to make in Week 18. On one hand, they could rest many starters to have them fresh for the postseason. On the other hand, the team still has playoff seeding to play for. A win combined with a Chicago Bears loss against the Detroit Lions would give the Eagles the NFC’s two seed. Nick Sirianni has made a decision, though, showing what the team prioritizes.
Prioritizing Rest
The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to rest “most starters” in their Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
#Eagles are expected to rest QB Jalen Hurts and most starters in the season finale vs. the Commanders, sources told The Inquirer.
Shouldn’t come as a surprise based on HC Nick Sirianni’s comments when asked about the benefit of having a “bye” week heading into the playoffs.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 31, 2025
Given previous seasons and how the Eagles approached the end of the season, this should come as no surprise. Sirianni had this to say earlier in the week when asked about prioritizing rest vs seeding:
“If I look back, and how beneficial some of the byes that we’ve had have been, that’s part of the reason why you think through it. It’s a marathon of a season…You give your guys some rest, you get some time to think through some different things, even though you’re preparing for an opponent as you go. Both times that I’ve been here, that we’ve been to the Super Bowl, we’ve had that opportunity for a bye, and that’s ’22 and obviously ’24. In ’21, we created ourselves a bye as well. You have the opportunity to do that.”
Should starters play?
