Hurts, 'Most' Eagles Starters Reportedly Will Sit vs. Commanders Ahead of NFL Playoffs

While the Philadelphia Eagles can still get the No. 2 seed in the NFC, they reportedly plan on sidelining quarterback Jalen Hurts and others when they take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that Philadelphia is expected to rest "Hurts and most starters" for the contest.

While only seeding is on the line for the Eagles in Week 18, there are multiple advantages to being the No. 2 seed instead of the No. 3.

For one, they would have home-field advantage in a hypothetical Divisional Round game against the Chicago Bears. But the No. 2 seed would also mean a matchup with the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers, who Philadelphia beat this season, last season and last playoffs.

The No. 3 seed will face an NFC West opponent that could offer more of a challenge than a Green Bay team that Hurts and Co. have handled of late.

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In order to move from the No. 3 to 2 seed, the Eagles will have to defeat the Commanders and get a victory from the Detroit Lions over the Bears. While Philadelphia's decision to rest the starters makes that outcome less likely, Chicago already lost to Detroit in its first matchup with its NFC North rival this season.

The seeding is important, but so is having the team's best players fresh and ready to go come playoff time.

And head coach Nick Sirianni pointed that out earlier this week.

"If I look back at how beneficial some of the byes that we've had have been, that's part of the reason you think through it," Sirianni told reporters. "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. And both times that I've been here and we've been to the Super Bowl, we've had that opportunity for a bye."

It seems like he is creating a "bye" for the starters with this reported decision.