Nick Sirianni Doesn't Regret Resting Eagles Starters Amid NFL Playoff Bracket Race

Thanks to the Chicago Bears' loss to the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles would have clinched the NFC's No. 2 seed with a win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

However, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni decided before the contest he would rest his starters, and he didn't regret it in the aftermath.

"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 told reporters. "I knew this was an outcome, that these things could happen. Like I said to you guys, 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. Again, I know there'll be debate on that, but I have to do what I think's best for the football team moving forward, and that's what I did."

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Being healthy is certainly important, and Sirianni's decision to rest his starters means they should be fresh for the upcoming Wild Card Round matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

But Philadelphia missed a chance to host the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers, who will be without star pass-rusher Micah Parsons because of injury. They are also entering the postseason on a four-game losing streak, and quarterback Jordan Love hasn't played since Dec. 20.

Should the Bears beat the Packers and the Eagles beat the 49ers in the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round matchup between the two teams will take place in Chicago. The Bears already beat the Eagles once this season, and playing in front of their home fans for a playoff rematch would give them quite an advantage.

Yet Philadelphia still had a chance to win even without its starters.

It led a Commanders team down to its own third-string quarterback in Josh Johnson by seven in the fourth quarter before Washington scored two touchdowns to win it in the final 10 minutes. It was a sequence that proved costly for the Eagles and perhaps one they will look back on come playoff time if they lose on the road in the Divisional Round.

Fans might also be left looking back on Sirianni's decision as well.