Will Eagles play starters vs. Commanders in Week 18?

The Washington Commanders got some good news ahead of facing their divisional rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, in their 2025 season finale.

Philadelphia is expected to rest quarterback Jalen Hurts, along with a handful of starters. The Inquirer's Jeff McLane first reported the news.

Hurts, who has thrown for 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions and ran for 105 yards and eight touchdowns, was a driving catalyst in Washington's 29-18 Week 16 loss to Philadelphia.

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He completed 22 of 30 attempts for 185 yards and threw two touchdowns while notching one of his highest passer ratings of the season (111.1). He rushed for 40 yards on seven carries and broke free for a 16-yard scamper, forcing Washington to respect his scramble ability out of the pocket.

Quarterbacks Tanner McKee and Sam Howell are Hurts' backups, and McKee would be the likely starter on Sunday. The 25-year-old quarterback has played in just three games this season, and all 33 of his passing yards came against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

However, the best game of his career came in the 2024 season when he led the Eagles to a 20-13 win over the New York Giants in Week 18. He completed 27 of 41 attempts for a career-high 269 yards and tied a career-high two touchdowns. In Week 17 of 2024, completed just three passes - two of them for touchdowns - in a 41-7 blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Stanford graduate has proved he can compete at a high level when given a chance, regardless of whether he is playing against second-string defenders at the end of the season.

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Howell spent his college years at North Carolina, before being drafted by the Commanders in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with Washington, and was the starter in 2023 where he the for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns, while doing his best Jameis Winston impression - throwing 21 interceptions.

Because Washington drafted Jayden Daniels in 2024, Howell took his talents to the Seattle Seahawks, where he completed just five passes in three games.

While McKee will likely be the starter, Howell will be the backup and have the opportunity to see the field against the team that began his professional career.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Eagles to rest some starters in Week 18