The Eagles’ season took a jolt this week when Jalen Hurts was sidelined by a “ superficial blood clot,” but Philadelphia is not staring at a total collapse. Not with the roster it has, not with the division it plays in, and not with a stretch of games ahead that still gives this team a path to steady itself.
Hurts is out “ indefinitely,” according to an Ian Rapoport report on ESPN, and there’s a real chance he misses multiple weeks as the Eagles take the cautious route with their Super Bowl 59 MVP franchise quarterback. That obviously changes the shape of the offense. It does not, however, erase the fact that this is still a deep, talented team under Nick Sirianni.
The next move at quarterback starts with the options already in-house. Philadelphia has been high on Tanner McKee for a while, viewing him as a smart, strong-armed backup with some upside.
He’s been in the building since the Eagles drafted him in the sixth round in 2023, and he has started one game in each of the past two seasons, so this would not be an unfamiliar stage for him. McKee isn’t Hurts as a runner, but he can run an offense.
If McKee doesn’t hold up, Cole Payton is there as another possibility. The rookie first-round pick out of North Dakota State - Carson Wentz’s alma mater - brings real rushing ability and flashed during the preseason. With McKee unsigned for 2027, Payton could also use this stretch to push himself toward becoming Hurts’ top backup.
There’s also the broader picture in the NFC East, and it gives Philadelphia some breathing room. The Eagles sit at 2-3, just 1.5 games behind the 3-1-1 Giants, though New York is dealing with its own issue after losing Jaxson Dart for the season.
Dallas is also 2-3, and its defense has been a major problem. Washington is last at 1-3-3 and still trying to find traction under Dan Quinn.
That makes the immediate goal pretty simple: stay in the race and get to the playoffs. A wild-card climb in the NFC won’t be easy with the NFC West and NFC North packed with quality teams, which leaves Philadelphia’s best route right there in front of it - win the division. The Eagles can still make a very real run at a fourth NFC East title in five seasons.
The defense is part of why that remains true. Vic Fangio’s group helped keep the Eagles in position against both the Rams and Jaguars over the last two weeks even while the offense struggled. Philadelphia has already shown it can bounce back after getting punched around by the Bears in Chicago in Week 3, and now the defense may have to carry even more weight.
Against the Panthers in Week 6, the focus will be on slowing the run, tightening things up in coverage, and finding enough pressure to make life harder on the other side. Fangio may have to get creative to juice the pass rush, but the unit has enough pieces at every level to matter. Takeaways will loom larger too, especially with Hurts out.
There is at least some offensive help on the way. Dallas Goedert returned last week, and the Eagles are hopeful Saquon Barkley can do the same after missing time with a hamstring issue.
That expectation matters even more now that Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are dealing with worse injuries. Philadelphia is also hopeful Barkley can be supported by former Texans workhorse Dameon Pierce.
At receiver, DeVonta Smith’s hamstring and toe issues could keep him out a little longer. If that happens, the Eagles will need to lean again on more 12 personnel with Goedert and either Johnny Mundt or Zach Ertz. Rookie Eli Stowers is also nearing a return, and Darius Cooper has helped offset Smith’s absence by emerging as a big-play threat opposite Dontayvion Wicks.
Up front, the transition is tougher. Cam Jurgens was traded, Lane Johnson retired, and that’s a lot to absorb. Still, there’s a little good news there too: Landon Dickerson has a chance to play in Week 6, and rookie Markel Bell is settling into the right tackle spot.
The schedule gives Philadelphia a real opening to bridge the gap until Hurts comes back. After the Panthers, the Eagles get the Cowboys in Week 7, the Commanders in Week 8, and the Giants in Week 9.
Three of those four games are at home, and three are division matchups. Philadelphia already beat Washington in Week 1, and it wouldn’t be a shock if the Eagles were sitting at 4-0 in NFC East play before Week 10.
That kind of run would fit the timeline the Eagles seem to have in front of them. A month-plus absence would make sense as a worst-case window for Hurts, and the bye in Week 10 gives the team a natural reset point. If they can hang on until then, they should be in much better shape for the back half of the season, where the toughest games are waiting - Seattle in Week 15 and San Francisco in Week 17.
For a team already dealing with injuries all over the roster, 2026 still gives the Eagles a way through it. The blow to Hurts is serious. It just doesn’t have to be season-ending for Philadelphia’s playoff hopes.
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