The Eagles open the 2026 season with an NFC East matchup against the Commanders, and division games always bring a little extra edge. Washington has its headline names, but there are a few less obvious players who could still make life difficult for Philadelphia in Week 1.
Nick Cross is one of them.
Washington signed the safety to a two-year, $13 million deal in free agency, and he didn’t exactly arrive with a locked-in starting job. He earned that role over the summer, and The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala reported that Cross has added speed and physicality to a defense that needed both.
What makes him tricky for the Eagles is how many places he can show up. He can work at slot corner, strong safety and free safety, and he logged 150-plus snaps at each spot last season with the Colts.
For Jalen Hurts, that means a defender who can move around the formation and force the offense to identify him before the snap.
Cross has also shown a knack for making plays. In his career, the Maryland product has four interceptions and two forced fumbles, and he’s been solid against tight ends too. If he’s flying around Sunday the way Washington believes he can, he could be a real nuisance.
Rachaad White is another name Philadelphia has to account for.
The Commanders’ backfield is expected to run through Jacory Croskey-Merritt and White, with Croskey-Merritt likely handling the RB1 duties. Still, White should be on the field plenty because Washington brought him in for one specific trait: his receiving ability. He looks like the primary third-down back, and by all accounts he has been one of the most impressive running backs on the roster this summer.
His track record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backs that up. In 67 games there, White posted 2,656 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
As a receiver, he added 205 catches for 1,450 yards and 11 scores. That kind of dual-threat profile makes him a natural outlet for an offense, and if the Eagles’ front seven loses focus for even a moment, White can punish them.
Then there’s Chig Okonkwo, who could be a bigger part of Washington’s passing game than people outside the building expect.
The Commanders brought in the tight end this offseason, and even with Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs leading the receiver group, Okonkwo has flashed enough this summer to matter. Before Diggs arrived, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler described Okonkwo as the "de facto WR2" behind McLaurin. Diggs will take some of those opportunities now, but Okonkwo still looks like a player this offense plans to lean on.
He brings speed, size and a real threat in the seams and middle of the field. Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps are likely to see plenty of him in this matchup, and if they can’t keep him under control, Jayden Daniels could start finding a steady rhythm with his tight end. Okonkwo is coming off career highs with the Tennessee Titans in catches, at 56, and receiving yards, at 560, and the source of that production - rookie Cam Ward - suggests there may be more in him if the quarterback play improves.
Tight ends can quietly swing a game plan, and Okonkwo has the kind of profile that could do exactly that if the Eagles let him get loose.
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Jalen Carter is one of the names drawing the loudest reaction, with the projection placing him among the leagues elite if his ascent continues. Riq Woolen also comes up as a player to watch for turnovers, and the broader outlook is just as ambitious, with the team expected to stay near the top of the NFC East conversation again. [Read more 🡒]