The NFC East just got turned on its head.
For most of the first five weeks of the 2026-27 NFL season, Dallas and Philadelphia had been locked in a tight race at the top of the division. Then Saturday afternoon brought the kind of injury news that can reshape a whole market in one shot.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles are placing Jalen Hurts on injured reserve after a "superficial blood clot." The move was not the team’s original plan, but after additional conversations with doctors, Philadelphia changed course. Hurts is now out indefinitely.
The betting board responded immediately. After the Cowboys’ embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday, Dallas had been sitting at +180 to win the NFC East at DraftKings Sportsbook. Now the Cowboys are the favorite at even money (+100).
Philadelphia’s slide has been just as dramatic. The Eagles were listed at +170 before the Hurts news, but their odds have now dropped to +385. That puts them third in the division race behind Dallas and the New York Giants, who are currently at +270.
There’s also a wrinkle that makes this even more interesting for the Cowboys. Philadelphia signed backup quarterback Joe Milton III off Dallas’ practice squad, and because he was poached from another team’s practice squad, he has to remain on the Eagles’ 53-man roster for at least two weeks.
That opens the door to a possible Monday Night Football matchup in Week 7 where Dallas could be facing a Joe Milton-led Eagles team in primetime. It’s a strange twist, and one that came together fast.
For now, the main concern is Hurts’ health. He has no timetable for a return, and because he was moved to injured reserve, he will miss at least four weeks. Whether he plays again this season is still up in the air.
In Other News...
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The ritual traces back to Frankie Luvu, who brought the idea with him after arriving from Carolina, and it has clearly left an impression inside Washingtons defense. Still, the practice comes with an obvious wrinkle: a neuropsychologist pointed out that while routines can help athletes prepare, alcohol can affect reaction time and hits everyone differently, which makes the whole thing more curious than simple locker-room lore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Defense Has A Four-Quarter Problem Jones Must Solve
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Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones believes the answer is less about a wholesale overhaul and more about getting back to basics. His message centers on sound fundamentals, calmer play and trusting the process after halftime, which is exactly the kind of reset the Commanders need after watching leads and control fade against teams like the Giants and Colts. For a defense built to carry more weight, the challenge now is turning those first-half flashes into something sustainable. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders OC Zeroes In On One Costly Problem After Fast Start
Jayden Daniels looked like himself again in his return from injury, giving the Commanders the kind of dual-threat spark that had been missing while he was sidelined. Offensive coordinator David Blough pointed to the quarterbacks performance as a bright spot, noting how Daniels moved the offense with both his arm and his legs in a game that offered a cleaner glimpse of what Washington can be when the operation is working.
Still, Blough made clear there was plenty to clean up, and the focus landed quickly on the pre-snap mistakes that stalled what should have been a promising second-quarter scoring chance. For a team trying to build on a fast start, those kinds of penalties can turn a good possession into a wasted one, and the Commanders now have a familiar discipline issue sitting right in the middle of an offense that otherwise looked ready to hit another gear. [Read more 🡒]