The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, an event planned by Tom Brady and Fanatics, was originally planned to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 21. Amid the widening war in the Middle East, the games will likely move to the United States due to recent airstrikes and regional travel restrictions, according to Front Office Sports.
The event, which will be hosted by Philadelphia native Kevin Hart, is expected to feature a lineup of NFL stars, including Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Other players scheduled to compete include Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, and former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Ahead of the game’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic will follow Olympic style rules, with players competing in five-on-five on a 50-yard field (plus two 10-yard end zones) for two 20-minute halves. Players will be divided into three teams that will play in a round-robin tournament with Pete Carroll, Sean Payton, and Kyle Shanahan slated to be the coaches.
Although a new location has yet to be announced, the event is still expected to be broadcast on Fox Sports and Tubi, with a much more friendly air time for the American audience, as FOS points out.
INDIANAPOLIS — A.J. Brown and his future in Philadelphia may be dominating the offseason news cycle, but don’t forget about the other star Eagles receiver under contract in 2026.
Come training camp, all eyes will be on DeVonta Smith and his role in the new-look Eagles offense under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, regardless of whether Brown is back on the team. Despite a relatively down year for the offense as a whole, Smith continued to impress last season, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his career.
Five seasons into his tenure with the Eagles, does Smith have the potential to take it up another notch in a Mannion-led, Shanahan/McVay-style offense in 2026? Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at his annual news conference at the NFL scouting combine that Smith has not yet reached his ceiling.
“Oh, no,” Sirianni said. “No, I think he continually gets better. I think you saw him have a great year this year. And even when a guy appears not to have as good a year, you’re always looking at it like, ‘Is his arrow on the rise? Is his arrow on the fall?’ And even if a guy doesn’t have his best year, he still can be on the rise. Well, I think we saw DeVonta have a great year, and I think you just continue to see him play better and better.
“And I think that’s a tribute to who he is. Guys that are tough, that love football, that are smart football players and they’re talented, have a tendency to reach their ceiling, God willing. And I think that’s what you’re seeing. You’re seeing him continue to get better. You’re seeing him continue to do these things and make plays only that he can make on the football field. And so I just think you continue to see him on the rise and excited about what he’ll look like in this new offense that we’ll have.”
Could that role expand in 2026? Smith led the Eagles in receiving yards in 2025, accumulating 5 more than Brown. But he was targeted 113 times, eight fewer times than Brown. Smith had 77 receptions in 2025, the third-lowest total of his career.
“Getting DeVonta Smith the ball and getting him targets is always going to be important, as long as he’s an Eagle, to the success of our football team,” Sirianni said. “And so it’s just the way the season goes, the way the flow of a game goes. It’s important that he’s seeing targets every game, because he does good things when he gets those things. So I don’t ever want to say, ‘Hey, this is the number. He needs to have this many targets’. He needs to be able to affect the game each game and that number can change each game, each year based off of that.”
Saquon Barkley struggled at times to find running lanes in 2025. Will changes to O-line techniques yield better results?
Barkley on the rebound?
As Sirianni expressed on Friday, the running game is poised to make a significant shift in philosophy under Mannion. The Shanahan/McVay offense typically features a wide-zone blocking scheme that requires a different technique from the offensive linemen than the scheme they had grown accustomed to under Jeff Stoutland.
Time will tell how the new scheme impacts Barkley’s output on the ground. The running back, now 29, posted historic numbers in 2024 (2,005 rushing yards), only to take a step back last season. Barkley wasn’t his prolific self in Year 2 with the Eagles, although he still eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career (1,140).
While Barkley won’t take the field with the offense until the spring, Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the All-Pro running back and his ability to adapt to the new system.
“My experience with great football players is, you come in and you’re like, ‘Hey, Saquon, we’re going to run inside zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run gap schemes.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run wide zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run the option.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to split you out wide.’ He’s just a great football player. And so guys that are great football players can fit into a lot of different offenses.
“And Saquon, regardless of the scheme, I think you saw that in some of the things that we’ve done, he’s been highly productive in many of the schemes, whether it’s gap schemes, whether it’s inside zones, whether it’s pin-and-pulls, whether it’s toss-cracks, every one of these things, I’m picturing him breaking a big run off on that. And so that’s a common theme with good football players. They can fit into a lot of different schemes. So I believe he’ll be exceptional at that.”
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott celebrates an extra point during the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Eagles' season ended sooner than expected with a loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round. Now the Birds will try to assemble a roster that can help them get back to their Super Bowl standard. Beat writer Jeff McLane makes his picks on what personnel decisions he sees the team making this offseason.
Make your pick for each player by swiping the cards below — right for Stay or left for Go. Yes, just like Tinder. Finding it hard to decide? We'll also show you how other Inquirer readers have voted so far and what we think the team will do.
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Quarterbacks
The biggest question here (for a second straight year) is whether Tanner McKee will stick around as the backup.
#1
Jalen
Hurts
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
223lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
We've seen what he can accomplish with a good coordinator. But he needs help in the drop-back game if he's going to elevate.
#14
Sam
Howell
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
220lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
Tanner McKee's broken hand in camp forced the Eagles to trade for him before the season. He's a free agent and should get a backup opportunity elsewhere.
#19
Kyle
McCord
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
218lb.
Age
23
Inky Says Go
He had a rough first camp, but a full season to watch and learn may help. His return may depend on the new coordinator and scheme.
#16
Tanner
McKee
Crowd says
Height
6'6"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Stay
It's not fair to base an evaluation solely on the finale. But it's unlikely the Eagles will receive attractive enough offers to trade.
A.J. Brown’s long-term future with the Eagles might be the biggest question of the 2026 offseason.
#80
Darius
Cooper
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
210lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The undrafted rookie was used mostly as a run blocker, but he has some receiving upside. He'll be back.
#11
A.J.
Brown
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
226lb.
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
His future is the question of the offseason. By his standards, he didn't have a good season and may have lost a half-step. He still projects as one of the best. There's also a significant cap charge.
#18
Britain
Covey
Crowd says
Height
5'8"
Weight
173lb.
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
It took too long, but when he was promoted to the active roster the return game was given a boost.
#2
Jahan
Dotson
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
184lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It must have been tough running all those for-the-love-of-the-game routes. He was just too slight to make an impact as the third receiver.
#6
DeVonta
Smith
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
170lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
He was maybe the one guy on offense who met expectations. If A.J. Brown leaves, he should be the bona fide No. 1.
#85
Terrace
Marshall
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
200lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
The Eagles need more young receivers with upside. He doesn't satisfy that need.
#86
Quez
Watkins
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
193lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
After a few post-Eagles years in the NFL wilderness, he returned to the practice squad.
#89
Johnny
Wilson
Crowd says
Height
6'6"
Weight
228lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The Eagles lost their best blocking receiver in training camp. He should return in that role.
Some big names could be moving on here, as Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips appear set to test the market.
#53
Zack
Baun
Pro Bowl
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
225lb.
Age
29
Inky Says Stay
He proved that 2024 wasn't a fluke and his contract guarantees he's here through 2027.
#30
Jihaad
Campbell
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
235lb.
Age
21
Inky Says Stay
He handled his demotion with grace, but the former first-rounder needs to be in the lineup next season. Can he be a hybrid?
#59
Chance
Campbell
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
232lb.
Age
26
Inky Says Stay
He provided good looks on the scout team and should probably get a look-see in training camp. Making the 53-man roster is another thing.
#17
Nakobe
Dean
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
A few years ago, it would have been a no-brainer to retain him. But the Eagles have Campbell in the wings and their most depth at off-ball linebacker in years.
#58
Jalyx
Hunt
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
252lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
Eagles' scouting deserves accolades for plucking this former safety out of anonymity. He did it all in his second season. The future is bright.
#48
Patrick
Johnson
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
248lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
Practice squad Patrick has been a loyal soldier for five on-and-off years. He wasn't getting call-ups late in the season.
#42
Smael
Mondon Jr.
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
224lb.
Age
22
Inky Says Stay
He'll be a depth piece who can play special teams for years, if need be.
#13
Azeez
Ojulari
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
240lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It's hard to see him wanting to be back when it was clear the Eagles slow-played his return from a hamstring injury.
#50
Jaelan
Phillips
Crowd says
Height
6'5"
Weight
266lb.
Age
26
Inky Says Go
He started strong and then leveled out. Vic Fangio likes him, but is he worth the squeeze when others will pay?
#3
Nolan
Smith Jr.
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
238lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The triceps injury lingered into the season. He plays with great effort, but size and durability remain concerns.
#54
Jeremiah
Trotter Jr.
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
225lb.
Age
23
Inky Says Stay
He could probably start at middle linebacker for a number of teams, but will likely have to watch for another season.
#0
Joshua
Uche
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
226lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
The trade for Jaelan Phillips and Brandon Graham's unretirement marginalized him. He'll likely want to explore other options.
#43
Ben
VanSumeren
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It will be tough to return from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries, but I wouldn't count him out.
HBO released its final episode of Hard Knocks covering the NFC East on Tuesday after the Eagles’ season-ending wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The finale of the docuseries, which unlike past episodes spent the majority of its 45-minute run time focusing solely on the Eagles, covered Saquon Barkley’s new favorite motivational movie, Nick Sirianni’s home life, and what the team talked about after the loss. (Don’t worry, we tried to keep the parts about the actual game to a minimum.)
Here’s what you may have missed from the final episode of Hard Knocks: In Season With the NFC East …
Not quite my tempo
Most people likely know that actor Miles Teller is also a huge Eagles fan. But did you know that one member of the Eagles is a huge fan of his?
Saquon Barkley was caught speaking to backup quarterback Tanner McKee, detailing how he was motivated by Teller’s hit film Whiplash ahead of the Eagles’ first practice leading up to the team’s wild-card game.
“I feel good,” Barkley said. “And I watched this movie called Whiplash. That [expletive] had me doing sit-ups and push-ups in my house. I went outside, and I was running hills. Like, I got to chill out, bro.”
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley found inspiration in a Miles Teller movie.
The 2014 film won a trio of Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for J.K. Simmons, who plays an uncompromising professor at the prestigious music academy Teller’s character attends. It stresses the need to push back against mediocrity in pursuit of greatness, a theme that Barkley applied to the Birds offense as a whole.
“I do feel like there’s potential that we haven’t tapped into, especially on the offensive side of the ball,” Barkley said, with a Whiplash-style drumbeat playing in the background. “I am excited about that. That we still get to go out there and put in a complete game. I believe that with the men and people we have in this facility, it’s time, and we are going to get it going.”
The extra motivation led the reigning offensive player of the year to his fourth 100-yard game of the season with Barkley rushing for 106 yards, 35 above his average.
‘Effort is free’
Speaking of tempo, Hard Knocks revealed a moment during practice in which Jalen Hurts implored his offensive teammates to get to the huddle quicker so they have more time at the line to assess the defense and change the play if need be.
During the final episode of Hard Knocks, Jalen Hurts talked to his teammates about how to speed up the often criticized operation:
“Get back to the huddle. Focus on getting back to the huddle, that helps the operation.” pic.twitter.com/JllsWhwbRs
Barkley and Hurts also spoke of their different approaches to practice, with the running back keeping things light while the quarterback is all business. Barkley called it “a beautiful mix.”
“It’s not anything new in terms of the habits I’ve built,” Hurts said of his stoic demeanor. “It’s just a matter of doing those things consistently. That’s how I’ve always known to get myself ready to go out there and play.”
Hurts, the son of a football coach, explained why he prepares and carries himself the way he does, saying one of his father’s lines that stuck with him is “Effort is free.”
“Effort is something that you can control,” Hurts said. “And so, as a quarterback, what’s my effort in the way I execute? What’s my effort in the way I lead? What’s my effort in the example that I set? And trying to put yourself in positions to get ready for whatever the moment may demand. And so, you like to take your mind to a place where you can see it or visualize it, and then you can go out there and react with an intense and competitive mindset, and find a way to win.”
As tensions rose inside the Eagles organization, with a playoff game looming and many calling for the job of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was removed from his position Tuesday, Hard Knocks did a great job of reminding viewers that coaches are people, too.
Halfway through the episode, Sirianni, who has also come under fire from Eagles fans, is featured alongside his wife, Brett, and their three children, Jacob, 10, Taylor, 8, and Miles, 5. The Eagles head coach seems to be training his children to be wide receivers, following in their father’s footsteps. Sirianni was a receiver himself in college at Division III Mount Union, as the series highlighted in an earlier episode.
“All right, now we do this last game,” Sirianni says. “I throw as hard as I can, and then you throw as hard as you can, whoever drops first.”
His youngest, Miles, is wearing the jersey of A.J. Brown, who got in a sideline spat with the Eagles coach on Sunday.
With Sirianni and his wife sitting on the couch, the coach has his children running routes and directs Taylor into open space, where she catches the pass over her two brothers.
“Are you as competitive at home as you are at the facility?” one of the filmmakers asks off camera as Sirianni smirks.
“Yeah, he is,” Brett says with a laugh and little hesitation. “With everything possible.”
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham leaves the field after the playoff loss to San Francisco.
Letting down BG
Brandon Graham may be an Eagles legend, but he is for sure not a fortuneteller.
The 15-year vet who came out of retirement to rejoin the Birds was mic’d up during practice, exuding his trademark enthusiasm while optimistically predicting the outcome of the playoff game.
“I ain’t going to lie, I’m hype for the offense,” Graham said. “Things just about to keep building, we’ve just got to stay locked in and have fun out there and run to the ball. I ain’t going to lie, that clip when they was running to that sidelines right there, I said, boy, we fly like that, we’re going to be smothering.”
Graham doubled and tripled down on this prediction, going as far as saying that he’d come back after winning the Super Bowl in 2026 just so he could win it in 2027.
“Man, let’s go get us another one, man,” Graham said to defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. “Why not? I mean, I’m coming right back. I say 3-for-3, come on, let’s go! Let’s just get this one, but I’m with you, though.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and linebacker Zack Baun in happier times: a Sept. 28 win against the Buccaneers.
The Bald Eagle
All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun got a special highlight leading into the Eagles’ final game of the season, starting in practice when some friendly razzing was caught on tape.
“Hey Zack, let me see your head,” rookie Jihaad Campbell asked during practice.
“Nah,” Baun said. “I haven’t shaved in a couple of days, man.”
“The thing about being a bald guy is you either are ashamed of it or you own it, and that’s just your personality,” Baun said. “So I’m a bald guy. What can I say?”
Baun is also seen at home with his wife, Ali, and son, Elian, flipping through a scrapbook Ali made to celebrate his “storybook” 2024, a year in which he went from a special-teams player to an All-Pro and Super Bowl champion.
Baun also spoke on his fan-given nickname, the Bald Eagle, saying that he and his wife approve of the name. But the real star of this segment? Baun’s son, who was shown on the field adorably celebrating the Eagles’ NFC championship game victory last year.
Hard Knocks offered some insight into the Eagles’ season-ending loss, including Baun taking blame for the 49ers trick-play touchdown — “That’s me; I lost him,” Baun admitted — and Sirianni exerting himself in the offensive play-calling.
“Hey, what about [deep] shots, Kevin?” Sirianni asked Patullo before a third-and-9 shot to Brown, who dropped the ball.
But the moment that got the most attention from fans came after Sirianni’s final meeting with his players.
“We didn’t end the way we wanted to end,” Sirianni told his team. “I know that’s tough. I can feel it in the room, you can feel it. We all feel the same feeling. Use that adversity, use that pain. All that is necessary for our growth. I have no doubt in my mind that we will get better from this.”
The episode then cuts to just two men remaining in the auditorium at the NovaCare Complex: coach and quarterback.
With less than a minute remaining in Sunday’s game against the 49ers, with the Eagles down 23-19 and their back-to-back Super Bowl aspirations on the line, fans crowded together in McGillin’s Olde Ale House erupted into E-A-G-L-E-S chants as a way to keep hope alive.
Unfortunately, Jalen Hurts was sacked and threw three straight incompletions to end their playoff run early. The Birds’ journey had ended, and with it, the hopes of the region.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is unable to make the catch as 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir defends during the second half Sunday.
Brandon LaSalata, 24, made the drive from Richmond, Va., to watch Sunday’s wild-card matchup surrounded by Eagles fans.
“I don’t know what happened,” LaSalata said. “We need to get rid of Kevin Patullo. I think that hopefully next year we’ll be a better playoff contender. We should have gotten through this round. I don’t know what happened. I’m very upset.”
On the other side of the pub, 27-year-old Lancaster native Dominic Polidoro sat with his head hanging low in defeat.
“I feel pretty deflated,” Polidoro said. “This team was probably the most talented team in the league. It’s really disappointing to see them fall short. We had higher hopes.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni speaks during a news conference after the loss.
Somber morning commute for Eagles fans
On Monday morning, the air in Center City was dry, stiff, and unforgiving. And so were the Eagles fans cussing out their favorite team after the season-ending loss.
“I don’t mind losing, but give me an effort. A.J. Brown has to get traded. [Nick] Sirianni has to get fired. Offensive coordinator, fired,” said 73-year-old North Philadelphian Rodney Yatt. “And then we’ll go from there.”
Sunday’s game was marred by incomplete passes, a sideline argument between Sirianni and star wide receiver Brown, and, according to fans, tough calls from referees.
Clay Marsh, 35, of Manayunk, doesn’t think a loss falls to one player.
“I don’t think it was A.J.’s fault,” Marsh said. He saw the offense as disjointed and questioned offensive coordinator Patullo’s strategy, which Marsh said was an overreliance on “running it up the middle” with Saquon Barkley.
“Even if we won, it felt like we were going to go into Chicago and probably get spanked anyway,” Marsh said. “Maybe we saved ourselves some real embarrassment.”
Patullo has been at the center of fans’ ire, not only after last night’s loss but throughout the season. That agita hit a new low when someone egged Patullo’s family home in November after a 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The latest Patullo roasting comes in the form of a Bucks County golf simulator that allows players to drive balls directly into a digital fairway featuring Patullo’s face. The Golf Place co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon shared a video of themselves relieving theirfrustrations and honing their swings.
West Philadelphian James Booker, 49, said the small mistakes in the game added up to the loss. He pointed to Brown’s dropped passes and a missed extra point by kicker Jake Elliottthat could have brought the Birds into tie-game territory later on.
Despite the hard loss, Booker doesn’t think Sirianni should be canned.
“You can’t just say you want to up and fire him, even though fans like to do that a lot — Sirianni got us to this point,” Booker said. “I only hope for a better season next year.”
The playoffs are finally here. The Eagles officially kick off their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field against the San Francisco 49ers.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of their wild-card matchup.
How to watch Eagles vs. Niners
Eagles vs. Niners will kick off on Fox at 4:30 p.m. ET. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will call the game from the booth, and Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will be on the sidelines.
If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP, and if you’re not heading to the Linc, but want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.
There will be six games played over the next three days. Here’s the full playoff schedule for the wild-card round …
NFC
(4) Rams vs. (5) Panthers | Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Fox
(7) Packers vs. (2) Bears | Saturday, 8 p.m., Prime Video
(6) Niners vs. (3) Eagles | Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Fox
Bye: (1) Seahawks
AFC
(6) Bills vs. (3) Jaguars | Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
(7) Chargers vs. (2) Patriots | Sunday, 8:15 p.m., NBC
(5) Texans vs. (4) Steelers | Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Bye: (1) Broncos
Who could the Eagles face in the divisional round?
First, the Birds need to take care of business on Sunday, but if they do, they could face one of three potential remaining NFC teams: the Los Angeles Rams, the Carolina Panthers, or the Chicago Bears. They could not, however, face the Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers.
The lowest advancing seed will play the top-seeded Seahawks in Seattle. And because the Panthers and Rams — the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively — play one another, a team with a lower seed than the Eagles is guaranteed to advance. The Packers (or Niners, if they beat the Eagles) could also be in that spot.
If the Packers beat the Bears, Green Bay would be the lowest remaining seed and would face Seattle. The Eagles would then play the winner of the Panthers-Ram game, and would get to host that team in the divisional round. However, if the Bears win, the Eagles would travel to Chicago for the divisional round, with the Panthers-Rams winner heading to Seattle.
Because the Eagles-Niners game is the final NFC wild-card matchup, the winner won’t have to wait to find out its opponent.
The Eagles could get offensive tackle Lane Johnson, left, back for Sunday’s wild-card game.
Final injury report
It sounds like the Eagles won’t know until Sunday whether or not right tackle Lane Johnson, who has been out since Week 11 with a Lisfranc (foot) injury, will make his return to the offensive line. Johnson, interior lineman Brett Toth (concussion), and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) are all listed as questionable for the Birds’ wild-card game. Ojulari was the only of the three who practiced fully on Friday. Johnson and Toth were limited all week.
On the flip side, the Eagles will be getting several banged-up players back in time for the playoffs. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (hip), linebacker Nakobe Dean (hamstring), edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (ankle), tight end Dallas Goedert (knee), and safety Marcus Epps (concussion) were all full participants in Friday’s practice and are expected to play.
Meanwhile the 49ers have quite a few injuries, including to several starters. Veteran tackle Trent Williams, linebackers Dee Winters and Luke Gifford — after the team put LB Tatum Bethune on IR earlier this week — and cornerback Renardo Green are among those listed on the injury report for Sunday’s game. The following players are all questionable:
WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring)
LB Luke Gifford (quadricep)
CB Renardo Green (ankle)
WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle)
DL Keion White (groin, hamstring)
T Trent Williams (hamstring)
LB Dee Winters (ankle)
Eagles-Niners odds
The Birds are a 5.5-point favorite at DraftKings and a 4.5-point favorite at FanDuel as of Friday afternoon. The over/under on both sites is set at 44.5.
As for the Super Bowl, the Seahawks are the betting favorite to win it all. At FanDuel, the Eagles have the fourth-best odds, at +800, behind Seattle, the Rams, and the Broncos. At DraftKings, the Eagles have the fifth-best odds, at +950, also behind the Patriots.
Kevin Patullo is in his first year as the Eagles offensive coordinator.
Storylines to watch
What is the state of the Eagles’ offense? With Johnson potentially set to make his first start since Nov. 16 against the Detroit Lions, the banged-up offensive line could get a big boost.
In the starting offense’s final game of the year in Buffalo, they played one of their best first halves and worst second halves of the year. Which version will show up at the Linc on Sunday? And what will that mean for the future of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo?
More storylines to watch:
Saquon Barkley is extra excited for this weekend’s showdown with Niners running back Christian McCaffrey, whom he calls “one of the best to ever do it.”
Jeff McLane: “There’s a push when it comes to the Eagles’ underperforming offense vs. the 49ers’ subpar defense; but I give the edge to a great Eagles defense over a very good, but not great 49ers offense.” | Eagles 23, Niners 17.
Jeff Neiburg: “It hasn’t been an encouraging season from the Eagles’ offense, to put it mildly, but the 49ers are down multiple linebackers and don’t have an abundance of talent in the secondary. If the Eagles don’t beat themselves, which you can’t rule out, they should be able to establish a running game that gets the offense back on track.” | Eagles 24, Niners 20.
Olivia Reiner: “Maybe the Eagles can finish what the Seahawks started last week and continue to punish the 49ers on the ground. Maybe Jalen Hurts and the passing attack can exploit the 49ers’ thin inside linebacker corps with passes over the middle of the field. Neither have been characteristic of the offense this season, though. Or, maybe, the defense will stifle Shanahan’s offense while Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patullo, and the Eagles offense do just enough to get by. It wouldn’t be the first time.” | Eagles 24, Niners 20.
Matt Breen: “The Niners had a great finish to the season before their dud against the Seahawks, but they just seem too banged up to hang with the Eagles.” | Eagles 24, Niners 13.
The national media is divided over this one, but there’s a definitely lean toward the home team. Here’s a look at how they are predicting Sunday’s game …
Nick Sirianni opted to rest his starters in Week 18 despite a chance to get the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
What we’re saying about the Eagles
Our columnists had plenty to say about the Eagles this week, including Mike Sielski, who believes their toughest opponent is not any team in the bracket, but themselves.
“From Eagles fans to the players themselves, there has seemed to be an ever-present blanket of expectations weighing on them. It’s as if the only thing that would make anyone happy and relieved at any moment this season would be another Super Bowl victory — a benchmark so lofty that it virtually guarantees people will be worried at best and miserable at worst unless the Eagles win every game 49-0.”
Here’s more from our columnists …
David Murphy: “The pertinent question for Kevin Patullo and the Eagles now is what the offense will look like moving forward. This is a weird time of year. Sunday’s wild-card game against the 49ers could be the start of a month of football that leaves us memory-holing our four months of angst. Or, it could be the start of the offseason, and a litany of questions that sound way closer to January 2024 than January 2025.”
Marcus Hayes: “It was Zack Baun. The best linebacker in football over the last two seasons. The man tasked Sunday with covering and tackling Christian McCaffrey, the best offensive player in football, and George Kittle, the league’s best tight end. In a city that still worships linebackers like Chuck Bednarik, Seth Joyner, and Bill Bergey, Baun somehow remains largely anonymous.”
Mike Sielski: “There’s more than one way to be an excellent head coach, even if one of those ways gets a little more attention, a little more scrutiny, a little more credit these days. The film can tell you how good a coach Kyle Shanahan is. What Nick Sirianni does well sometimes isn’t so easy to see. Come Sunday, may the best savant win.”
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is a big Vic Fangio fan.
What the Niners are saying
Kyle Shanahan is one of Vic Fangio’s biggest fans. Shanahan is such a big fan, that he’s tried to hire Fangio in San Francisco “all the times that there’s been an opportunity.”
“I mean, Vic schematically, he has always been the best to me,” Shanahan said. “As good as anyone there is. Has a very sound scheme that he doesn’t need to change up very much. It just naturally changes with how he does his coverages, how he does his fronts, the personnel groupings he does. He’s very good at getting a bead on what you’re trying to do and making you adjust.”
Sunday should be an extremely hostile environment for the Niners. Tight end George Kittle recalled a few of his craziest stories on Thursday.
“I just thoroughly enjoy it because it’s so unique every single time,” Kittle said. “I’ll never forget my rookie season, the year they won the Super Bowl, it was my first time playing in the Linc. There were like four 10-year-old kids holding a seven-foot tall papier-mâché middle finger that had a rotating thing on it that made the middle finger come up. That was the coolest thing, I’ll never forget it. That was my rookie year and I was like this is excellent.”
Kittle isn’t the only member of the 49ers offense looking forward to playing in the Linc. Kyle Juszczyk is also ready to take on Eagles fans.
“It’s more difficult [going into a hostile environment] but the payoff is better,” Juszczyk told reporters. “There’s nothing like that feeling of going into a hostile territory and getting a win. Yeah, it’s a little bit more difficult, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
“It always starts off cool and then somehow, some way we were competing,” Barkley said Thursday.
The two running backs, who are among the best at their position in this generation, and possibly any generation, later went their separate ways. But soon after, they were texting, and one thing led to another before they started playing chess against each other online. “I won, by the way,” Barkley said. During one Pro Bowl trip, Barkley and McCaffrey competed in Connect Four.
They are friends, to be clear. And Barkley admitted Thursday, three days before the Eagles and McCaffrey’s San Francisco 49ers meet in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, that there’s a little extra juice on his end for this one, even if the two have no impact on how the other performs on the field Sunday.
“Any time you go against a guy who is such a great back and future Hall of Famer, in my opinion, you definitely want to go out there and perform at a high level,” Barkley said. “It always comes down to, I can’t stop him, he can’t stop me, but I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that you want to go out there and win, especially against a guy like that.”
May the best man win?
It is not hyperbolic to say that whichever star running back performs better could send their team to the divisional round. Both will have a big impact on their team’s success.
Saquon Barkley helped power the Eagles to a win over the Bills before resting in Week 18.
Barkley’s offense is facing a banged-up 49ers defense in a game where the Eagles’ running game, which has sometimes been stuck in the mud this season, should find success. Between the two, it’s McCaffrey that has the tougher matchup. The 29-year-old led the NFL in touches (413) and was second in all-purpose yards (2,133), but the Eagles have a stout defensive front and a linebacking duo that could make life difficult for McCaffrey and 49ers tight end George Kittle.
The Eagles finally seemed to get the running game pointed in the right direction over the final month of the season, but the starting offense’s last showing was a miserable second half during the team’s 13-12 road win over Buffalo. Barkley rushed 11 times for 51 yards in the first half, then eight times for 17 yards in the second half. But Barkley, whose 16-game rushing yard production was nearly cut in half year-over-year, expressed confidence that the Eagles have been moving things in the right direction.
“We got to focus on the little things and make sure we’re all on the same page,” he said. “Usually when we do that, we’re hard to stop.”
The 49ers remain without star linebacker Fred Warner and also are down his replacement, Tatum Bethune, for the rest of the postseason. Fellow linebackers Dee Winters and Luke Gifford were held out of practice for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
“They might be beat up but they’re still a great team over there,” Barkley said. “You don’t get to the playoffs by accident. They had the opportunity to be the No. 1 seed. You don’t get to that by accident.”
Barkley pointed to San Francisco’s game against the Colts and Jonathan Taylor, who Barkley said probably was the best running back in the league. During that Week 16 game, the 49ers held Taylor to 46 yards on 16 carries in a 48-27 San Francisco victory. McCaffrey, meanwhile, carried 21 times for 117 yards and caught six passes for 29 yards and two scores.
Christian McCaffrey (23) outdueled Jonathan Taylor for a key 49ers win in December.
Barkley probably watched that game closely this week for the purposes of film study, but he has long talked about his love for studying the game, especially the players who play his position. He has advocated for running backs to be valued more and last year helped bring the position back to the forefront. It’s why he was rooting for McCaffrey, his friend, to become the first running back to ever have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season twice. McCaffrey finished with 1,202 on the ground and 924 receiving yards.
“I’m a fan of the position,” Barkley said. “I study all of them. I give my hats off to [McCaffrey]. He’s one of the best to ever do it, to be completely honest, and is definitely going to be a challenge for our defense. Our defense is definitely up to the task.”
Barkley said he’ll be watching closely. The time between offensive series is for rest, recovery, and to make adjustments, but in games against other greats, Barkley might find himself looking at the video board a little more or watching the action on the field.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” he said. “It’s more of as a fan and an appreciation of the sport and the position that we play.”
Then it’s back to the field to try to one-up the fellow running back he loves to compete against.
Lane Johnson (foot) participated in practice and was listed as a limited participant for the second consecutive day. Grant Calcaterra (ankle) was limited after sitting out on Wednesday. Jalen Carter (hip) and Dallas Goedert (knee) remained limited.
Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Marcus Epps (concussion) were upgraded to full participants Thursday after being limited on Wednesday.
Brett Toth (concussion) remained sidelined, and Landon Dickerson (rest) also sat out Thursday. Dickerson has taken Thursday practices off lately.
Despite a loss in the regular season finale, the Eagles are heading into the playoffs healthy and rested — and trending in the right direction. Philadelphia (11-6) ended its season winning three of its last four games, earning the NFC East crown.
Now, all that stands in the way of a rematch against the Chicago Bears in the divisional round are the San Francisco 49ers (12-5), fresh off a Week 18 loss of their own. With wild-card weekend rapidly approaching, here is an updated look at the game odds and player props from the two biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. 49ers wild-card odds
The last time these teams played in the playoffs was in the 2023 NFC championship game. The Eagles trounced the 49ers 31-7 in a game that was over quickly and saw both Niners quarterbacks injured. Now, three years later, both FanDuel and DraftKings have the defending Super Bowl champions as slight favorites, up a point from where they were Monday.
Jalen Hurts never touched the field in the Eagles’ Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders, as head coach Nick Sirianni opted for player health with no chance at a first-round bye. Hurts threw for a mere 110 yards in his last outing against the Bills, with under 50% of his passes finding the target.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy managed just 127 yards on 19 of 27 passing against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. For this week’s game, oddsmakers set Hurts’ total around 208 yards, while Purdy’s is near 228.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts got the day off against the Commanders Sunday.
Passing touchdown props
After five touchdown passes in a two-game span, Hurts had a down week against the Bills. He had just one touchdown throw, as the Eagles were shut out in the second half. Purdy did not throw a touchdown pass against the Seahawks.
Like Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley also had the week off against the Commanders. He ran for 68 yards a week earlier against the Bills, following a 132-yard performance in Washington in Week 16. Christian McCaffrey had 23 yards on 8 carries against the Seahawks last Saturday.
Will George Kittle lead all receivers in yards on Sunday?
Receiving yard props
Wide receiver A.J. Brown joined Hurts and Barkley as an inactive last week, while DeVonta Smith played briefly in the final game of the regular season. Smith finished the game with three catches for 52 yards, pushing himself over 1,000 yards for the third straight season. McCaffrey had 6 catches for 34 yards and Jauan Jennings totaled 35 yards on 4 catches vs. Seattle.
In Week 18, Tank Bigsby and Grant Calcaterra were the Eagles only touchdown scorers, but that was without most of the Birds starters playing. The 49ers were held without a touchdown against Seattle.
Blood banks across the Philadelphia region say donations are urgently needed this week as they brace for anticipated post-holiday blood shortages.
New Jersey Blood Services, whose coverage area includes South Jersey, declared a blood emergency on Tuesday, stating they had less than a two-day supply for the more than 200 hospitals they serve across New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania separately said Philadelphia and South Jersey, as well as the nation at large, are on the cusp of a blood shortage.
January is a difficult time for blood donations — so much so that President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation in 1969 declaring it “National Blood Donor Month.”
This year, a trifecta of seasonal illness, severe weather, and holiday disruptions has resulted ina significant decline in donations, said Chelsey Smith, a spokesperson for New Jersey Blood Services.
Flu cases surged in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Christmas and New Year’s Day both fell midweek, on days when the organization normally sees high collection. Blood donation levels dropped toalmost 40% below what is needed to meet hospital demand.
“We essentially experienced a mere total loss of midweek collections for two straight weeks, and that adds up very quickly,” Smith said.
The most urgent needs are for red blood cells and platelets.
The group urges people to donate at least once per season, emphasizing that blood is a perishable product. Red blood cells only last about 42 days after a donation. Platelets, which are especially critical for cancer patients going through chemotherapy, have a shelf life of just five to seven days.
“When those donations drop, it directly impacts our blood supply, and hospitals usually feel the effects of that pretty quickly,” Smith said.
Blood shortages are becoming more frequent
Blood shortages and emergencies have become more common following the pandemic, Smith said.
Fewer young people are donating, for starters, which she attributes to the loss of school collections during the height of COVID-19.
“We weren’t able to go into high schools and instill those lifelong values of donating blood when they’re young,” she said.
More people are also working from home, a challenge for the New Jersey organization thatused to rely heavily on corporate workplace blood drives.
New Jersey Blood Services declared a blood emergency last summer as well.
“Pre-COVID, blood emergencies were not quite as common. Post-COVID, they’re almost routine,” Smith said.
The American Red Cross also saw a lower number of people donate over the holidays than anticipated, according to Alana Mauger, a spokespersonfor the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter.
Organizersreleased calls this week for donations in hopes of preventing a shortage, which they’re on the cusp of.
The group alsopartnered with the National Football League this month to offer a chance at winning a trip to Super Bowl LX to those who donate.
Saquon Barkley is participating in the campaign, sharing his own experiences as a blood donor.
“It only takes about an hour and once you realize in that short amount of time how much help it can bring — it’s a beautiful thing,” the Eagles running back said in a Monday news release.
New Jersey’s acting health commissioner, Jeff Brown, urged donors not to wait to donate.
“Schedule an appointment today or visit a walk-in center this week. Your donation can save a life,” he said in a statement.
LANDOVER, Md. — Saquon Barkley had rushed for just 52 yards on 14 carries when he came to the sideline late in the third quarter. The Eagles had taken a 14-10 lead after a 17-play, touchdown-scoring drive, but they did so in spite of the struggles in the running game.
It’s been a season-long slog on the ground, but there have been glimpses of hope in recent weeks. And Barkley, who’s had to run into more stacked boxes than ever in his eighth year, felt that he wasn’t taking advantage of opportunities against a weakened Commanders defense.
“We got a little fired up on the sideline, but it was good,” Barkley said. “It’s all out of love, let’s say that. We want to do what’s best for the team when we’re winning games and hold each other accountable. But thank God it happened for me, to be honest, because it put me in my bag, as people would say.”
It was a 12-yard touchdown run off left tackle. The stat sheet account of the play doesn’t do Barkley’s seventh rushing score of the season justice. Jordan Mailata gave perhaps the best description.
“That was an angry run by Say,” the Eagles left tackle said. “Kind of expected that from him by the way he was acting on the sideline. He was just very adamant, being very positive, like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get it.’”
Barkley’s touchdown wasn’t exactly the final nail. But he drove the last spike with a dazzling 48-yard run two drives later. And backup Tank Bigsby buried the Commanders with a 22-yard bolt into the end zone of the Eagles’ eventual 29-18 win at Northwest Stadium on Saturday.
Most important, the victory clinched the NFC East for a second straight year — the first time that’s happened in the division in 21 years. But in terms of the bigger picture, stacking strong performances on the ground in consecutive weeks suggests the Eagles might have a chance in the postseason.
The last two opponents — the Raiders and Commanders — might not have provided playoff-caliber competition. But the offense needed glimmers after a three-game losing streak, and really, a whole season of never looking quite right.
But diversifying the calls, and involving quarterback Jalen Hurts more in the running game, has opened the playbook some for offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
“O-line blocking well. Saquon running well. Jalen faking well and being a threat to carry it as well,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Tank coming in, giving good carries. The receivers block, tight ends … Kevin’s doing a good job calling it and putting the guys in position.
“So, yeah, I think there’s a lot to be encouraged on. We’ve got to build on it.”
It may be no coincidence that the offensive improvement came after Sirianni asserted more of his authority on that side of the ball three games ago. There were bright moments in the overtime loss to the Chargers, but Hurts had five turnovers.
Actually, there were improvements in run design the week before against the Bears. But the Eagles defense didn’t meet its usual standard and the offense couldn’t compensate. The numbers in the last four games, though, suggest that Barkley and Co. are doing something better.
The Eagles have averaged 4.96 yards per carry over that span. In their first 11 games, they averaged only 3.91 yards.
They’ve done it various ways. Last week, they ran from under center more than normal. This week, it was mostly from the shotgun. In the former, Barkley and Bigsby combined to rush 77 yards on just five totes. In the latter, it was 20 carries for 93 yards.
It was from under center, with six offensive linemen, that the pair broke off their two long runs late in the game. Barkley’s 48-yarder put him at 132 yards on 21 carries for the day. He went over 1,000 yards on the season earlier in the game and has 1,072 yards total through 15 games.
Saquon Barkley picks up yards during the fourth quarter vs. the Commanders.
It’s not quite the 2,000 yards he gained last season in 16 games. But considering all the angst over the running game this season, breaking the thousand mark for a fifth time in his career is still an accomplishment.
“I mean, 1,000 is great every time, but I can’t even say it’s a slog,” Barkley said. “Most importantly, I’m all about winning. And even when I was rushing for 2,000 yards, the message and the mindset was the same.”
But maybe for the first time this season, Barkley looked his 2024 self for a brief period. He spun out of would-be tackles, shed defenders, and picked up yards after contact. He’s been trying to find the balance between when to be flash and when to be power.
“There’s so many ways you can do it,” Barkley said. “A mindset this game was run like I’m 230, 235. That’s what my coach said. There’s times I don’t. I have games where I rush for 200 yards because I’m able to be more like a scat back.”
He squirted out of two tackle attempts on the 12-yard touchdown run and carried a Commander across the goal line. On the 48-yard scamper, he twirled away from a defensive lineman who shot into the backfield untouched, stiff-armed the safety, and picked up an extra 30-plus yards thanks to a downfield block by receiver DeVonta Smith.
“Apparently, Smitty said I’ve got to [expletive] score, so I’ve got to go back and watch it,” Barkley said.
The house-call touchdowns haven’t been as prominent this season. And maybe that skewered Barkley’s numbers from 2024, or more likely, expectations for this season. But there isn’t another player on the roster whom the Eagles feed off more than the 28-year-old running back.
Even Hurts conceded as much.
“It was good to see him out there earning those yards like he did,” Hurts said. “He was very physical. He ran very hard today. Very hard. He had a hell of a game. I think it always has a component to energize a team. I think it energizes him.”
Bigsby might have had the exclamation point after the 48-yarder, but Barkley came out and converted the two-point attempt with another tough carry. A melee that got right guard Tyler Steen and two Commanders ejected from the game followed the conversion.
A late brawl involving Eagles guard Tyler Steen could have implications when the teams meet again in two weeks.
Washington coach Dan Quinn’s response to a question about the fight suggested that his players didn’t like the Eagles going for two.
“I can only answer from my side and what I would do,” Quinn said. “But hey, man, like that’s how they want to get down then. Like, all good. We play them again in two weeks.”
Sirianni said the Eagles’ analytics suggested the risk to have a 19-point lead vs. 18 with a little over four minutes left was worth the try.
“To go up one more point is, in my mind, not running up the score,” Sirianni said.
It’s quite possible the season finale will be meaningless for the Eagles, who are now locked into at least the No. 3 seed. They face a stiff test next week at Buffalo. A step back there might negate some of the positive from the last two games.
Hurts had some impressive throws in the passing game, but he also had his share of shaky moments. He brought a dynamic that’s been missing for most of the season with five scrambles for 40 yards. His lone non-Tush Push designed run went for zero yards.
But Hurts’ legs, Barkley’s characteristic strong December, better blocking schemes, and Bigsby as the second punch could be the recipe for the Eagles in the postseason. They need their running game to be successful — 2,000-yard season or not.
“I know personally, would love to have gotten [Barkley] back to 2,000, but I think it’s cool,” Mailata said of eclipsing 1,000 yards. “I think we just have high standards, and don’t want to rain on the parade, but we wish we got the running game going earlier.
“I wish we were executing at a higher rate early in the year, just to help him get closer to the goal that we set in the year.”
