Eagles will rest Jalen Hurts, start Tanner McKee against Commanders in Week 18, per report

Philadelphia wants to have its star quarterback healthy for the playoffs

As the Philadelphia Eagles look ahead to the playoffs, Tanner McKee will start over Jalen Hurts against the Washington Commanders in Week 18, per ESPN. The Eagles want to keep Hurts healthy as they aim to repeat as Super Bowl champs.

There are still some seeding implications for the Eagles, but the No. 1 seed in the NFC is out of reach. Philadelphia could finish as high as No. 2 or as low as No. 3. With the top seed out of play, the Eagles have chosen to rest their starting quarterback for the regular season finale.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has shown a willingness to rest his stars before with McKee starting against the New York Giants in Week 18 last season. In that game, McKee completed 27 of his 41 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 20-13 win.

This season, McKee has only seen action in three games, completing all three of his passes for 33 yards. A sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, McKee has connected on 68.8% of his throws at the NFL level for 356 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

In the wake of the Eagles securing the NFC East crown, going back-to-back for the first time since 2001, Hurts said it's a special time for the franchise. Still, Hurts knows the team can't lose focus of the ultimate goal.

"I've said it multiple times: These times, they're rare times," Hurts said. "So something that we all need to soak in and relish in this moment right now and take it a day at a time as we always have. But keep the main thing the main thing. Keep the main thing the main thing. That's what we've done for five years since everybody's collectively been here. That's been my approach since I've been an Eagle."

The Eagles will close out the 2025 regular season on Sunday afternoon when they kick off against the Commanders at 4:25 p.m. ET. The game will air on CBS.