The Eagles walked off the field with another frustrating loss — and plenty of questions about who played, who didn’t, and why.
One decision drew the most attention: most starters were pulled or limited, while DeVonta Smith stayed in long enough to hit the 1,000-yard mark on the season. That sparked the debate — was it worth the risk?
From the team’s point of view, it was about balance. Smith reaching 1,000 yards wasn’t just a number. It was a milestone, a confidence boost, and something the locker room clearly cared about. At the same time, the coaching staff tried to avoid piling unnecessary snaps on players already carrying injuries or heavy workloads.
The bigger conversation, though, continues to circle around quarterback Jalen Hurts — and whether there was ever a real case to sit him for Tanner McKee.
Hurts has taken criticism for turnovers, missed reads, and inconsistency during key stretches. Fans and talk shows fueled the idea that the Eagles might get a “spark” by turning to McKee.
But when you step back, the picture is clearer.
Hurts is still the franchise quarterback. He’s the player the offense is built around, the one with postseason experience, and the one the coaching staff trusts when the games matter most. Resting starters when the playoffs are looming isn’t benching. It’s protecting the roster.
McKee getting time on the field has value — it shows what he can do, builds depth, and gives the team more information moving forward — but it doesn’t signal a changing of the guard.
So was it the right decision?
For Philadelphia, it comes down to priorities: stay healthy, secure chemistry heading into the playoffs, and avoid turning a late-season slump into an injury problem. Smith got his milestone. The starters got some protection. And the quarterback debate, at least for now, should cool down.
The real judgment comes in the postseason. That’s when we’ll know if these choices paid off.
