With the Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs rapidly approaching, one question persists among fans of the Philadelphia Eagles: who will start under center in Week 19?
One of the healthiest teams in the NFL at every other position across both sides of the ball, with all 21 other starters expected to play for the Eagles when they welcome the Green Bay Packers to town, this should be a game fans feel pretty confident about. The Eagles already beat the Packers once this season, albeit by five points in Brazil, but still, many of the team’s starters played well against Matt LaFleur’s team, and this was before the defense really came together under Vic Fangio. With hundreds of snaps in Fangio’s system now on the books, plus players like Cooper DeJean, Nolan Smith, and Zach Baun really coming into their own, Philly’s defense should be able to match their offensive prowess and make the Birds’ heavy favorites in Week 19.
And yet, the idea of Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, and Tanner McKee all technically having a chance to earn the start in Week 19 makes things very tricky indeed, with fans holding their breath to see the final injury report before they can release their white knuckle grasp on life and get down to preparing their tailgating fare.
Fortunately, the Eagles’ strength is not their QB1 but instead their depth, with Howie Roseman building a pretty incredible roster with great players at almost every single starting spot plus interesting depth across the board from quarterback to the offensive line, cornerback, and even linebacker, as Week 18 clearly proved. No matter who ends up starting under center for the Packers come Sunday, even if the team has tipped their hand ever so slightly, the Eagles should still be able to march a competitive team onto the field at The Linc this weekend as they look to put the black eye that was last year’s playoff run behind them once and for all.
1. Jalen Hurts plays for the Philadelphia Eagles
Alright, to address the elephant in the room up front: Hurts is (probably) going to start for the Eagles in Week 19.
Why? Well, let’s take a look at the breadcrumbs and see where they might lead.
First and foremost, the Eagles decided to release Ian Book from their roster heading into Week 19. Originally signed to serve as an emergency quarterback should the Eagles lose McKee and Pickett San Francisco 49ers-style in a game, if Hurts was unlikely to play against the Packers, or at least be healthy enough to enter the game in an emergency situation – as if that makes any sense – they likely would have kept Book just in case.
Then comes the comments made by offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Tuesday, with the popular head coaching candidate letting reporters know that he talked to Hurts this week and is “excited” about their conversations.
“Certainly we’ve all of us have been in continuous conversations,” Moore told reporters. “We always are, and so you know, excited about that.”
Huh, not quite the “I have no updates” speak Nick Sirianni has been hammering, is it? Has Hurts turned the corner? Or does Sirianni view the mystery of who will start in Week 19 as some sort of competitive advantage, as Hurts plays football very differently than Pickett, who even plays differently than McKee? Maybe it’s six of the former, maybe it’s half a dozen of the latter, but barring some unforeseen setback, it feels like Hurts will earn a chance to record his 13th win of the season after missing most of the last two games.
2. Jalen Hurts plays well for the Philadelphia Eagles
So, if Hurts is able to play for the Eagles in Week 19, what should fans expect from their QB1? Will he be diminished in any way? Will the Eagles have to pull some plays out of their playbook to keep Hurts safe ahead of a potential month-long campaign to another parade down Broad Street?
Well, that’s the best part of this whole situation: because Hurts went down with a concussion in Week 17, Hurts should return to the field pretty much the exact same player he was before he was taken out by Frankie Luvu in Week 18.
In 2024, Hurts has played incredibly for the Eagles, even if the numbers don’t always show it. Appearing in 15 games with 15 starts, Hurts completed a career-high 68.7 percent of his passes for 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns versus just five interceptions. Hurts’ yards-per-attempt average of 8.0 was a career-best mark, as was his passer rating of 103.7, and even if his yards per game was down right alongside his attempts per game, his touchdown percentage reached a career-high as well, with one of every 20 passes ending up with six points on the board.
Factor in Hurts’ incredible rushing prowess, amassing 630 rushing yards on just 150 attempts, and you are left with a modern NFL version of a game manager, who can take what a defense gives them, make smart choices on option plays, and ultimately hit those big plays when the situations allow it.
Facing off against a Packers defense that ranks 13th against the pass and seventh against the run, Hurts will be challenged in Week 19 when he returns to the field, with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley likely looking to flex his muscles early on with his impressive collection of rushers headlined by Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, and Devonte Wyatt, who was teammates with Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Kelee Ringo, Nakobe Dean, and Lewis Cine at Georgia. But after two weeks to get his game right and return to the field fully healthy, Hurts will likely be ready for whatever the Pack throws his way and will do what he always does: play smart, efficient football for the Eagles.
3. Philadelphia rides their Pro Bowlers to a Week 19 victory
As you may or may not have heard, the Eagles ended up landing six players on the initial 2025 NFL Pro Bowl roster: Barkley, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Jalen Carter, and Zack Baun.
While some fans may quibble with the players selected, as Jordan Mailata, AJ Brown, and maybe even Quinyon Mitchell all have credible cases for a spot on the list, it’s a pretty good haul for one of the best teams in the NFC, trailing just the Detroit Lions with seven.
And in Week 19, the Eagles are going to need all six of those players to step up, as they could prove the difference in a win over the Packers.
With four members of the Eagles’ league-best rushing offense earning Pro Bowl honors, it’s clear fans, coaches, and players alike all acknowledge that Philadelphia has built an absolute unit in the run game. In Week 18, the Eagles will have to control the tenor and tone of the game on the ground, which is good news, considering they already proved they could do so in Week 1 against the Packers.
And on the defensive side of the ball? Well, the Eagles will need to show that they can slow down the Packers’ impressive rushing offense, too, with Carter and Baun playing key roles in slowing down Josh Jacobs in a game where Jordan Love will either be limited or out with an elbow injury. If the Eagles can win the trench battle with Barkley clearly outgaining Jacobs in a dominant time-of-possession win, Philadelphia should be able to secure the win and keep their Super Bowl dream alive.
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