After the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East and clinched a playoff spot last week, there was some speculation that the team could look to rest some key contributors during the final two games of the regular season.
The Eagles have several players who are banged-up, including Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson, who are both set to return from their respective injury issues. They also don’t want to sustain any new injuries with the playoffs now just a couple of weeks away, so it’s easy to understand why some would suggest that they should rest some players against the Bills in Buffalo in Week 17.
Nick Sirianni plans to play Eagles starters in Week 17 vs. Bills
However, that doesn’t sound like it will be the plan for the Eagles, as Nick Sirianni made it clear that he feels like playing his guys against the Bills is the right move.
“You go through a lot of different processes, and you do what you think is best for your football team,” Siriani said. “We think playing our guys is best for the football team.”
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The Eagles could still potentially be in play for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, so that’s something worth playing for. Plus, there’s something to be said for staying sharp and testing yourself against another really good team before the playoffs start. For those reasons, Sirianni’s stance isn’t surprising.
It could be a different story in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders, as Sirianni might want to rest some key guys for that game, but the team will cross that bridge when it gets there.
First, they have to handle business in Buffalo against a Bills team that is fighting for playoff positioning in its own conference. It should be a playoff-like atmosphere in Buffalo, and that could help to prepare the Eagles for the road ahead.