The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to rest quarterback Jalen Hurts and other starters in the season finale Jan. 4, according to Philadelphia Enquirer reporter Jeff McLane, a decision that would have indirect impact on the Green Bay Packers.
The Eagles (11-5) would otherwise be a prohibitive favorite to defeat the Washington Commanders (4-12). A win coupled with a Bears (11-5) loss to Detroit (8-8) would flip-flop the two teams in the NFC playoff seeding structure (bumping the Eagles to No. 2 and dropping the Bears to No. 3), leaving the seventh-seeded Packers (9-6-1) to travel into Philadelphia for a wild-card round game in a second consecutive postseason.
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But a Bears win or Eagles loss will ensure the Packers return to Soldier Field for a rematch with the Bears, the first playoff meeting between the rivals since after the 2010 season in the NFC championship game. The Packers also played in Philadelphia that year in the wild-card round as the final NFC team into the field.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni did not confirm the decision to rest starters during his media availability Dec. 31.
Washington starting quarterback Jayden Daniels was ruled out for the rest of the season earlier in December, and the Commanders have lost 10 of 11 games.
Last season, the Eagles also rested starters in the finale but still defeated the 3-13 New York Giants behind backup quarterback Tanner McKee, en route to a Super Bowl championship. McKee is again the Eagles backup behind Hurts in 2025.
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The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC and are at the mercy of the Bears and Eagles outcomes to determine their first playoff foe. It remains unclear which players the Packers will rest for their own finale in Minneapolis.
The site PlayoffStatus.com gives the Bears a 77% chance of finishing with the No. 2 seed and, thus, hosting the Packers in the first playoff game.
Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney forces a fumble by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The No. 1 seed will go to either the Seattle Seahawks or San Francisco 49ers, whichever team wins the head-to-head battle Jan. 3 and lays claim to the NFC West crown.
Green Bay has incurred one-score setbacks against both Chicago and Philadelphia this year, along with a tense victory at home over the Bears. The Packers will face the Vikings in their finale at noon Jan. 4 and will learn their opponent later in the evening, with both the Lions-Bears game at Soldier Field and the Commanders-Eagles game in Philadelphia starting at 3:25 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Eagles to rest starters, increasing chances Packers face Bears, report says