September 09, 2026
Amber Searls/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jalen Hurts is expected to line up under center way more this season. Week 1 against Washington will be the first real look at how he fares with it.
A Week 1 that Eagles fans have waited all summer for is now just a few days away.
Finally, they'll get to see what Sean Mannion's new offense actually looks like when the snaps matter.
Finally, they'll get to see what kind of new level Vic Fangio's defense can reach for, with a more experienced Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Jalyx Hunt, and Quinyon Mitchell – among many others.
Finally, they'll get to see how healthy and revitalized the offensive line really is, along with what Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby can do behind it.
And finally, they'll get to see if Jalen Hurts can prove himself, yet again.
The Eagles open up at home on Sunday against the rival Washington Commanders, in front of a Lincoln Financial Field crowd that's going to be amped up for and expecting a Super Bowl contender just waiting to prove the world wrong – yet again.
At the starting line, though, no one's really expecting any surprises, and definitely not the sportsbooks.
The Eagles are mostly around a 5.5-point favorite over the Commanders, depending on which book you look at.
Here's a rundown of several, with the spread, money lines, and over/under points total:
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | PHI -5.5 | WSH +180 PHI -218 | 44.5 |
| FanDuel | PHI -5.5 | WSH +194 PHI -235 | 44.5 |
| BetRivers | PHI -5.0 | WSH +170 PHI -220 | 44.5 |
| BetMGM | PHI -5.5 | WSH +190 PHI -235 | 44.5 |
| Caesars | PHI -4.5 | WSH +193 PHI -235 | 44.5 |
*Lines as of Tuesday, Sep. 8
The Eagles are approaching Sunday almost fully healthy – save for maybe edge rusher Jonathan Greenard – and on paper, they're more talented.
Carter, Davis, Hunt, Nolan Smith, and Moro Ojomo present a fierce pass rush, which is already bad news for a Washington O-line that's already decimated and with a quarterback in Jayden Daniels who was battered around and injured for much of last season.
Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, and a continually impressive Jeremiah Trotter Jr. behind them, make up possibly the deepest off-ball linebacker corps the Eagles have had since the Trotter Sr. days in the early 2000s, while Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and free agent signing Riq Woolen lead a defensive back group that should be able to handle themselves against Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs.
The Eagles have a clear defensive advantage here. They probably will a lot this season.
The offense is the big question mark, which is really going to come down to the effectiveness of Mannion's take on the modernized West Coast offense, Jalen Hurts' ability to run it, and the ultimate effectiveness of Barkley as the star running back and DeVonta Smith as an outright No. 1 receiver.
But right now, they match up pretty favorably against the Commanders there, too, since Washington is coming in with a just as beaten down secondary that needs to field Rasul Douglas in 2026, and a Frankie Luvu-led pass rush that never gets beyond trying to act scary – as Eagles fans know, they aren't.
As for Hurts' part in this, people are going to continually argue until they're blue in the face about what he is and isn't as a quarterback.
But from the outset, he and Nick Sirianni are 5-0 in season openers as a QB and coach tandem, and against the Commanders alone, Hurts is 7-3 against them in his career, with 14 touchdowns to three interceptions thrown, six more touchdowns rushed for, and a 102.9 quarterback rating.
He usually holds up just fine against Washington – for as much as their fans still holding on to their moment at the Convention Center Hard Rock want to say otherwise.
There's still an air of uncertainty to the 2026 Eagles, but heading toward Week 1, they're a favorite for a reason.
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