Eagles’ Path to the NFC No. 2 Seed Comes Down to One Final Week and a Key Decision

The Philadelphia Eagles have already checked off the most important box: an NFC East title and a guaranteed home playoff game. With one week remaining in the regular season, attention now turns to whether the Birds can climb to the No. 2 seed in the NFC and how aggressively they should pursue it.

The path itself is straightforward.

The Eagles must defeat the Washington Commanders in Week 18 to keep any chance alive. From there, they’ll need help in the form of a Chicago Bears loss, which would allow the Birds to move ahead in the standings via tiebreakers. If either doesn’t happen, the Eagles are locked into the No. 3 seed.

This raises a legitimate question: should the Eagles rest starters or play to win and risk injury?

The No. 2 seed carries real value. It guarantees home-field advantage in the Divisional Round if the Eagles advance, potentially keeping them at Lincoln Financial Field for two playoff games. In a conference without a dominant powerhouse, that could matter — just like it did last year.

At the same time, injuries loom large. The Eagles have dealt with health concerns at key positions throughout the season, and losing a core contributor in a relatively meaningless Week 18 game would be devastating. Still, with seeding still in play and momentum a factor, it’s hard to envision the Eagles fully backing off.

Ultimately, the Eagles appear best served by playing to win, at least early, while managing workloads if the game allows. First things first: beat Washington. If the Bears stumble, Philadelphia could enter the postseason with momentum and a more favorable spot.