PHILADELPHIA — With Jalen Hurts sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season, the Eagles will begin what amounts to a second season Monday night when Tanner McKee takes the controls against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
Hurts, the Super Bowl LIX MVP, was initially diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf. Further testing revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He is on blood thinners, is clinically stable, and is expected to make a full recovery with no long-term effects, but he cannot participate in contact activities.
In all likelihood, Hurts will miss the rest of the season.
That leaves McKee, the 26-year-old Stanford product, as the starter for the foreseeable future.
In his first meaningful start last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, McKee completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in a 25-14 loss after a short week of preparation.
The offense managed just 222 total yards, only 35 of those on the ground, and McKee was sacked three times.
Afterward, McKee assessed “My team needs me to be better.”
The Eagles (2-4) enter Monday night having lost four consecutive games for the first time since 2020, the year before Nick Sirianni arrived as head coach. The Cowboys (2-4) are also reeling after a 23-13 loss to Green Bay.
What the Eagles need to accomplish
The NFC East has made history, albeit draped in ignominy. Over Weeks 5 and 6, the division went a combined 0-6-2—the first time since the 1970 merger a division went winless in consecutive weeks in which every team played. The tie was between the Giants, who sit alone in first at 3-2-1, and the Commanders at the bottom (1-4-1). The Eagles and Cowboys are tied for second with identical 2-4 records.
Obviously, no team has separated itself, and the division winner is on pace for a mediocre record.
In that environment, Philadelphia’s path is clear and possible but demanding, especially for what has been a bottom-feeding offense:
Protection and the run game collapsed against Carolina. McKee needs time in the pocket and more aggressive downfield looks. Establishing any semblance of a ground attack—which has been without Saquon Barkley due to a hamstring injury—will ease pressure on McKee.
Monday night is the first of three consecutive critical NFC East contests (Dallas, Washington, New York). In a weak division, a couple of victories can quickly change the landscape.
Moving forward, the idea of stabilizing and building around McKee, who will get his first full week of preparation before his second consecutive start, is necessary. Consistency, limiting turnovers, and developing timing with DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and the rest of the skill group are the priorities.
From there, getting healthier and waiting for reinforcements is necessary. The roster is banged up on the offensive line and at skill positions. Barkley's return and improvement from the line would give McKee a fighting chance to keep the Eagles competitive.
The Eagles are not the team that opened the season 2-0 or the one that won the division the previous two years. They are a 2-4 club with a backup quarterback, a stagnant offense, and a four-game skid. Yet the NFC East’s collective mediocrity means the season is far from over. Monday night against Dallas is the first real test of whether McKee and the supporting cast can salvage things.
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