The news that star quarterback Jalen Hurts will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 NFL season due to blood clots changes everything about the current campaign for the Philadelphia Eagles, likely including their trade deadline plans next month.
Despite their early-season struggles, the Eagles still viewed themselves as NFC contenders. Earlier this month, owner Jeffrey Lurie re-emphasized his high expectations for the team.
“But we are gung-ho to win big and win our division first and, you know, go from there. So we couldn’t be more excited," Lurie said. ". . . So our expectations are very high.”
Those comments came just a couple of weeks ago, but things can change quickly in the NFL, and now, with the Eagles sitting at 2-4 and Hurts out for the year, they may want to alter their approach leading into the deadline.
Eagles could become trade deadline sellers
When the Eagles traded All-Pro center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens for draft capital earlier this month, many took it as an indication that Philadelphia would be a seller, as opposed to a buyer, at the deadline. However, Lurie shot that notion down and stressed that the Jurgens trade was made because it was in the franchise's best interest.
“We try to be very, you know, forward-thinking and strategic, and that’s the thing,” Lurie said of the move. “We — the Cam Jurgens trade was a trade we wanted to make because of the value we got. And Cam’s one of my favorite players, but you got to do what’s best for the franchise at all times.”
Of course, Lurie said this before he knew Hurts would be out indefinitely, and that news should spur some re-evaluation. Plagued by injury issues, with an anemic offense and without their star signal-caller, the Eagles really might want to flip some more pieces for draft capital to bolster the roster for the future.
That doesn't mean that they should completely gut things, but if there are some guys on the roster that they don't view as long-term pieces, it would be wise to see if they could get some value in return for such players, as opposed to potentially losing them for nothing in free agency. The Eagles need to build back some key areas of the roster, including the offensive line and the secondary, and stockpiling picks could help them do that.
Potential trade candidates for the Eagles
If the Eagles decide to flip some key contributors for draft capital before the deadline, there are several candidates.
Tight end Dallas Goedert is playing on a one-year contract, and he could potentially be attractive to contending teams as a still-productive pass-catcher. Goedert has had an excellent tenure in Philadelphia, but the team has appeared prepared to move on from him, as there was some speculation that they would do so over the offseason. They brought him back, but with the season slipping away, trying to recoup some value for him might make sense.
The same could be said about cornerback Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in free agency after winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season. Despite having a penchant for penalties, Woolen has been solid as Philly's No. 2 cornerback, and he could be an intriguing option for other teams looking for cornerback depth for a playoff push.
Other potential trade candidates for Philadelphia include wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore, linebacker A.J. Epenesa, and safety Marcus Epps, among others.
Get Eagles On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google