Six storylines to watch during the rest of a lost Eagles season

The Eagles are 52.9% through their season. They are 2-7 at the bye week. They are likely without their starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, for the rest of the season. They have suffered a rash of injuries on offense that neutered the attempt to revamp the scheme under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion, who may not survive his first NFL season as a play-caller.

Their defense, while playing better of late, hasn’t been the top-five unit many thought it could be.

For The Numbers has their playoff odds at 0.4% with 47.1% of the season remaining.

That’s a lot of pretty meaningless football to get through. It’s a lost season at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, and there are various reasons for that. Injuries, roster depth, and an inadequate offensive scheme share the brunt of the blame.

» READ MORE: What we learned about the Eagles at the 2026 NFL trade deadline

But there will be reasons to continue watching this Eagles team moving forward. Even if you have to squint.

Here are six storylines worth following when the Eagles get back from their bye.

Nick Sirianni wouldn’t rule out coaching changes after the game Sunday, but he did say a day later that no changes have been made.

“Right now, like I said earlier, we’re going through our self-scout process,” he said. “Guys are working on studies right now and we’re determined to figure things out and get on the right track, and that’s what we’re worried about right this particular time.”

That wasn’t a ringing endorsement of Mannion staying in his current role.

Could the Eagles make a change at play-caller as soon as this week? Could they move on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper?

The self-scouting process won’t be kind to either coach.

If Mannion remains in his position for the rest of the season, it’ll be worth watching if the offense can show signs of life, with Joe Milton or whoever is taking snaps at quarterback.

There’s also the Sirianni of it all. Will Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman think injuries and a flawed roster outweigh the rest of the problems and decide to keep him? Is there a number of consecutive losses that warrant an in-season firing?

There were a few reasons the Eagles benched Tanner McKee and went to Milton last week. McKee wasn’t playing well enough, and they thought Milton and his mobility playing behind an offensive line that can’t figure out its protections could provide the Eagles a spark to get them back into the playoff race.

We saw how that went.

But beyond the 2026 implications, the Eagles know the season is in hospice, and they need to be on a fact-finding mission the rest of the way. At the quarterback spot, that means evaluating who is worth keeping on the roster. When Hurts returns next season — if Hurts returns next season — is his backup on this current roster? Is his No. 3?

McKee’s contract expires after this season and there doesn’t seem to be a scenario where he’s the No. 2 in 2027. The Eagles would be wise to get some looks at Milton and later rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton to see what they have.

Lane Johnson’s abrupt retirement opened the door for rookie third-round pick Markel Bell to take over as the starting right tackle.

Injuries to DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks have allowed first-round pick Makai Lemon to see a greater target share than he otherwise would have.

Trading Cam Jurgens to Baltimore in early October meant second-year interior lineman Drew Kendall could go through his first extended stretch as a starter.

Safety Andrew Mukuba’s rookie season was cut short to injury last year, and he’s still learning on the job.

There have been good moments and not-so-good moments from all of the above, and the continued development of the first- and second-year players will provide insight on where the Eagles need to allocate their resources most in the offseason.

For example: If the Eagles want to be a contender in 2027, is Bell ready to be a starting tackle on a team that has championship aspirations? It’s hard to say.

Notice that Jihaad Campbell wasn’t mentioned above? That’s because the linebacker situation deserves its own discussion.

Campbell, who has missed the last two games with hamstring and quad injuries, wasn’t playing well enough to keep Jeremiah Trotter Jr. out of a rotation at linebacker next to Zack Baun.

When Campbell returns from his injury, will the 2025 No. 31 pick step back into the rotation?

“We’ll see where Jihaad’s health is moving forward,” Vic Fangio said last week.

Will Campbell cede even more time to Trotter? If so, what does that mean for the 22-year-old’s future with the team?

Smith hasn’t played since Oct. 18 when he aggravated a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out of the two previous contests. He has played in just four games this season.

Wicks, meanwhile, has played in six.

Saquon Barkley has been playing banged up.

Barkley has been adamant about playing, saying that until the Eagles are mathematically out of the playoffs, he still believes there’s a chance.

That time will come soon enough. Will the Eagles shut Barkley down at that point? Will it be worth bringing Smith back or just letting his hamstring rest in a lost season to preserve his health?

Will the Eagles keep some mileage off of Jordan Mailata’s body over the final weeks in the winter?

Can you tell we’re running out of sexy storylines?

OK, we saved a good one for last.

Hurts was back in the building this week, but how often will he be around? What will the NFL and NFLPA review of the handling of his blood clot situation reveal?

Beyond that, what is his status for 2027? Do the Eagles want him to be the starter next season? Does he want to be the starter here next season?

Some of those answers won’t be learned until after the final whistle sounds in Week 18.

But Roseman’s big move at the deadline, dealing Jordan Davis for a first-round pick and a second-round pick, gave the Eagles even more asset ammunition to make changes in the offseason.

The Eagles will look at everything.

Listen to the latest episode

A crucial crossroads is here. The Eagles have reached the bye and, as timing would also have it, the NFL trade deadline, mired in their worst stretch of the Nick Sirianni era. There’s no doubt the franchise needs to course correct, but how? With who? Will players be on the move? Could coaches’ jobs be on the line? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner conduct an autopsy of the Eagles after their seventh straight loss — a 19-11 defeat to the New York Giants — and look at the big picture of an organization that has swiftly fallen far from its Super Bowl glory two years ago. Listen here.

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