🦅 A positive presence | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Eagles are in need of some positive energy. As Jalen Hurts continues going through treatment for blood clots, Tanner McKee will be under center for the foreseeable future.

And Monday night’s showdown at the Linc against the Cowboys is his first consecutive start of his career. The Eagles, which are on a four-game losing streak, will be without DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.

However, Dallas Goedert is available, and Saquon Barkley could play. The running back missed the last two contests with a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable. His return could spark the struggling Eagles offense.

But a lot will be dependent on McKee. The 26-year-old is tasked with bring everyone together. McKee has shown that he is capable of flipping the switch within. His teammates and those who have coached him describe him as “one of the most positive people” who inspires confidence with his command.

Can he help flip the switch on the Eagles’ season? Well, he’ll have another opportunity against the Cowboys to prove he can run the offense. Check out Jeff Neiburg’s guide to the Birds’ Week 7 matchup on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m., 6abc).

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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It wasn’t long ago that the Phillies had a high-powered offense. From 2022 to 2025, they scored the fifth-most runs of any team in baseball and ranked third in both on-base percentage and slugging.

But with mostly the same hitters, they struggled this season. To win, offenses must be multidimensional. The Rays and Brewers are first and second in the majors, respectively, in bunt hits, infield hits, and sacrifice bunt attempts. There’s a lot about those two rosters that’s worth imitating.

🤔 Wondering: What the national media is saying about Monday’s matchup at the Linc. Several experts are favoring the Cowboys.

🙌 Celebrating: Philadelphia Academy Charter’s Kaitlyn Asher was honored at the World Series on Saturday.

🏀 Learning: Top recruit Jordyn Palmer, a senior at Westtown, committed to South Carolina and Dawn Staley.

📖 Reading: The Union’s first loss in three months isn’t a problem, just as there shouldn’t be alarm bells if there’s a loss on Wednesday.

Jaylen Brown had a busy 30th birthday. On Saturday, the new Sixers forward scored 27 points in a win over the Bucks, he then answered questions about one of the league’s most intriguing bits of reality-show-style drama: the state of his relationship with former Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum.

It seemed as if the two had beef after the Celtics traded Brown to the Sixers, but Brown prefers a different term. “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”

Unfortunately for Brown, he and the rest of the Sixers struggled to score during a 106-93 loss to the Pistons.

It seems as though the Flyers and Ducks have built a real rivalry.

Three years ago, former No. 5 overall pick Cutter Gauthier spurned the Flyers and was traded to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. Then, the Flyers landed Trevor Zegras from the Ducks the following offseason. The latest wrinkle in the rivalry is this summer’s offer sheet on the Ducks’ young star center Leo Carlsson, who decided to remain in Anaheim.

Saturday’s matchup was a little less electric compared to the first two meetings between these two teams, but as the Flyers fell, 5-4, the game still had its fireworks.

Up next, the Flyers will host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. (7 p.m./ESPN)

It was a quieter weekend in local college football, with Penn State and Temple on byes. But for Penn and Villanova, it was about rebounding. Villanova picked up its first home win since November 2025, thanks to Garrett Rogan’s game-sealing sack against No. 12 Lehigh.

The Quakers also achieved a first of the season. On Friday night, they earned their first Ivy League victory against a tough Yale team at Franklin Field. After missing a game-winning field goal against Columbia, Penn was on the other side of a special teams flub.

Several NFL sources indicated that the NFL office and commissioner Roger Goodell are “furious” at how the Eagles handled the deteriorating health of Jalen Hurts. The doctors weren’t the problem. The problem lies with transparency and messaging, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Marcus Hayes, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Scott Lauber, Mia Messina, Gina Mizell, Lauren Jones, Jonathan Tannenwald, Chris Hine, Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, and Dylan Johnson.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for getting your morning started with me. Hope you had a restful weekend and enjoyed the weather. I’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday. — Bella