Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, Giants’ Davis Webb to Start at QB in Week 18, per Report

The NFC East foes enter the regular season finale with drastically different goals in mind.

The Eagles will start MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, while the Giants will turn to recently elevated practice squad quarterback Davis Webb for Sunday’s regular-season finale, according to ESPN. 

Hurts will suit up for Philadelphia after missing the team’s past two games due to an injury to his throwing shoulder. The Eagles have lost both of those contests, putting them in danger of missing out on the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye. Philadelphia (13–3) needs a win or tie against New York—or losses by the Cowboys (12–4) and 49ers (12–4)—to clinch the top seed on Sunday.

Hurts was limited in all of the Eagles’ practices this week, but coach Nick Sirianni said the 24-year-old was “trending in the right direction” to play. When Hurts has been on the field this season, the third-year quarterback has been spectacular, racking up 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air in addition to rushing for 747 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.

While Hurts and the Eagles have something to play for on Sunday, the Giants do not, prompting Brian Daboll to protect starting quarterback Daniel Jones. Webb, a third-round draft pick in 2017 who has never attempted a pass in a regular-season NFL game, will get the nod after being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. 

It remains unclear whether New York (9–6–1) will rest any other starters on Sunday, but it seems as if Daboll is exercising extreme caution. The Giants are locked into the No. 6 seed regardless of the outcome of the Eagles game and will play in the wild-card round next week against either the Vikings or 49ers. 

Before the two NFC East franchises turn their sights to the playoffs, they’ll square off on Sunday, with kickoff from Philadelphia scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.