Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
Here’s where I’m at with Jalen Hurts: I’m not worried about the bottom dropping out with him. It would be shocking if he had a 2020 Carson Wentz season. I tend to think he’ll respond well to the questions about his future outlook because he thrives when he’s doubted. But in the event that he doesn’t have a good year as the Eagles’ offense struggles, it’s impossible to think that the team will act like that’s no big deal. In that sense, then, there’s pressure for him to play well and secure his next contract extension.
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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Starting 11: Jalyx Hunt, Jalen Hurts & The Most Fascinating Eagles entering the 2026 season – PHLY Eagles
1) Jalen Hurts. Why did Hurts show us the beauty of that mustache if he wasn’t going to keep it? Better to have ‘stached and lost than never to have ‘stached at all? Tell that to our bandaged hearts. The perception that this is a “make or break” season for Hurts is met with understandable ridicule. This is the Super Bowl MVP we’re talking about. This is the best quarterback in franchise history. But Howie Roseman is beholden to no one. And while the Eagles have proven the constraints of the salary cap to be bendable, it’s true they are staring down the barrel of having or wanting to extend the likes of Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, DeVonta Smith, Jalyx Hunt and/or Nolan Smith this offseason. Can you squeeze a $60 million quarterback in there too? Savvy media literates are right to note the degree to which the organization has at the very least been comfortable with the blame for the passing game’s struggles landing on Hurts. There is also a power dynamic at play in which the most powerful person in the organization might bristle at the prospect of Hurts eating into that power too much. Or maybe some people in the front office simply don’t think he’s good enough. If that all sounds like the piling of chips on the shoulder of a person who has made a living and a persona out of turning those chips into fuel, you’re right. After the most radical offseason change of his career, Hurts enters the arena as once again the most polarizing player in the league. Can he make this season undeniable?
6 NFL players with the most to prove in 2026 – SB Nation
No. 5: Jalen Hurts, QB — Philadelphia Eagles. I’m really in two minds about including Hurts here, because he’s a very odd case study. Hurts is neither as good as Eagles fans believe, nor is he as bad as 31 other fanbases think he is. Ultimately he’s an above-average QB who is exceptionally good at running Philly’s system, but he’s not elite in comparison with other QBs around the NFL. The “something to prove” factor comes from the weight of expectations. The Eagles are routinely a team that should be contending for Super Bowl appearances with the weight of their roster, so when they fall short it’s only going to raise questions about whose fault that is. One of these has been Hurts’ consistency in the playoffs, where he very often looks like a shadow of himself — and that talk was stoked by A.J. Brown being angered that he wasn’t getting the ball enough. In many ways Hurts has nothing to prove, but he also has everything to prove in 2026.
Why Baker Mayfield’s contract means the QB market could burst – ESPN
Is he over the Baker Line? For sure. Hurts has been to two Super Bowls and won one. He has a 3.67 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his 10 career playoff games, of which he has won six. You can point out all of the flaws you want, but there’s just no way an organization has the level of success the Eagles have had the past five years if the quarterback isn’t good. If Hurts were in a renegotiation now and demanded to make more than Mayfield, it would be hard to tell him he’s wrong. But this exercise assumes he’ll be in a renegotiation next spring, and there’s no way to know how that will go until we know how this season goes. If Hurts flourishes in the new offense and the Eagles win a ton of games, he’s likely to be in line for something in the $60-plus million range. If he flops and they miss the playoffs, it’s not out of the question to think the Eagles would look to make a change. (Remember how Hurts got the job in the first place, so soon after they had extended Carson Wentz.) If it’s something in the middle — offense starts slow, picks it up late and shows promise, etc. — then Hurts and the Eagles probably figure out some kind of Band-Aid solution that puts off the big decision until after 2027. Fair or not, it feels as if there’s a lot of pressure on Hurts this season to show once again that he belongs at the top of this market.
Eagles vs. Commanders preview: 9 things to watch – BGN
To me, this looks like a bad offensive line. Based on my correspondences with Hogs Haven this week, Commanders fans seem to think it can at least be a league average blocking unit. Let’s say they’re right. Is average good enough to stop this Eagles front?I have my doubts. Jalyx Hunt had an awesome training camp. He looks ready to make another big leap in his development. Hunt’s stellar summer overshadowed progress made by Nolan Smith, who is healthier than he was last season. A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie showed juice as rotational contributors. Jonathan Greenard will NOT play … but the Eagles shouldn’t even need him to be able to generate sufficient pressure from the edge. And then there’s the interior. Jalen Carter. Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo are all poised to have strong seasons. They should be able to generate disruption up the middle, both as pass rushers and run stoppers. This trio contributed to stifling Commanders top running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (who was limited in practice this week, by the way) last year.
10 Eagles predictions heading into the 2026 NFL season – PhillyVoice
2) The passing game will be up and down all season. The Eagles’ new offense under Sean Mannion is predicated on timing and precision. Run plays must look like pass plays and vice versa. Routes must be run with correct pacing and tempo. And Hurts must adjust to often having his back to the defense while running under center play action. It’s tough enough to master the intricacies of this offense with everyone healthy, but when you add in that DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon missed most of training camp, it could all look pretty choppy for while. On the bright side, the offense will make several improvements from 2025 to 2026.
Eli to IR – Iggles Blitz
They didn’t fill his roster spot on Saturday. That could mean they will sign Zach Ertz on Monday. The Eagles have talked to Ertz and there seems to be interest from both sides. We’ll find out if that leads to a reunion. They would wait until Monday so that the contract isn’t guaranteed. You normally see multiple teams make moves after Week 1 for that very reason. Stowers isn’t off to the best start with his career. He has missed time due to injury and failed to impress when he did play. Some want to rip the Eagles for taking him in the second round. Some want to label him a bust. I get the frustration with how things have played out to this point. TE isn’t a strength for the Eagles and getting so little from a high pick is disappointing.
Our annual look at the Eagles’ top-10 players under 25 years old – NBCSP
6) Darius Cooper [turns 25 Nov. 22]: Along with DeVonta Smith, Cooper is one of only two WRs on the current team who was here last year, and along with Makai Lemon he’s one of only two who are younger than 25. Cooper only caught nine passes last year in limited action, but he’s been so good this summer that everybody in the organization believes he’d be able to contribute if called upon in high-leverage situations.
The Biggest Game in Town: Inside the Eagles Media-Industrial Complex – PhillyMag
That swarm is swarmier than ever before. These days, at least 30 media outlets in the Philadelphia region — many employing multiple reporters, pundits, and prognosticators — offer daily, or near-daily, coverage of the Eagles not just during the season, but 12 months per year. Those organizations range from legacy brands like the Inquirer, WIP, and NBC Sports Philadelphia to digital entities like The Athletic (owned by The New York Times), PHLY Sports (a two-year-old start-up), Inside the Birds (podcast-driven), and Eagles Now and The Philly Special Show (two of a growing number of YouTube channels focused on the Birds). The amount of content they’re creating — and flooding our phones with 24 hours a day — borders on the ridiculous. On this day alone, for instance, after watching the Eagles do a 90-minute workout, the members of the Eagles Media Ecosystem will generate at least 250 pieces of content — articles, Instagram reels, TV news reports, TikTok videos, YouTube shorts, podcasts, whatever you call things posted on BlueSky and Threads.
Cowboys fans are very confident heading into 2026 season, even with injury – Blogging The Boys
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We have Cowboys fans right where we want them.
We also asked you if you were confident in the direction of the Cowboys heading into the season. There seems to be plenty of optimism based on all the changes and additions the Cowboys made this offseason. But does the Cowboys fanbase really feel confident in what the team is doing? You betcha. 89% of fans feel confident the Cowboys are going in the right direction.
Washington Commanders Roster Moves: Offensive lineman elevated from the practice squad – Hogs Haven
JGJ is a former Eagle. The Commanders can’t really afford an in-game offensive line injury.
The Washington Commanders are elevating C/G Julian Good-Jones from the practice squad for Sunday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had been the team’s No. 2 center at the start of training camp, but Nick Allegretti’s calf injury had him taking first-string reps with rookie Matt Gulbin behind him on the depth chart. The Commanders were a little light on the offensive line after releasing veteran OT D.J. Humphries this week.
Three Giants project to be top 50 pass rushers – Big Blue View
Quarterback is, easily, the most valuable position on an NFL field. I’ve gone so far as to consider it the foundational position in roster construction, as opposed to merely a “cornerstone” position. By the same token, pass rushers have risen in importance over the last couple years. The ability and traits to win one-on-one and directly disrupt the passer. And in that aspect, the 2026 New York Giants could be sitting on an embarrassment of riches. Seth Walder of ESPN released their projections for the Top 50 pass rushers in the NFL for 2026 this week. All three of the Giants’ edge defenders, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, project to be among the 50 most productive pass rushers in the NFL.
Vikings convert CB Isaiah Rodgers’s playing-time incentives into a signing bonus – PFT
Nice little boost for the Super Bowl LIX champ!
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers had a solid 2025 season for the Vikings. The team has acknowledged it with a tweak to his contract. Via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Vikings have converted $1.5 million in playing-time incentives for 2026 into a signing bonus. To earn that payment, he would have been required to participate in at least 85 percent of the defensive snaps in 2026.
Bralen Trice and Nick Muse elevated – The Falcoholic
Muse and Williams are former Eagles players.
The Falcons elevated TE Nick Muse & EDGE Bralen Trice from the practice to the active roster for tomorrow. OT Cameron Williams, claimed off waivers after cutdown day, has been placed on IR.
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