Friday, January 2

3:35 PM: With the regular season wrapping up this week, reporters who cover the team came together to vote on the Media Appreciation Award. It goes to the player who is recognized for their accessibility, honesty, and professionalism, and this year's winner was defensive tackle Jordan Davis.

In the midst of a breakout fourth season for Davis, he has been a constant in the locker room, speaking every week while routinely having casual conversations with reporters. He has consistency brought a great attitude in the locker room and was honored to receive the award on Friday.

"It couldn't have been done without y'all," Davis said to reporters. "I appreciate you accepting me for who I am. I appreciate y'all sticking though the tough times, man. We all knew the first couple of years wasn't going as planned, but understanding the process, the grind, the motivation, and seeing that journey. Y'all have been there every step of the way. Let's just keep it going, man. Thank y'all.

"It's nice to be recognized, especially by the media. You guys are pretty much the heart and the bloodline of Philly. Y'all get us connected with the fans. I think that is an important thing. That's why I hold so much respect for you guys and I always try to keep up with y'all and say what's up. Especially with the holidays because you know that's important. This is so nice, I appreciate y'all." — Matt Ryan

Thursday, January 1

4:39 PM: With the Eagles resting some starters against the Commanders in Week 18, Tanner McKee is set to make his first start of the season.

McKee started one game last year, going 27-of-41 for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-13 victory over the Giants in the regular-season finale. Now, he gets another opportunity to be under center as the Eagles have a chance to get the NFC's No. 2 seed with a Philadelphia win and Bears loss to the Lions.

While McKee has only attempted three passes this season, he has continued to develop during practice and in the meeting rooms. Learning under Jalen Hurts has been beneficial as well for McKee, who is in his third NFL season.

"I feel like every practice is an opportunity to grow and to learn," McKee said. "I definitely take in every opportunity, whether it's on Sundays or on Wednesdays or Thursdays out here in the practice field, to definitely get better.

"J's (Jalen) great. He's a leader. He knows a ton about the game, about football. He's helped me a ton. And so I'm just trying to learn as much as I can from him and be a sponge because obviously he's been highly successful and [there's] a ton of things that you can learn from a Super Bowl MVP."

Most of McKee's work this year has come with Philadelphia's second-team offense, much of which will be on the field Sunday. McKee has a lot of familiarity with players like Darius Cooper, Will Shipley, Tank Bigsby, and others who will help him against Washington.

"Throughout the season, I feel like I get a lot more reps with those guys," McKee said. "And then this week's obviously great to get our plays, our scheme this week with those guys. So I definitely feel very comfortable with them running the routes and just the chemistry. I know where they're going to be, where they're expecting the ball to be." — Matt Ryan

2:24 PM: The 14 defensive reps that rookie linebacker Smael Mondon has taken this season aren't a measure of the progress he has made. A core member of the Eagles' special teams who has recorded 10 tackles in coverage, Mondon believes he has grown leaps and bounds from the first time he stepped on the field as a fifth-round draft pick from Georgia.

On Sunday, he may have a chance to show it to everyone.

If the Eagles go the route of resting their starting linebackers, Mondon would be in line to get some substantive playing time against Washington, and he is very much looking forward to the potential playing time.

"I feel like I've learned a lot and one of the biggest things I've learned is the areas where I need to improve my game," he said. "Coming from college, some of the weaknesses you might have, they might not get exploited at that level. Here, everything is magnified. The level of play here is so much higher than in college, so it's been a great challenge and I've embraced it working to improve myself. The talent margin is so much smaller here. It's great, great football."

There are no negatives here. Mondon has played at a high speed and with effectiveness on special teams, and he has gained valuable experience in the meeting rooms and on the practice field. Studying film is now an even bigger part of his game and he's gotten a lot better at that, too.

As for playing on Sunday? Bring it on.

"I'll be real excited to get out there and play the game I love," he said. "This is not something that is guaranteed for any of us, so I'm going to take advantage of every chance I get to play. It is an honor to be here. We have a great defense, I love the guys and our coaches, they've helped me improve. My confidence is growing and I hope I can get out there and play my game." — Dave Spadaro

8:45 AM: There was a huge jump from relatively unknown high school player in St. Louis to college at Tarleton State. It doesn't compare to what Darius Cooper has experienced in the last eight months, jumping from Tarleton State to the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles. He made the 53-man roster after a strong summer and has impressed more and more throughout the season.

Cooper, if all goes as expected, should see a good amount of playing time on Sunday against Washington and he is ready to go.

"Man, I'm so excited. It's a blessing to get out there for another week and get out there with the guys and do what I can to help us win," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it, but I've always looked forward to any chance to play. This season, it's gone by so fast and it's been great.

"Hopefully, we have a lot more to go.'

Cooper has six receptions for 59 yards and has served as a blocker in other instances in the 158 offensive snaps he has played on offense. Cooper has also been a part of the special teams, a key phase of the game.

Sunday could be a platform for a large gulp of the action.

"This level of play, the playbook is the biggest adjustment with everything they need you to do exactly as they want it," he said. "Once I got that down, the game has slowed down, I've played more relaxed and I'm just going out there and doing what I do. I feel like I've been pretty good, but I take it a day at a time, put one foot in front of the other and not look too far ahead.

"I've learned a lot of tips and tricks from Coach Amo (Wide Receivers Coach Aaron Moorehead), A.J. (Brown), Smitty (DeVonta Smith), everybody. This league, you've got to be very detail oriented. You have to be on top and very precise for every play and that has helped me be a better player." – Dave Spadaro

Wednesday, December 31

3:16 PM: The Eagles announced that they will rest several starters against the Commanders in Week 18. Other starters will dress and be limited or not play at all, as the team must meet NFL-mandated roster minimums on gameday.

Philadelphia is currently the NFC's No. 3 seed and can't drop any lower, but an Eagles win against the Commanders and a Bears loss to the Lions would give the Birds the No. 2 seed for the playoffs.

The Eagles and Bears both play at 4:25 PM, meaning Philadelphia won't know Chicago's result before kickoff.

In 2022 and 2024, the last two Super Bowl seasons for the Eagles, Philadelphia rested several starters in the regular-season finale.

"We've had different scenarios," Sirianni said on Monday "… If I look back and how beneficial some of the byes that we've had have been, that's part of the reason why you think through it. It's a marathon of a season. You give your guys some rest, you get some time to think through some different things, even though you're preparing for an opponent as you go.

"You have a bunch of different scenarios, and yes, your seeding's not locked down yet, but you are thinking, 'Hey, can I put ourselves in the best position seeding wise?' But also, you're thinking to yourself how important byes are and creating them if you don't earn the right for the first-round bye. Those are all things you've got to think through and go through because I think a lot of guys would say, last year, that that was a big deal of being able to have a bye last year to set us up for what we ultimately did last year."

Monday, December 29

4:21 PM: The Eagles have been locked into a playoff spot for over a week, but their seeding is still up in the air.

Philadelphia is currently the NFC's No. 3 seed and can't drop any lower, but an Eagles win against the Commanders and Bears loss to the Lions would give the Birds the No. 2 seed for the playoffs. That's a big difference as being the No. 2 seed would guarantee the Eagles a home game in the Divisional round should they advance.

The Eagles and Bears both play at 4:25 PM, meaning Philadelphia won't know Chicago's result before kickoff. Head Coach Nick Sirianni has to decide whether the Eagles will rest key starters against the Commanders, but he said on Monday there isn't a rush right now to come to that decision.

"Obviously we've done it both ways. We've had opportunities to rest. We've had opportunities to continue to get a better seed and played," Sirianni said. "You go through your process, you go through all those different things, but every season is a little bit different. Every every team is a little bit different. We'll end up doing what we think is best for the the team, and we're still thinking through that.

"That's not a decision I have to make today or even tomorrow. It's just something that you have to go through the process of making it. And so, again, at the end of the day, we'll do what we feel is best for the team. I know there will be debate about whatever it is that we do. But that's why we have to go through our process and do what we feel is best to help our team moving forward." — Matt Ryan