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In the NFL, good vibes are fleeting. Just 19 months ago, the Eagles and Commanders were headed into the offseason feeling like they had world-beaters at quarterback. Philadelphia had just conquered the football world, blowing out the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX with Jalen Hurts taking home MVP honors. Washington, meanwhile, was fresh off its first NFC Championship Game appearance in over 30 years with rookie phenom Jayden Daniels leading the way. Life was good, and that conference championship game felt like the first installment of the NFL’s next great quarterback rivalry. The 2026 season opener will be the first time Hurts and Daniels have faced off since that playoff game and there’s been a significant vibe shift on both sides of the matchup. Both quarterbacks are coming off frustrating 2025 seasons that may have cast some doubt on their long-term future with their respective teams. Hurts and Daniels will be seeking massive contract extensions in the offseason. At that point, Hurts will have one year left on the extension he signed in 2023, and Daniels will be entering his third offseason, when first-round quarterbacks either sign their first big-money extension or end up in contract purgatory, a la Bryce Young in Carolina. So, the stakes are clear for both quarterbacks in 2026: A bounce-back season will be rewarded with a big payday. But if last year’s struggles bleed over into this season, contract talks might be put on hold. The bar for a successful season is lower for Daniels than it is for Hurts, with Washington expected to finish in the bottom half of the NFC East. If the third-year pro can just stay healthy for the full 17-game slate, that will be considered a win. If Daniels stays healthy and rediscovers his 2024 form, Washington will write him a blank check in the spring. It’s just hard to envision a repeat of that magical rookie season given the current state of the Commanders offense. The offensive line was an issue last season and will be worse off in 2026 with star left tackle Laremy Tunsil out indefinitely with a torn triceps. Also, it will be up to first-year offensive coordinator David Blough, who’s just three seasons into his coaching career, to work around that massive weakness. It would be understandable if Daniels doesn’t fully bounce back, but Washington may be reluctant to fork over a top-of-the-market deal for a player coming off two disappointing seasons, especially if more injuries pop up. The Commanders wouldn’t have to move off Daniels, but they’d likely push contract talks into the following offseason, which is typically a bad sign for a first-round quarterback. Daniels had issues targeting the middle of the field in 2025, but it was less about his reluctance to make those throws and more about his inability to complete them. Per Pro Football Focus, his accuracy rate on intermediate throws dropped by nearly 10% compared to his rookie season. There were a lot of poorly placed passes on his 2025 film. But the statistical dip can’t be pinned entirely on Daniels, who was throwing into tighter windows last season. With wide receiver Terry McLaurin out hurt, the Commanders were trotting some abysmal receiving groups out there. It got to a point where tight end Zach Ertz became Daniels’ best option against man coverage. Ertz is still a useful player, but when a 35-year-old is your most reliable option on key passing downs, it’s awfully hard to play quarterback. Daniels’s regression from Year 1 to Year 2 can mostly be explained by his performance against man coverage and the blitz, which are closely linked. Washington didn’t have receivers who could punish a defense for playing aggressively, and Daniels loses accuracy when he’s forced to drive a throw into tight coverage. He’s one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks when throwing with touch in between the lines of a zone defense. He just didn’t get to do it often last season. Washington’s offense should be more equipped to deal with aggressive coverage in 2026. Stefon Diggs, who joined via free agency, was one of the NFL’s most productive receivers against tight man-to-man coverage last season. McClaurin is healthy again. And the team prioritized explosive athletes to fill out the rest of the receiving corps, including third-round rookie Antonio Williams and former first-round pick Treylon Burks. Even with the upgrades, this isn’t a world-beating receiving corps, so Daniels will have to take a step as an intermediate passer to make it work. Last week, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman defended Hurts and denied that the clock is ticking on his time in Philadelphia despite the team’s passing game struggles over the past few seasons. “I think the bottom line for us … is winning football games,” Roseman said on a recent appearance on the “Move the Sticks” podcast. “And all [Hurts] does is win football games … for me, the barometer is winning football games.” I don’t expect Roseman to get into the nuances of quarterback evaluation during a podcast hit, but that’s a reductive view of Hurts that also suggests his value to the team is directly tied to its winning percentage. If the Eagles have a down year, and the passing game doesn’t improve, will the front office view of Hurts shift? If that’s the case, then it does feel like there’s a lot riding on this season in regard to his future with the team. Supporting talent is less of a concern for Hurts – who is still surrounded by blue-chip players even after the team traded away his top receiver, A.J. Brown – but he’ll also be getting his play calls from an inexperienced offensive coordinator with Sean Mannion coming over from Green Bay. While Hurts is no stranger to OC changes, this is the first time in his NFL career where he’ll have to learn an entirely new offense from the ground up. Mannion is Nick Sirianni’s fifth offensive coordinator in Philly, but it’s the first time he’s gone outside of his coaching tree to make a hire. This won’t be some subtle rebrand. The Eagles offense will be an entirely new thing. Hurts won’t be playing in the shotgun nearly as much and there will be fewer spread formations. It will look more like the 49ers and Rams offenses, with the quarterback under center, condensed formations, and a lot of play-action passing. That’s the hope, at least. In April, ESPN dropped a report on the team’s growing frustration with Hurts’ reluctance to step outside of his comfort zone, which created a lot of the issues that have plagued Philly’s passing game over the past three seasons. Here’s a key excerpt from the report: “He has pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, sources said, including when it comes to him going under center more. He has shown a reluctance to let it rip at times, particularly against zone coverage.” The report also covered Hurts butting heads with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore over the use of pre-snap motion. Moore, who’s been calling plays for NFL offenses since 2019, is a big proponent of the tactic but dialed back his usage in 2024 to suit Hurts’ preferences. ESPN also quoted sources close to Hurts who denied those claims, but this season will give us a clear answer. Mannion’s offense is built around all the tactics that are supposedly outside of the quarterback’s comfort zone. This system doesn’t work without pre-snap motion. It doesn’t work without going under center. And it doesn’t work when the quarterback is reluctant to “let it rip” over the middle of the field against zone coverage. Hurts’ reluctance to throw over the middle of the field isn’t just theoretical at this point. Per Next Gen Stats, Hurts targeted the middle third of the field at the league’s lowest rate in 2025. It was the fifth year in a row he’s accomplished that feat. He’s had four different offensive coordinators over that span, so there’s a clear common denominator. My theory: Hurts doesn’t have top-end arm strength but makes up for it with a keen understanding of his own limitations. Hurts avoids the middle of the field for the same reason Jared Goff doesn’t throw on the run: it’s not his game. Making throws into tight zone windows with repeated success isn’t in his wheelhouse and not a winning strategy for him. It can hold back the offense at times, but it limits turnovers. Here’s an example from the Eagles’ loss to the Broncos last season. You can see Hurts consider making the stick throw to wide receiver DeVonta Smith between two zone defenders before thinking better of it and settling for an out-of-structure heave downfield. But when the windows are clearer – or the Eagles are in catch-up mode late and turnovers are less of a concern – Hurts will take his shots over the middle. If this scheme change is going to work, one of two things needs to happen: Either Mannion is the second-coming of Shanahan and consistently provides Hurts with clear throwing windows over the middle, or Hurts takes more chances, even if it leads to a small bump to his interception totals. Sunday’s opener will be our first glimpse at the new offenses in Washington and Philadelphia. While it’s important to give these first-year coordinators some grace and give their quarterbacks time to get acclimated to their new digs, the game will provide a perfect stress test for Daniels and Hurts thanks to the defensive matchups on both sides. How will Daniels fare against an Eagles secondary that closes throwing windows as well as any defense in the league? Will Hurts look comfortable going under center and turning his back to the defense on play-action defense against a Washington scheme built around pre-snap disguises and post-snap chaos? The answer to those questions will have ramifications that stretch far beyond the final score on Sunday. They’ll determine how far the Eagles and Commanders can go in 2026 and how much confidence they should have in their franchise quarterbacks beyond this season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Let’s slow the “super team” chatter around the Los Angeles Rams. Just for now. Australia was not good to the Rams, who looked tired and sloppy in their season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners took total control of the game, largely by controlling the line of scrimmage. By the fourth quarter, the Rams never really knocked on contention — slipping deeper and deeper into defeat. It’s important to remember that Week 1 lies. In other words, there’s a long, long season ahead. And this game — which took place roughly 8,000 miles from Los Angeles — won’t tell us everything we need to know about either team. But there’s no denying it: the 49ers looked dominant. And the Rams looked … dominated. Here are my takeaways: It was brutal to watch rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling get carted off with an injury in the first half. That’s another injury to another young receiver — after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall headed to IR before the season started. But Purdy didn’t look shorthanded. Not in the least. Tight end George Kittle was back in action despite a quick return from his Achilles injury last year. Receiver Mike Evans looked like the chain-mover, with a touchdown or a first down on all six of his catches. In other words, Evans was everything that they hoped he’d be when they signed him for $42.4 million and three years. Even Deebo Samuel looked young again — like his old 49ers self — with contributions in the passing game (48 receiving yards), running game (12 yards) and on special teams (74 yards). Christian McCaffrey was, of course, outstanding. But it was rookie running back Kaelon Black who was the biggest surprise. He finished with 14 carries for 65 yards. And took the load off McCaffrey at this early phase in the season. In short, the 49ers offense looked awesome. It looked deep. It looked peak Shanahan, with a swath of weapons that should help Purdy play at a really high level — even when facing what everyone had expected to be the NFL’s defense (in L.A.). It looked built to last into January and maybe even February. For all the discussion about which team planned their travel correctly, both quarterbacks looked sluggish in the first half. In fact, they both threw brutal interceptions — in the same fashion … on back-to-back drives. Twins! Purdy threw directly at a dropping safety, Quentin Lake, in an attempt for George Kittle, but Lake picked off the throw easily. And then a few plays later, Matthew Stafford floated a ball toward receiver Puka Nacua and Renardo Green backpedaled into position for a pick. You can try all you want to avoid jet lag, but it always wins. That said, Stafford looked worse than Purdy. Stafford aired a few balls so high that they proved uncatchable. He forced a dangerous throw to Davante Adams near the end of the first half. And he looked completely stumped by the 49ers’ pressure, which they generated without having to send many blitzes. For the game, Stafford finished 15 of 25 for 155 yards and an interception. Even Rams head coach Sean McVay looked a little jet-lagged, calling a QB sneak on the goal line on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter. And very much unsurprisingly, Stafford, who is notoriously bad at sneaks, couldn’t convert. On the whole, it felt like the reigning MVP was processing at a slower clip than normal. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get Aaron Donald into the mix on this defensive line? I thought there would be an embarrassment of riches. I thought the Rams defensive front would be unstoppable. I thought the hype was real. But Myles Garrett finished this game with zero sacks and zero QB hits — even with Purdy dropping back 34 times. Garrett’s pressure total was solid, up to five, per Next Gen Stats. But there’s no way he made the impact that he would’ve hoped. And that’s a real credit to Williams, the 49ers left tackle who was an absolute beast in pass protection against the guy who finished No. 1 in the “NFL 100” rankings. Near the end of the game, however, Netflix’s Tom Pelissero provided an interesting nugget. Garrett had been nursing a knee injury in training camp, which limited his practice reps and — perhaps — affected his conditioning in this game. To make matters worse, he was still dealing with a little pain from the injury. That’ll be something to keep an eye on. There’s a downside to the 49ers getting to Australia as early as they did. Now, they’ve got to go home and readjust to Pacific Time. But there’s actually good news. The 49ers will take on the Miami Dolphins, a team that looks like a clear-cut favorite (at least to me) to finish with the No. 1 pick. And then their Week 3 opponent is, frankly, another pushover. The 49ers will take on the Cardinals. So they might lose some sleep as they get their clocks right. But they’re not going to lose any sleep over their game plans. I have no doubt that San Francisco will start this season 3-0. All should be well for when the 49ers host the Broncos in the first week of October in Week 4. The Rams have a Monday night appointment with the Giants in Week 2. Hopefully, their emphasis on not acclimating to the Australian time change will help them feel ready for that matchup, because head coach John Harbaugh has New York feeling good about what the season has in store for the Giants’ young offensive core of quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. After this dud, I can’t imagine the Rams will show up with a shortage of energy.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lumen Field (Seattle) — Don’t screw it up. That’s the mindset of backup quarterback Drew Lock, taking over for Sam Darnold after the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback suffered a hip injury in the first quarter that forced him to miss the rest of Wednesday’s season-opening win over the New England Patriots. Lock completed 72.7% of his passes for 187 yards and a touchdown without an interception on Wednesday, leading the Seahawks to a comeback 13-10 victory. With Darnold expected to miss Week 2, Lock said he’s ready to take on the starting mantle if Seattle’s QB1 is out for an extended period of time. In fact, he said he was ready for Wednesday’s moment as well, thanks to an unconventional method. “My biggest thing is always drawing every play that I possibly can on a whiteboard,” Lock said at the podium on Wednesday. “I’ve got one next to my bed. I’ll do it at night; I do it in the morning. That’s just always been my thing, being able to visualize, so whenever I read it out, it’s just there in my head. “Because of the lack of reps, you don’t get to physically do it. So, I’ve got to be able to draw it from somewhere. And — no pun intended — but drawing it helps me draw it somewhere.” That sort of thinking has helped Lock grow in his career as he’s become a dependable veteran. Known as a gunslinger in his early seasons with the Denver Broncos, the 29-year-old showed his progression on Wednesday by playing reliable, mistake-free football. “I’ve definitely grown,” Lock said at the podium on Wednesday. “I’ve learned a lot about football. But having an opportunity on a team like this can shift your mindset. Knowing the type of defense we have, there’s no rush to push the ball down the field. Let’s find ways to get the ball in our guys’ hands. “Now when the ones downfield are there, I’ve never been one to be afraid to throw those. But it’s having the mindset of taking care of the football and getting it in our guys’ hands because you’ve got the best defense in the world, in my opinion.  Let’s keep the ball moving forward and see what the scoreboard looks like at the end of this.” Lock’s first half of action on Wednesday wasn’t great, with Seattle going scoreless in the first half. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury had a rough debut early on, as the Seahawks finished 2 of 11 on third downs and had totaled seven pre-snap penalties. Seattle also finished with 10 accepted penalties for 98 yards. However, Fleury and Lock did a nice job of making halftime adjustments, with the offense getting into more of a flow in the second half. “It was great to get into here at the end of the half, talk about our openers and put the plays on the board,” Lock said. “It’s also a little bit of just feeling the flow of the game, getting back into this and finding ways in the future of being into snap into this quicker. That’s just the life of a backup. But he did a fantastic job all night. We need to be better on some procedural things. Obviously, that’s apparent.” Macdonald said Darnold’s hip is intact and he suffered no fractures, but he has an injury to a muscle in the hip area. Macdonald did not provide a timetable for his return, stating the team will have a full picture when they return to the facility on Monday to begin practice for Week 2. But Darnold is expected to miss the game against Arizona. Lock is still young for a quarterback. He’s in the second year of a two-year, $5 million contract that makes him a free agent at the end of the year. And if he plays well during the handful of games he receives an NFL addition, perhaps he can earn the chance to start somewhere else next season, as Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith and Darnold have done before him. In fact, Lock talked about it during Super Bowl week. “I think every quarterback in the NFL would look you in the eyes and say they believe they can be a starter,” Lock said in February. “It’s just about the team you’re on, the opportunity you are given, and you have to be ready to pounce on it. You have to be ready to go out there and play.” Seattle players believe Lock can get the job done. “Drew played great,” Uchenna Nwosu told me. “When it matters most, that’s what he does. I’m happy for him.” “We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing,” said star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a big touchdown grab from Lock in the win. “He’s done it time and time again.” And so does Lock’s coach. “He’s been tremendous,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. “He operates like a starter does in terms of preparation, but I think the chemistry and personality of our quarterback room is one that is very supportive of each other and tries to bring out the best of one another. Drew provides a cool confidence, a loose but focused [approach] to the whole equation, which you need. “And on top of that, since he’s got here, I just feel like he’s played really great football in practice and in the preseason. We saw what he can do last night, and if he has to play again, we expect the same thing moving forward.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports