Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed the best Bye Week imaginable

The Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed the best Bye Week imaginable.

The Eagles entered the Bye Week fresh off a 38-20 thrashing of the New York Giants that moved them to 6-2 on the season. It was their second consecutive win, so they entered the off week with some momentum, which is already a solid start.

As is always the case, the bye week afforded the Eagles an opportunity to get some added rest for some key contributors who are banged up. Guys like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson are all dealing with various injury issues, and the extra time off should help to aid in recovery. Hopefully those guys will all be available when the Eagles next take the field against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.

Not only did the Eagles hopefully get healthier during the bye week, but they also added some reinforcements at major positions of need. Philadelphia’s Bye Week happened to coincide with the NFL trade deadline, and the defending champions did the opposite of sit on their hands (not that anyone expected Howie Roseman to do that).

The Birds made a trio of trades to address major areas of need during their week off. First, they added cornerback Michael Carter II (and a 2027 7th-round pick) from the New York Jets in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie III and a 2027 6th-round pick.

Then, they added cornerback Jaire Alexander (and a 2027 seventh-round pick) from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. They also added edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins for a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Phillips has prior experience with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

Those additions could prove extremely impactful, and they could potentially help to elevate Philadelphia’s defense for another deep playoff run.

Plus, virtually all of Philadelphia’s key rivals lost in Week 9 while the Eagles players were at home watching on the couch. All three of the other teams in the NFC East came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

The Giants were bested, 34-24, by the San Francisco 49ers to fall to 2-7 on the season. On Sunday Night Football, the Washington Commanders were dominated, 38-14, by the Seattle Seahawks to drop to 3-6. They also likely lost star quarterback Jayden Daniels for the rest of the season in the process. Then, the Dallas Cowboys laid an egg on Monday Night Football and lost, 27-17, to the Arizona Cardinals. Dallas is now 3-5-1. 

The Eagles now have a commanding lead in the NFC East, and they’re in great position to win the division for a second consecutive season.

It wasn’t just division rivals who suffered losses, either. Two other teams who are often mentioned as the cream of the crop in the NFC along with the Eagles – the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions – also both lost to inferior teams in Week 9. When it comes to playoff positioning and homefield advantage in the playoffs, every game counts, and the Eagles got some major wins during their Bye Week without even taking the field.