The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing to defend their Super Bowl championship, and Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Stadium offers the first real look at how this team has evolved. All eyes will be on the Eagles’ offseason additions, particularly first-round pick linebacker Jihaad Campbell and second-round safety Andrew Mukuba. But the bigger question surrounds the debut of the Eagles’ “new” offense under Kevin Patullo and whether star quarterback Jalen Hurts will take the field to get familiar with the revamped system.
Will Jalen Hurts Play While the Bengals Commit to Joe Burrow?
The contrast in approaches between the two teams couldn’t be clearer. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has already confirmed that his offensive starters, including quarterback Joe Burrow, will play “several series” in the preseason opener. Meanwhile, Nick Sirianni has kept his cards close to his chest, telling reporters on Tuesday that he was “still thinking through all of those things.”
“Everything’s discussed,” Sirianni said. “We spend a lot of time discussing it. And we’ll see how that goes. Today’s practice, this will be our third day in a row in practice, and we’ll see how guys are feeling after this and go from there.”
Head Coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media. #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/0wMPp5mu1w
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 5, 2025
Sirianni’s cautious approach follows a clear pattern. The Eagles coach hasn’t played his top offensive players in recent preseason games. Hurts last saw preseason action in 2022 when he played one series with the starting offense against the New York Jets. He and the rest of the key offensive weapons sat out all three preseason games in both 2023 and 2024, and the same strategy is expected to continue this season.
However, if the opportunity presents itself, Hurts remains ready to step onto the field.
“I think any time I have the opportunity to play, I relish in it and take advantage of it,” Hurts said. “If Coach makes that decision, I will.”
Who Takes the Snaps if Hurts Stays on the Sideline?
If Sirianni sticks to his established approach and keeps Hurts out of action, the spotlight shifts to the Eagles’ backup quarterbacks. Third-year quarterback Tanner McKee appears to be the likely starter, and his training camp performance has generated significant buzz around the organization.
The Eagles selected McKee in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he has just one game of starting experience under his belt, the 25-year-old has been making a strong impression in training camp, with one Philadelphia reporter describing him as “really, really good.” McKee is listed as QB2 on the Eagles’ depth chart and is expected to handle the majority of snaps throughout the preseason.
Behind McKee, the Eagles have added depth with former Cleveland Brown Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who brings five games of starting experience to the quarterback room. Rookie Kyle McCord rounds out the group, and both players are expected to see limited snaps across the three preseason games as the coaching staff evaluates the position’s depth.
