ESPN Weighs in on Eagles' Chances of Beating Commanders in Week 1

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to kick off the 2026 NFL season against the NFC East rival Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET.

For Jalen Hurts and the rest of the team, it's the start of a hopeful Super Bowl run. On paper, the Eagles have the talent necessary to be a legitimate contender in the NFC.

Heading into Week 1 action, there are a lot of changes to watch in Philadelphia. Most notably, the offense will look different following the offseason trade that sent star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots.

With all of that being said, ESPN has weighed in and revealed their prediction for the Week 1 showdown.

ESPN has given the Eagles a 66.5 percent chance of coming out with a win over the Commanders. Philadelphia enters the game as the favorite.

Outside of the game, there are other storylines worth keeping a close eye on as well.

Hurts has seen his name thrown around in more rumors throughout the 2026 offseason. There are some who still think the Eagles could consider a coaching change at some point down the road. He will have another chance to quiet those numbers with a big year

Can Saquon Barkley get back to being the threat he was back in 2024? He had a down year in 2025, although it was still a good year for most running backs.

Will Brown's absence cause the Philadelphia passing game to take a step back?

On the defensive side of the football, the Eagles have the potential to be very good. However, the defense will still need to prove that it can play up to its level of talent.

All of those things will be watched closely against Washington. If Philadelphia can come out and dominate, the Eagles will quickly rise up the power rankings.

Nick Sirianni has also seen his named placed on some hot seat watch rankings. He'll be looking to continue the success that he has had since taking the job. Apparently, making two Super Bowl runs and winning one of them isn't enough for job security.

The Eagles will kick off their 2026 season Sunday afternoon. While there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the team, there are still things to watch for as well.