In Week 18, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni opted to rest several starters, and that decision could come back to haunt him in the Wild Card Round against the San Francisco 49ers.
During an appearance on the Jan. 9 edition of “Up & Adams,” former NFL player Logan Ryan stated that he doesn’t like that several Eagles are coming into this game against the Niners off not playing in the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders.
“I’m not on board with Nick Sirianni managing those starters like that,” Ryan said. “You can’t just flip a switch and expect it to work. That seems to be the Eagles’ approach this year—waiting until the playoffs to suddenly start performing at a high level, resting players and hoping it all clicks. It doesn’t always work that way. How you finish the regular season carries over into the playoffs, and momentum matters.”
Furthermore, before making those remarks, Ryan noted that he expects the 49ers to head into Philadelphia, secure the upset win over the Eagles, and advance to the divisional round.
“I’m picking the Niners upset here,” Ryan added. “I’m picking the Niners to win this one. I think their defense, and [defensive coordinator Robert Saleh] has a good game plan for the Eagles, and I like what [Brock] Purdy is doing.”
49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Talks Eagles Defense
Despite what Ryan is saying about the Eagles, Christian McCaffrey isn’t taking the Philadelphia defense lightly. Ahead of the Wild Card Round game against the Eagles, McCaffrey spoke with reporters on Jan. 7 and shared his thoughts on the team’s defense.
“You’ve got great scheme and great players, and anytime you play against great scheme and great players, you really got to execute,” McCaffrey said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “You’ve got to be locked in on the details, and just continue to stay focused throughout the entire game.”
Kyle Shanahan Doesn’t Hold Back on Jalen Hurts
Moreover, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan understands they are playing the reigning Super Bowl champions, and eliminating them won’t be easy, especially if Jalen Hurts has a big game. Shanahan spoke with the media on Jan. 7 and was asked about Hurts.
“He’s got a big-time arm,” Shanahan said (h/t Grant Cohn of On SI). “With those wideouts and stuff he has, he’s capable of making any throw, whether on time or whether extremely late, because usually, when a quarterback is late, you can’t throw it that far and catch up with those guys—he can.
“So, you got to honor the entire field with them. And anytime you have a quarterback who’s capable of doing that, who also is a threat every single play throughout an entire game with his legs, it’s an issue, whether he uses it or not.
“When someone is a threat like that, you have to adjust certain things that you don’t have to worry about versus other people. And whether they do it or not, you got to honor it, and that slows down your whole defense as a whole.”
Despite all the hurdles the Eagles faced during the 2025 NFL regular season, Jalen Hurts posted a passer rating of 98.5 with 3,224 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 16 games, per StatMuse.
Eagles, Nick Sirianni Get Concerning Words Before 49ers Game