Eagles Season Opener Is Sunday: Time, Odds, What To Watch For, And More

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Some nine months have passed since San Francisco linebacker Eric Kendricks swatted down a Jalen Hurts pass in the red zone, ending the Eagles comeback bid and eliminating them in the first round of the playoffs.

The Birds will take to the field for their season opening matchup on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field when they host the Washington Commanders. The goal of a team that has been to three Super Bowls in the last nine years and won two of them has not changed.

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Kickoff time is 4:25 p.m., and the game will be televised on Fox.

Offseason changes

It will be quite a different Eagles squad that runs out of the tunnels Sunday.

The Birds will be without superstar wide out AJ Brown, who was finally traded in the offseason after months of rumbling discontent about his usage and relationship with the organization.

The Birds are expecting DeVonta Smith to step up, but they used the draft capital from the Brown trade to select USC standout receiver Makai Lemon in the first round. Lemon is expected to be slot in as a starter for week one.

That trade is already proving to be something of a boon for the Birds and general manager Howie Roseman, as Brown suffered an ankle injury in the season opener for the New England Patriots and appears to be out for the season.

The Birds also added linebacker Jonathan Greenard in a trade with Minnesota. The 29-year-old was an All Pro in 2024 and is among the best in the league. It's a formidable addition to what is already one of the most feared defensive alignments in the NFC.

Additions of wideouts Dontayvion Wicks and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown further fortify a receiving corps that Hurts will work with to complement Saquon Barkley. Barkley's return to 2024 form would go a long way to the Birds regaining their status among the NFL's elite.

Of course, the Birds also appeased their fans in letting go offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. They've hired 34-year-old Sean Mannion, a recently retired quarterback, to fill the role in his first ever coaching position. Mannion had already drawn headlines for his age and drew further attention when he announced he would call plays this year from the booth, not the field.

It's certainly an unorthodox pick and a risk, but Roseman doesn't make many mistakes.

Predictions

The Birds placed fifth in NFL.com's preseason power rankings, trailing only Los Angeles and Seattle in the NFC.

ESPN is less favorable, placing them at 9th overall based on their "football power index" statistic.

Various projections slate the Birds for right around 11 wins. They are certainly favored to win the NFC East over Dallas, though predictions vary in how close the race will be. They are considered a playoff team, though opinions remain mixed on whether they are still a Super Bowl contender or more of a fringe dark horse.

Schedule

The Eagles will travel to London for the third overseas game in franchise history this year. That game will be held on week 5, on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 9:30 a.m. eastern time. They'll face the Jacksonville Jaguars, whom they played in London back in 2018.

That 2018 game was at Wembley Stadium. This year's match up will be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home of the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The Birds will also be one of the select teams participating in the Thanksgiving Day games, where they'll battle against the Cowboys.

Other highlights: they'll battle the Bears in Chicago for Monday Night Football in week three, on Sept. 28. Week 15 will be matchup with the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Seattle, while Week 16 will be a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Houston Texans.

Sunday's game

Washington is among a handful of truly wild card teams heading into the season. ESPN has them 20th in their preseason rankings. There is no doubting Jayden Daniels is a star, and the team is just two years removed from knocking off top seeded Detroit in the postseason.

But there are major questions, and Washington slugged to a miserable 5-12 record in 2025. The Eagles are heavily favored Sunday as minus 5.5 point favorites and minus 250 on the moneyline, according to FanDuel.