The 2026 NFL season is finally here. The season officially begins on Wednesday, when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch. The Washington Commanders begin their season on Sunday, as they head up I-95 to face the two-time defending NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles became the first NFC East team in over 20 years to win back-to-back division titles last season. Philadelphia’s season came to an end in the NFC Wild Card round, as the Eagles fell to the San Francisco 49ers 23-19.
The Commanders are coming off a disappointing 5-12 season — one year after a shocking run to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the Eagles.
Here are five things to know about the
Week 1 matchup between the two longtime NFC East rivals.
Opening the season in Philadelphia
The Commanders and Eagles have opened the season in Philadelphia five previous times. Washington holds a 3-2 edge in those five previous road Week 1 meetings in Philly. The last time the Commanders opened a season in Philadelphia was in 2019. The Eagles won, 32-27, but that was Terry McLaurin’s first career NFL game, when he caught five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Case Keenum missed a wide-open McLaurin on another potential touchdown.
11 total Week 1 meetings
Sunday’s game will be the 12th time that Philadelphia and Washington meet in Week 1. The Commanders hold a 6-5 edge, including winning the last meeting in 2020, 27-17. Dwayne Haskins started under center for Washington and completed 17 of 31 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Peyton Barber scored two rushing touchdowns on that day, while McLaurin led the team with five receptions for 61 yards.
Commanders and Eagles are tied up in Philadelphia
Washington and Philadelphia have met 90 times in the City of Brotherly Love. Each team has won 44 games, and they have tied twice. They last met in Week 18 in January, when the Commanders defeated the Eagles 24-17 with third-string quarterback Josh Johnson under center. It was a battle of backups, as Philadelphia rested its starters, while Washington had a good portion of its original starting lineup on injured reserve.
No A.J. Brown for the first time since 2021
The Eagles traded away star wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason. That should make Washington fans happy. In seven career games vs. the Commanders, Brown caught 45 passes for 654 yards and six touchdowns. He was dominant against any combination of Washington cornerbacks over the past four years. DeVonta Smith ascends into the No. 1 role, and he, too, has enjoyed some success against the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels vs. Eagles
Daniels didn’t play in either of last season’s matchups, but he did face the Eagles three times in 2024, including the NFC Championship Game. In two regular-season meetings, Daniels has completed 46 of his 71 passing attempts (65%) for 449 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 81 yards in that second meeting, in which he passed for a career-high five touchdowns and led the Commanders to an impressive come-from-behind win. Daniels also played well against Philadelphia in the NFC Championship, but fumbles by Austin Ekeler and Dyami Brown allowed the game to get out of hand.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders vs. Eagles: 5 things to know for Week 1
