Jalen Hurts health update could push Eagles toward a lost season, and 5 veterans make sense as trade candidates
The starting quarterback is out against Carolina with a blood clot in his calf, and Philadelphia has until Nov. 10 to decide which direction to take.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 2026 season keeps getting more complicated. Philadelphia sits at 2-3, behind the New York Giants (3-1-1) in the NFC East standings. Now, quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers due to a superficial blood clot in his calf.
According to a statement from the Eagles, the clot was discovered Saturday in London, but doctors allowed Hurts to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A follow-up ultrasound Wednesday revealed that the clot had moved. Therefore, the team ruled him out while doctors determine the treatment. Depending on that decision, Hurts could miss more than just Sunday’s game and be out for an extended period.
The Eagles can still theoretically win the division. However, there were already rumblings about Philadelphia treating 2026 as a tank season depending on how things go, and the Hurts health issue only amplifies that scenario. The front office doesn’t need to make any decisions right now. The trade deadline is Nov. 10, so the Eagles have time to monitor Hurts’ health and see how the team performs over the next few weeks.
So, let’s discuss five veterans in the final year of their deals. Trading any of them would recoup draft capital and save some money without significant long-term repercussions for 2027 and beyond.
WR Hollywood Brown
- Value according to A to Z Sports trade simulator: 2027 6th-round pick, 2028 7th-round pick
Marquise Brown is playing under a one-year, $5 million contract. An acquiring team would absorb only the proration of his base salary, which is $1.3 million for the entire season. Philadelphia structures contracts mostly with signing bonuses and restructure bonuses to maximize cap proration, and that makes trades a little more difficult.
Still, moving Brown could generate a late-round pick, or at least a late-round swap, in 2027 or 2028. The Eagles would clear around $600,000 in cap space, and the trade wouldn’t accelerate the 2027 dead money, which is a little less than $3 million. Brown is 29 and hasn’t been a big part of the offense. Giving more snaps to the young players makes more sense than keeping a veteran on an expiring deal.
TE Dallas Goedert
- Value according to A to Z Sports trade simulator: 2027 5th-round pick
This one is tougher, both in terms of replacing his role and what Dallas Goedert means to the franchise. Goedert hit free agency this offseason and returned on a one-year, $7 million contract. A trade would free up around $600,000 in cap space and cash.
Goedert is 31 and will turn 32 by January. He has been productive this season, and that’s exactly why the Eagles could get real compensation for him. For a contender, he might be worth a mid-round pick. Additionally, his contract incentives wouldn’t hit Philadelphia’s salary cap if he’s moved.
The Eagles also have Eli Stowers, their second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, coming back from injury relatively soon. Losing Goedert might be costly this year, but he probably won’t be around much longer anyway.
DT Moro Ojomo
- Value according to A to Z Sports trade simulator: 2028 4th-round pick
Philadelphia clearly likes Moro Ojomo. The former seventh-round pick from 2023 is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he earned the proven performance escalator, which puts his base salary at $3.674 million. As a consequence, trading him would bring bigger cap and cash savings than the other names on this list, around $1.8 million.
But more than that, the Eagles already gave big-time extensions to Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Spending more cash on the interior of the defensive line would damage the rest of the roster. Ojomo is therefore expected to leave in free agency, so getting compensation now would be a smart proposition for general manager Howie Roseman.
CB Riq Woolen
- Value according to A to Z Sports trade simulator: 2027 6th-round pick, 2028 2nd-round pick
Tariq Woolen won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season. The former fifth-round pick signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Eagles, including a $6 million signing bonus, and the team later restructured part of the deal. His base salary is $1.26 million, and that would move in a trade along with his unlikely incentives.
This one is less about money. Philadelphia would still carry $8.6 million in dead money next year. On the other hand, Woolen is a valuable player at a valuable position, and contenders could offer significant draft compensation. The Eagles have Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and they signed Kenny Moore during the season. The boundary spot opposite Mitchell wouldn’t look great without Woolen. Unless the Eagles plan to extend him next offseason, but a reasonable return would justify the move.
S Marcus Epps
- Value according to A to Z Sports trade simulator: 6th/7th-round swap
Safety has been a problem area for the Eagles in 2026, and Andrew Mukuba probably hasn’t lived up to his draft stock. Marcus Epps returned on a one-year deal this offseason, with a veteran minimum base salary and some incentives.
The question is whether any team would give up draft compensation, since Epps hasn’t played that well. He has also been dealing with an injury, but he returned to practice this week. If someone offers even a late-round swap for a competent veteran safety, Philadelphia should listen. The cap impact wouldn’t be significant, but the move would open more reps for younger players.
