In my seven years covering the Eagles, there may not have been a more seismic seven-day stretch than the one I just spent away on paternity leave. Even zooming out, has there been a monthlong sequence of events this early in a season that compares to what the Eagles just endured since Lane Johnson’s retirement at the start of October?

With that said, here are five thoughts on the team now that I’m back in the swing of things:

What lies ahead for Jalen Hurts

Given the actual human side of what’s transpired with Jalen Hurts in the last two weeks, it feels trivial to jump straight into football here.

Hurts being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs will certainly define the rest of this Eagles season and perhaps his future both as an Eagle and a player overall. But for a man so singularly focused on his identity in this sport, I find myself wondering how it will define the greater story of Hurts’ life and career in the long-term.

Eagles fans have heard the likes of Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham, and now Lane Johnson talk about the difficult terrain of life away from football, and Hurts now finds himself in that foreign space about as abruptly as one could imagine.

As for the scrutiny the Eagles are now facing in their handling of Hurts’ health, it’s completely fair for the timeline and the decision-making to come under scrutiny. Even if it’s determined the organization did have Hurts’ best interest in mind and followed the league’s guidelines accordingly, the way things played out may serve as a teachable moment for how those guidelines could better service players, particularly when it comes to international travel in future seasons.

It’s also fair to wonder how the last couple weeks will impact the dynamic between Hurts and the organization assuming (and hoping for) a complete recovery. The Eagles and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, releasing joint statements paints a picture of two sides working together, and there’s likely some truth to Hurts’ camp appreciating how members of the organization navigated such an unpredictable situation. Still, those sentiments compared to the looming decision on how both sides will navigate next offseason remains to be seen.

Planning for McKee

Sticking with the quarterback position, how this season plays out now feels somewhat instructive for the Eagles offensive brain trust.

My esteemed colleague Fran Duffy did a nice job spelling it out on the Thursday show, the plan should look different with McKee. Especially with Drew Kendall back and Lanndon Dickerson potentially being closer to himself, the protection calls need to be better and Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion needs to prove this offense is making progress.

Because Hurts was ruled out midway through the week leading into the Panthers game, I’d expect things to look more tailored for McKee in his second start.

Good coaching staffs find ways to work with even backup quarterbacks of McKee’s caliber (see: Case Keenum’s performance against the Eagles in Week 3). And especially with the past sentiment that Hurts’ resistance to certain concepts and changes to the offense have held the coaching staff back, how things look with McKee as the season progresses should be an important data point when assessing how the Eagles offense has gotten to such a worrying state.

Settle on Saquon

In the spirit of the Wednesday edition of the PHLY Eagles Podcast, I put myself through the exercise of asking what a turnaround for the Eagles would look like this season in the form of a flow chart.

Can the offensive line stabilize and, at the very least, become a league-average unit with Drew Kendall at center and Landon Dickerson returning at left guard?

If so, can Saquon Barkley stay on the field enough to be the engine for this offense after a nightmarish start to the season health-wise?

Barkley’s on track to return to the lineup after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. Combine that return with the off chance that Dickerson will look more like himself after an extended stretch on injured reserve and Kendall’s return to the lineup, and there’s at least a glimmer of hope that the run game finds some traction against a shaky Cowboys defense on Monday night and sets up the offensive identity that’s evaded them so far this year.

Receiving angst

Speaking of the injury report, both DeVonta Smith and Tay Wicks have missed each of the last two practices due to injury. Smith’s dealing with another hamstring injury, while Wicks is sidelined with a hurt ankle.

Setting aside the intrigue of a receiving corps led by Hollywood Brown, Makai Lemon, and Darius Cooper, Smith’s now dealing with his third stint recovering from a persistent hamstring issue. Especially with the season now somewhat hanging in the balance, perhaps this lingering injury would be better served with him shutting it down for longer than the two weeks he missed earlier in the season?

Selling speculation

There has been plenty of discussion on whether the Eagles would be better served moving on from a few players between now and the trade deadline on Nov. 10.

Let’s quickly go through some of the players who would and wouldn’t make sense to offload if the next few weeks don’t feature a resurgence from the team …

Riq Woolen: Absolutely. Flipping the 27-year-old to a contender for draft capital feels like one of the easier choices here. Woolen has been solid for the Eagles, but isn’t a long-term building block.

Moro Ojomo: Most likely. The Eagles could wait out Ojomo’s free agency and likely receive a third-round compensatory pick if he signs for what most would expect. Still, a third in the hand is better than one in the comp pick bush.

Saquon Barkley: This is possibly the trickiest one. There’s a compelling argument for getting value for Barkley if the season truly goes sideways. He’s 29 years old and still the type of player a real contender would likely view as the final piece for a title push. Do the Eagles view him as an important part of a potential turnaround in 2028 and beyond? He’s under contract through 2029 if so, but getting out of a significant investment at the running back position makes some sense to me. I’d say yes, but certainly not for a discount.

Dallas Goedert: Leaning yes. He’s only under contract through this season and has been seeking a better deal for multiple years now. If a contending team offers an early-Day-3 pick, wouldn’t it make sense to clear the way for Eli Stowers to get some developmental snaps?

Cooper DeJean, DeVonta Smith, and any other young franchise cornerstone: Absolutely not. I was surprised to see some of those names floated. Those guys are part of the vision for the best version of this team in 2029 and beyond. You don’t move on from that.