Cowboys and Eagles meet Monday night as Philadelphia's injured QB Jalen Hurts sits out

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles play Monday, October 26, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN's Monday Night Football. Both teams enter at 2-4. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is out with blood clots that are probably ending his season, so backup Tanner McKee takes over. Philadelphia has lost four straight games, and receiver DeVonta Smith, its leading target, is out. Saquon Barkley's status has been upgraded, and he could return. Dallas will start Dak Prescott, who has his main receivers available, but its defense is allowing 382.5 yards per game under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, a former Eagles assistant. Both teams are within reach of the first-place Giants in the NFC East. SportsLine's model backs the Eagles as 4.5-point underdogs and projects fewer than 44.5 total points.

Right-leaning Fox News, in a betting promo covering this game and a World Series game, emphasizes Dallas's health edge, Prescott's full receiving corps, and Philadelphia's injuries, and says Barkley has not looked effective this season. It also notes Dallas has already lost to a backup quarterback. Left-leaning The Guardian US leads with Philadelphia's four-game skid and a blown 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Rams, presents Hurts's injury as a crisis for the franchise, and highlights Dallas's struggles to stop opponents. It calls the game critical and mainly compelling for the anxieties on both sides. Alternative sources Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports focus on betting: Yahoo leads with Barkley's upgrade, while CBS pushes a BetMGM bonus and model picks. Both left and right agree Hurts is out and Dallas's defense is struggling. They differ in emphasis: Fox stresses the Eagles' injuries and Dallas's health, while the Guardian centers on Philadelphia's losing streak and anxiety. Neither the Guardian nor Fox mentions Barkley's upgrade in the coverage shown.