Top 5 Players That Will Impact the 49ers vs Eagles Matchup During The 2026 Super Wild Card Weekend
This Eagles vs 49ers matchup is going to be one of the best games of the 2026 Super Wild Card Weekend slate just because of the history of these two franchises as of late and the talent that each side has heading into this matchup, which brings me to my list of the top five players that will make the most impact in this game on Sunday afternoon. So let’s dive into the list, starting with a certain quarterback who gets a lot of hate for no reason.
#1: Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts is going to be the guy that I believe is going to make the most impact in this game because that’s all he seems to do when it comes to playoff football in his career. Other than the two losses against the Bucs in 2021 and 2023, Hurts has been a riser in the playoffs in his career.
Yes, he does the things that the team needs to do to win games in the regular season but when the stakes get higher, his performance gets to another level. Hurts has had a 95.4 passer rating with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in the nine playoff starts in his career, including two of the greatest Super Bowl Performances a quarterback has ever had. So, yes, QB1 of the Eagles is going to be the most impactful player in this game on Sunday in either direction of result.
#2: Christian McCaffery
Philadelphia is going to have to stop Christian McCaffery first and foremost on Sunday, especially if they want to stay successful as they have been on the defensive side of the ball. CMC is one of those running backs who change the game on a dime if you don’t have him contained.
McCaffery is coming into these playoffs off a strong bounce-back season after his injury-filled 2024 season. The 49ers running back rushed for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season and also had close to 1,000 yards receiving as well this season. So the dual-threat running back is going to be the best 49ers player on the field on Sunday.
#3: Cooper DeJean
The Eagles’ sophomore slot cornerback Cooper DeJean is showcasing why he is currently the best slot corner in the game. DeJean was named First-Team All-Pro over the weekend, along with other Eagles corner Quinyon Mitchell, which is a godsend for the 2024 draft that overhauled the Eagles’ secondary from that disaster of a 2023 season. DeJean is going to be all over the field on Sunday and will be the factor to stop the short routes and slot receivers, which I believe is going to really hamper Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense a lot.
Additional Picks
#4: George Kittle
Kittle is going to be the main target for Brock Purdy on Sunday, especially if Ricky Pearsall doesn’t play in this game. Kittle is still one of the best tight ends in the league and will have to be another thing that Vic Fangio is going to have to gameplan for if the Eagles want to win the game. Kittle had seven receiving touchdowns on the year for San Francisco, so he is still a threat in the red zone for this offense, and Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean are going to have to be lockdown in coverage.
#5. Saquon Barkley
The weak 49ers linebacker play, along with the inconsistent front four, will give Saquon Barkley a lot of opportunity to go off in this game. Barkley started the season slowly, but was able to bounce back in the second half of the year for the most part, and still got over 1,000 yards rushing. It will be interesting to see how Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo uses Barkley this week against a weak 49ers front seven. I believe Barkley is going to have a huge day on Sunday that will rewrite the narrative of his season to this point, as Hurts’ performance will do for him.
How We Chose These
These five players are arguably the most consistent performers for their teams all season long and will be the key players each team will rely on to win this game. I could have also mentioned Lane Johnson and Trent Williams at the tackle spots, as they return from injury, but I already discussed that storyline in the storylines article. Philadelphia and San Francisco have a lot of impact players, but these five are guaranteed to be the major impacts throughout the week.
Conclusion
These five guys are the key players of each team and will be the guys who will determine the opportunity to move on to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. This game will be one of the key games to keep an eye on because of the talent involved, especially all of the guys mentioned here. Follow along with Total Apex Sports for more NFL Playoff coverage throughout the Wild Card Round.
