Go find that Kelly Green jersey and start dreaming of your tailgate.
The Birds are back, baby. The team starts the season Sept. 6 in Sao Paolo, Brazil, facing off against the Green Bay Packers before returning home to the Linc for Monday Night Football on Sept. 16 vs. Atlanta Falcons.
Whether you’ve spent the offseason breaking down the tape of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ press conferences to determine whether he likes head coach Nick Sirianni or you’re blissfully unaware that this storyline is even a thing, welcome back!
It’s the time of year where you a) wander back into your favorite fan cave, b) make small talk at the local Wawa, c) turn your head in the direction of the loud disagreement over whether or not this defense should blitz more often, or d) all of the above.
For those who spent their offseason down the Jersey Shore instead of reading up on new hire Kellen Moore, here’s the casual fan’s guide to the 2024-2025 Philadelphia Eagles.
What the *$%! happened last season?
In a word, dysfunction.
That encapsulates a whole lot. The team started 10-1, then proceeded to win just one more game, getting blown out in the first round of the playoffs by a staggeringly mediocre Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.
Offensively, Sirianni, Hurts and former offensive coordinator Brian Johnson were never on the same page, which limited a talented group’s upside. Defensively, there was an in-season change in defensive coordinator that proved disastrous to a group that didn’t have enough talent.
On top of all that, there was clearly an issue between Hurts and Sirianni.
How are they fixing the issues?
New coaches. A youth movement on defense. Poaching a rival’s superstar on offense.
On offense, Moore, formerly the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator, is now running the show entirely. The organization brought him in to freshen up an approach from Sirianni & Co. that got quite stale last season after a lot of success the two previous years.
But it’s more than a new scheme. As if having wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith wasn’t enough, the Eagles brought former Giants star running back Saquon Barkley into the fold this offseason. The roster remains loaded on that side of the ball.
On defense, longtime NFL defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is now in charge. He’s considered the “godfather” of the defensive scheme that the Eagles love and has been coveted by the team for quite a while now.
His biggest problem? The personnel. The defensive front is in the midst of a transition from veterans Haason Reddick (traded to the New York Jets) and Fletcher Cox (retired) to the next generation (free agent Bryce Huff and second-year draftee Jalen Carter). Linebacker play is a question mark at best and, while they addressed the secondary this offseason, there’s no guarantee that group performs this year.
Extra point: Mention to people that you love how much motion is in Moore’s offense. What’s motion?, you might ask. Don’t sweat it. They won’t ask.
So … what’s the story with the head coach?
Last year’s guide included an important caveat about Sirianni.
“Few question his ability and most everyone sings his praises.
Well, so long as he keeps winning.”
About that …
He did not keep winning. There’s a legitimate Office Space question of what Sirianni actually does for the Eagles now that he’s been stripped of much of his influence on offense. A good portion of the fanbase wanted him fired after last season ended.
Less than 18 months after coaching in the Super Bowl, Sirianni’s seat is hotter than a metal bench at a local playground this past July.
If the team doesn’t succeed this season, we’ll be writing about another coach in this section next year.
And what about that quarterback?
Much like Sirianni, there’s been a pretty considerable shift in the viewpoint of Hurts in the last 365 days.
After a breakout 2022 campaign, Hurts took a step back in 2023 and there have been questions about the way he leads this team. Many fans have dropped into wait-and-see mode when it comes to whether he is the long-term answer at quarterback.
It’s hard to ignore the challenges he faced in 2023. An inexperienced offensive coordinator and an offense that showed little creativity put him in an uphill battle against opponents last season. On top of that, he appeared to be battling a knee injury for the majority of the season.
That said, Hurts is aided by potentially the most talented supporting cast that an Eagles quarterback has ever had.
Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension before last season, and that massive contract does give him some leeway in how long his runway in Philadelphia may be. That said, he needs a bounce-back year in 2024, or his future here will be a top hot topic on sports talk radio.
How massive is the loss of Jason Kelce?
Rest assured, you’ll still be seeing Jason Kelce in 2024 even though he is no longer playing football.
Amazon just forked over more than $100 million for the podcast he hosts with his brother Travis. He’ll be an analyst with Monday Night Football. And his old teammates say he’s spent plenty of time around the team.
This team, however, will certainly miss him.
You may love him for chugging beers and his potential sister-in-law, but this team loved the way he was able to diagnose defenses as they lined up across from him and put the offense in position to succeed on nearly every play.
He’s arguably the greatest center of all time, and for good reason. Kelce was instrumental to what this team did on the field and has been a strong voice in the locker room.
We’ll see just how ready Cam Jurgens is to step into that role.
Extra point: How difficult will it be for Hurts to learn a new offense and handle all pre-snap responsibilities? That’s a huge question going into the season.
Why is this season starting in Brazil?
The NFL has its mind set on becoming *the* international game and its latest frontier is Sao Paolo, Brazil.
The Eagles volunteered themselves for the opportunity to travel to open this season and tackle this new venture.
Question: What did they get in return for giving up a home game?
Answer: One of the NFC’s most promising teams, on a trip that the Eagles players don’t seem all that thrilled about taking.
At least you’ve got some pretty cool Friday night plans to start football season.
What other veteran players should I know?
The aforementioned wide receiver duo of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith is one of the best in football and potentially the best in franchise history.
There’s a certain beauty in the dichotomy of the dominant physical presence of Brown and the wiry build of Smith that makes them an optimal pairing. Opposing defensive coordinators will get little sleep preparing for them.
Tight end Dallas Goedert is considered among the best at his position in all of football. The one issue with him has been his ability to stay healthy.
When on the field, he lifts the ceiling of the whole offense.
The Eagles boast one of the better offensive tackle situations in football with Jordan Mailata on the left side and veteran legend Lane Johnson on the right side. They’ll anchor an offensive line that has question marks for the first time in years.
What about the defense?
Speaking of question marks, let’s get to that defense.
While Eagles legend Cox has retired, defensive linemen Brandon Graham (see above, never forget) is still here, for his 15th and final season with the Eagles.
Graham will have a smaller role on the field as part of the edge-rusher rotation this season, but will be counted on to provide leadership in a room that really needs players to step up this season.
Finally, cornerback Darius Slay is back in the fold this year. At 33 years old, he’s an anomaly in that he’s still slotted as starter.
Will Father Time catch up to the former All-Pro and cause problems for the Eagles?
Remains to be seen.
Which newcomers could become breakout stars?
For the Penn Staters amongst us, this was a heck of an offseason for the offense.
First, the signing of running back Saquon Barkley back in March was a high note.
The former Nittany Lion established himself as one of the most explosive backs in all of football with the New York Giants before signing a three-year contract with the Birds at the outset of free agency.
On the field, there’s the excitement of how dynamic he’ll make this offense. Off the field, there’s hilarity in just how poorly the Giants botched his free agency and how embarrassing the behind-the-scenes footage of his negotiations with them were.
As Barkley found his footing with this team this summer, another former Penn State player found himself on the outs elsewhere in the NFL.
Extra point: Penn State head coach James Franklin nearly caused the Eagles some trouble when he claimed that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke to Barkley at a time when that wasn’t allowed during free agency. Fortunately, the Eagles were not punished by the league following an investigation.
Wide receiver Jahan Dotson was in the midst of a poor training camp with the Washington Commanders when the Eagles swooped in and made a trade to bring him in as their third wide receiver option.
The former first-round pick has tremendous upside that hasn’t quite bubbled to the surface in the NFL. In an offense with so much talent, he’ll have much less attention paid his way by opposing defenses, which could open him up for a bigger season.
On defense, the Eagles took a gamble by trading edge rusher Reddick to the New York Jets. He’s currently in a standoff over a new contract, but there’s no question that the Eagles defensive front is weaker without him.
To fill his role, the Eagles signed former Jet Huff. The fifth-year pro is fresh off a career year, but has never played as large of a role as the one that awaits him in Philly.
The linebacker position was a disaster last year, forcing the team to actually spend money on the position this offseason. Former Super Bowl champion Devin White comes to town with pedigree, but a checkered 2023 that included his benching in Tampa Bay.
And finally, there’s that secondary.
For the first time in over 20 years, the franchise selected a cornerback in the first round of the NFL Draft. They followed that with another one in the second round as well. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean were both projected first-round picks who could infuse top-end talent and some youth into a position that was lacking a season ago.
What does the state of Georgia have to do with my football team?
Since 2022, the Eagles have drafted five players who played college football at the University of Georgia.
Hard to blame them, given the success of Georgia football over recent years.
Currently, the issue is this group’s adjustment to the pros. Linebacker Nakobe Dean has yet to deliver on high expectations while defensive linemen Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith have yet to provide anything near the level of production that the Birds are looking for. Cornerback Keelee Ringo is getting his first extended opportunity this season.
Will this be a pipeline to success or a flawed strategy?
Time will tell.
What conversation starters will make me look smart?
“What do you make of Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts’ relationship?”
It was a question that launched months of sports talk radio.
Reporters in this town had a sense that there was tension between the two last season.
Then, Hurts gave an awkward answer at a press conference this offseason when talking about Sirianni.
From that point on, the dramatics of what it meant for this team were raised to soap-opera level.
But hey, they did ride around on a golf cart together at training camp, so maybe all is well.
“Do you believe that the Vic Fangio style of defense is effective?”
Philadelphians have an expectation when it comes to defense.
It should be as tough as they are and should be aggressive in its pursuit of the quarterback.
The issue with that?
It’s not how the Eagles view defense anymore and certainly not the calling card of new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
He is considered the godfather of the “Bend, Don’t Break” style of defense that is designed to prevent home run plays and play the percentages that an offense will make a costly mistake on a long drive.
The style is an evergreen talking point amongst fans. Some will never accept it, others see it as where NFL defensive thought has evolved.
Argue away.
“How much do you think this team benefits from its schedule and being in the NFC?”
Sure, this team has a lot of question marks.
So does the NFC. The 49ers will have to address the dreaded Super Bowl hangover, including a dramatic offseason full of contract holdouts. The Cowboys did very little to improve and their quarterback is having a standoff with the owner. Both the Lions and Packers seem to be headed toward promising futures, but there’s a reason that there’s so much parity in the NFL.
The Eagles are generally considered among the contenders in the conference. If they find a few more answers than their contemporaries, it may be all they need.
On top of that, the Eagles boast one of the easier schedules in the league on paper.
What do the ‘experts’ think will happen this year?
Let’s take a look around at the promising and not-so-promising projections.
First up, Will Brinson of CBS Sports casts doubt on whether the Eagles will be able to deal with the whirlwind of change and sees a slow start dooming them to a 9-8 record.
He’s joined in pessimism by Bill Barnwell of ESPN, who placed the Eagles on regression watch for a second consecutive season. Without sharing an exact win total, his analysis suggests the Eagles won’t win double-digit games this season.
On the contrary, The Athletic’s model put the Eagles above 10 wins and the site’s local beat writer Brooks Kubena has them at a 12-5 record.
Podcaster Bill Simmons projects the Eagles to win the NFC East and make the playoffs.
USA Today sees things similarly, with the Eagles going 11-6 and winning the NFC East.
All 28 experts at NFL Network have the Eagles in the playoffs, and 24 of them project them to win the division.
And for what it’s worth, this sports talk radio hack believes they’re going 11-6 and winning the NFC East.
What are the most exciting games on the schedule?
Sept. 6, vs. Green Bay Packers: The Packers are a trendy pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They’ve got an exciting young quarterback in Jordan Love. All eyes will be on Brazil and this season-opening matchup. Buckle up!
Sept. 29, @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It’s a rematch of last season’s Wild Card Round playoff loss for the Eagles. Hopefully, it’s more entertaining this time around for people in the Delaware Valley.
Oct. 27, @ Cincinnati Bengals: Bengals QB Joe Burrow oozes swagger. The decision to go bleach blonde may be questionable, but his talent isn’t. If he’s healthy and the Eagles are trending in the right direction, this has the potential to be an electric matchup.
Nov. 3, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: While we were busy dealing with the fallout of our Eagles’ collapse, Jacksonville dealt with one of their own. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson returns to Philadelphia, where he remains the only Super Bowl-winning head coach in franchise history. That does nothing for his job security, which could be in question by the time that this game is played.
Nov. 10, @ Dallas Cowboys: Even if you’re a casual, I don’t have to explain this to you.
Dec. 1, @ Baltimore Ravens: Reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson had the Ravens on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance last year. There’s few quarterback battles that can provide the fireworks of Jackson vs. Hurts. Might be worth the trip down I-95.
Dec. 15, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: It’s the battle of Pennsylvania! Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has never once had a losing season and always puts together a competitive group. However, this game is in the middle of a brutal stretch for Pittsburgh and could put that streak in jeopardy.
Dec. 29, vs. Cowboys: The Cowboys come to Lincoln Financial Field, and if the season works out the way many pundits predict, this game could be for the NFC East Division title.
