The sky is falling on our heads in Philadelphia. At least that’s what it looks like after the abrupt retirement of Lane Johnson and trade of Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens in Baltimore.
Two years removed from a second Super Bowl victory, Eagles fans were surely hoping for a sequel reminiscent of Rocky IV. Instead, it appears Philadelphia fans will be forced to spend the remainder of the Eagles’ 2026 season watching the equivalent of Rocky V.
Yes, it could be that bad for Eagles fans in the final 13 games of the season.
Given recent events, there can be no other conclusion than Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is beginning the process of starting over. Championship-aspiring teams don’t trade Pro Bowl-level players in October in exchange for future draft picks. It’s that simple.
If you need further proof, look at how the Eagles have positioned themselves for the future. In 2028, the Eagles are now projected to have two first-round picks and two second-round picks, with the second second-round pick being acquired in the Jurgens trade.
The Eagles are setting themselves up for future success, but what does that mean for the present? If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s not good.
From the outside looking in, it seems like the franchise is in need of a reboot inside and out. On the field, the Eagles are a shell of the team that dominated the two-time defending champion Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago, particularly on offense. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley have both regressed, the offensive line is now in shambles, and the revamped receiving corps hasn’t masked the departure of AJ Brown.
Football aside, something else is wrong with this team. They no longer have the edge that helped them become champions in 2024. Let’s return to Philadelphia’s Week 3 game against Chicago, a game they were favored to win as the Bears released 38-year-old Case Keenum, who was making his first start in three years.
Midway through the second quarter, Hurts was picked off by linebacker D’Marco Jackson on a hit that was rightly penalized for unnecessary roughness. Jackson was reported, but the collateral damage was done.
The hit — and the Eagles’ response — revealed what’s inside this Philadelphia team. Typically, when a franchise quarterback gets hit like that, all hell breaks loose. Yet in this situation, DeVonta Smith was the only teammate who seemed terribly bothered by what he was seeing.
The Eagles’ response on the field was even worse. Instead of increasing their intensity, the Eagles continued to get pushed around on both sides of the ball. Philadelphia did not fight back and instead was the target of body blow after body blow. Somewhere, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago were probably smiling.
The Eagles’ lack of response that night likely speaks to the team’s current culture, or lack thereof. It is fair to question the internal leadership of the team, starting with coach Nick Sirianni.
Like his predecessor Doug Pederson, Sirianni led the Eagles to the promised land. Pederson’s message apparently fell on deaf ears in Philadelphia, and it’s more than fair to wonder if the same thing is currently happening with Sirianni. Running an NFL franchise is hard enough, and it’s even harder when fans are clamoring for your job.
The Eagles relieved Pederson of his duties three years after winning the Super Bowl. His firing came at the end of a terrible 4-11-1 season that ended – ironically enough – with Pederson and the Eagles. be accused of tanking. At that point, the prospect of another Eagles championship parade seemed as likely as Rocky returning to the ring at age 60.
Turns out Rocky fought again at 60, and the Eagles won it all just four years after that disastrous 2020 season. So Roseman’s successful rebuild should now be a comfort to Philly fans as they prepare for what could be the start of another rebuild. Until then, Eagles fans may want to spend their Sundays watching Rocky movies or reruns of past championship seasons.
Gn sports
