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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/alcatraz_0109 on 2025-03-26 15:07:58+00:00.

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At the end of September, the Philadelphia Eagles’ record stood at 2-2, having just come off a pummeling at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the same team that had ended their season 9 months earlier. This followed a 2023 season that had ended with the Eagles losing 6 of their final 7 games. Only the Tennessee Titans, the eventual worst team in the NFL, had a worse turnover margin at that point. Despite changing both coordinators and throwing big money at impact talents, the offense continued to stagnate too often, while the defense struggled to make impact plays.

But in between the September loss to Tampa and this moment, the Eagles turned into one of the most dominant teams that the NFL has seen in recent years. They won 12 of their final 13 regular season games, cruising to their 4th NFC East title in 8 seasons. Despite losing out to Detroit for the NFC’s top seed, they steamrolled their way to the NFC Championship. And as you might have gathered from the screenshot above, they won the franchise’s second-ever Super Bowl in style, pulverizing the 2-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs into submission. Across the 17 games they played after the Week 5 bye, they put up an unfathomably good +238 point differential.

The offense, led by Jalen Hurts, newcomer Saquon Barkley, and a dominating, phyiscal OL, was the NFL’s run-heaviest, and while it contravened the overall pass-heavier trends of NFL offenses, it was still incredibly effective, with Barkley becoming the 9th player to pass 2000 rushing yards in a season, and ultimately surpassing Terrell Davis’s record for rushing yards in a regular season + postseason. Barkley would win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and he, WR A.J. Brown, and OTs Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson would make NFL All-Pro Teams.

But it was the Eagles’ defense that made the team’s biggest statement. Led by free agent surprise and 1st-Team All-Pro LB Zack Baun, dynamic 2nd-year DT Jalen Carter, and a talented rookie CB duo of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the Eagles defense became the NFL’s most dominating unit, leading the NFL in total yards against per game and defensive DVOA.

Offseason Recap

KEY ACQUISITIONS:

  • RB Saquon Barkley - This was the biggest free agent RB signing the Eagles had made in years, and it proved to be worth every penny and then some. 1st Team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, all time single-season + playoffs rushing record, and an endless highlight reel.
  • LB Zack Baun - He signed for just $1.5M expecting to be a special teamer and rotational edge rusher but ended up putting together the best season for an Eagles off-ball LB in a generation, earning 1st Team All-Pro honors.
  • S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson - This veteran from the Eagles’ 2022 playoff run came back after a season in Detroit to provide great stability, playmaking, and swagger at the safety position.
  • EDGE Bryce Huff - The Eagles’ biggest-money free agent signing of 2024, he seemed poised to be a major factor in a revitalized edge rushing corps, but he only recorded 2.5 sacks on the year while missing 5 games with injury.
  • G Mekhi Becton - He went from Jets LT bust to physical, dominating RG for a devastatingly effective rushing offense, revitalizing his career after a position change and a year at Stoutland University.
  • QB Kenny Pickett (Trade, PIT) - The Eagles wanted a relatively young but experienced QB to back up Jalen Hurts; trading a 3rd round pick for the 2022 1st rounder and New Jersey native. He was decent enough when called upon.
  • WR Jahan Dotson (Trade, WAS) - Acquired from Washington just as camp ended, he was the WR3 and played a good amount of snaps but Jalen Hurts rarely looked his way.
  • LB Oren Burks - A special teamer and top backup for the Niners, he played a similar role for the Eagles until Nakobe Dean was lost for the playoffs. But he more than held his own as the Eagles’ defense dominated the playoffs.
  • LB Devin White - The former 5th overall pick and 2021 All-Pro seemed like a nice buy-low candidate for a defense that needed LB talent badly. But he didn’t even make a gameday roster before being cut 4 weeks into the season.
  • WR DeVante Parker - He seemed like a capable veteran WR who could play as a boundary receiver and had more juice than 2023 Julio Jones. But he retired before training camp began.
  • WR Parris Campbell, TE C.J. Uzomah, C Nick Gates - A mixture of veterans who made the occasional gameday appearance as role players.
  • C Matt Hennessy, WR John Ross, QB Will Grier - A mixture of veterans who ended up as training camp fodder.

KEY DEPARTURES:

  • C Jason Kelce, DT Fletcher Cox (Retirement) - These 2 longtime franchise cornerstones retired after 13 and 12 seasons respectively, even though both had been strong contributors in 2023.
  • RB D’Andre Swift (FA, CHI) - A year with a consistent OL boosted Swift’s stock, but with the Eagles seemingly setting their sights on Saquon Barkley as the new RB1, Swift signed with a new-look Bears offense.
  • EDGE Haason Reddick (Trade, NYJ) - A key part of the Eagles’ defense over the prior 2 years, Reddick was dealt for a conditional 3rd after threatening a contract holdout.
  • S Kevin Byard (FA, CHI) - As a veteran fill-in, Byard was somewhat underwhelming as an Eagle; he signed with the Bears prior to free agency after the Eagles agreed to release him following the 2023 season.
  • QB Marcus Mariota (FA, WAS) - The Eagles love their high-priced QB2s, and Mariota got a healthy $5M to ride the pine in 2023 before departing to become Washington’s veteran QB2.
  • WR Olamide Zaccheaus (FA, WAS) - Zaccheaus made the occasional splash play during his lone season in Philly, but there’s not a high ceiling for any Eagles WR not named A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith, so the Eagles let Zaccheaus walk to a division rival.
  • WR Quez Watkins (FA, PIT) - The Eagles initially liked Watkins as their WR3 because of his blazing speed, but he never developed the consistency of an NFL WR and had been phased out of the offense by the end of his rookie deal. Watkins signed a 1-year deal in Pittsburgh, the Mecca of mercurial WRs.
  • LB Zach Gunningham (FA, DEN), LB Nicholas Morrow (FA, BUF), S Justin Evans, LB Shaq Leonard - The 2023 Eagles relied on a number of retreads to fill out their defensive numbers, with predictable results. Naturally, there was no desire to run any of them back entering 2024, although Morrow did get onto the Eagles’ practice squad for their Super Bowl run.

DRAFT PICKS/KEY UDFA:

  • 1-22: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo - The Eagles’ first 1st-round CB since 2002, Mitchell was a lockdown CB1 from Day 1, displaying All-Pro potential with his blend of size, speed, and savvy.
  • 2-40: Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa - DeJean was the perfect chess piece to complete Vic Fangio’s scheme, thriving as a slot CB thanks to his combo of strength, athleticism, and football IQ, even earning 1st Team All-Pro votes as a rookie.
  • 3-94: Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian - A raw, athletic talent out of the FCS, Hunt was one of the most successful developmental stories on a team full of them, surprising everyone to become one of the Eagles’ key edge rushers during their Super Bowl run while still a rookie.
  • 4-127: Will Shipley, RB, Clemson - A versatile, productive RB in college with a little bit of shiftiness, Shipley looked to be a good fit as a role player but was relegated to RB3 + special teams duty thanks to Saquon and Kenny Gainwell.
  • 5-152: Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M - Like Shipley, Smith’s calling card was his twitchiness, versatility, and strong college production, but his lack of size made it difficult for him to stand out in camp, and a preseason injury put a damper on his rookie year.
  • 5-155: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson - The son of the former Eagle and All-Pro LB, Trotter displayed strong playmaking instincts in college, but mediocre measurables during the draft process saw his stock fall. He did flash some p aymaking skills when he got garbage time snaps, and was a special teams standout.
  • 5-172: Trevor Keegan, OG, Michigan - Keegan was a 3-year starter for the Wolverines, profiling as a physical blocker with solid athleticism. He was on the roster all season, but was inactive for all but 1 game.
  • 6-185: Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State - A tall receiver (6’6”) with surprisingly good speed for his size, Wilson was more NFL-ready than expected and broke camp as the Eagles’ WR4 and core special teamer, but was still raw and prone to mental mistakes.
  • 6-190: Dylan McMahon, C, North Carolina State - The Eagles’ first 6th round center since Jason Kelce, McMahon put up excellent testing numbers at the Combine, but didn’t have the size or length to contribute as a more versatile interior OL, and was bumped off the final roster in camp.

Weekly Recap

Week Score Summary
1 @PHI 34, GB 29 The NFL’s first ever game in Brazil was a back-and-forth shootout, but the Eagles ultimately pulled out the victory thanks to Saquon Barkley’s 3 TDs, and some spectacular playmaking by fellow Eagles debutant LB Zack Baun.
2 ATL 22, @PHI 21 In a sloppy affair, the Eagles missed a chance to clinch the game when Saquon dropped a wide open pass, the…

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