PHILADELPHIA — One year removed from putting on a masterful defensive beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves answering uncomfortable questions. Nick Sirianni holds a 59-26 regular-season record and back-to-back NFC East titles—a feat untouched by the division in 20 years—yet critics wonder if his seat is warming. Following an 8-2 start to the 2025 season, Philadelphia collapsed. They lost three straight, limped into the postseason, and crashed out in the Wild Card round.
The Eagles possessed the pure talent to repeat as champions. Instead, the offensive line aged in dog years. You could almost feel the tension in the air as fans watched Saquon Barkley take a massive step backward after an electric 2,000-yard rushing campaign in 2024. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 25 touchdowns but suffered his least productive rushing season since taking the full-time reins in 2021.
Even with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark, the scoring unit sputtered. They lacked a consistent threat. They finished a disappointing 19th in the league in scoring. Philadelphia identified the bleeding and applied a tourniquet. Out goes offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. In comes former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion. Mannion inherits a pressure cooker. He must establish rhythm, protect Hurts, and handle the friction surrounding Brown, who remains a prime trade candidate.
Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio kept the team afloat. The unit finished fifth in scoring defense. They bent frequently, sitting middle-of-the-pack in total yards allowed, but they rarely broke. Still, the defensive front lacked the pure, suffocating aggression that ended the Chiefs’ dynasty just a year ago.
General manager Howie Roseman enters the 2026 offseason with $20,557,388 in cap space and a desperate need for youth. The defensive front seven remains solid, but finding an elite edge rusher is non-negotiable. Free agency brings massive headaches. Tight end Dallas Goedert turned 31 in January and might walk, pushing the position to the top of the draft board alongside offensive tackles and guards. Veterans like Brandon Graham, Jaelan Phillips, and Nakobe Dean also hit the open market.
“We tasted the top of the mountain, and this year we tripped on the descent. That Wild Card loss burns, but the standard in this building hasn’t dropped an inch. We fix the mistakes, or we find the people who will.”
— Nick Sirianni, Head Coach
The 2026 schedule offers zero room to breathe. The Eagles host heavyweights like the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and Pittsburgh Steelers, while hitting the road to face the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. Roseman must completely retool the offensive line in the April draft. If Mannion installs a reliable, explosive scheme in OTAs, Philadelphia instantly returns to serious Super Bowl contention in the NFC. All the core pieces remain in the building. If they stall again, Sirianni’s brilliant win percentage won’t save him from the chopping block.
