The Eagles are spending their offseason where Nick Sirianni wants them: together.
That idea has been one of Sirianni’s calling cards since he arrived in Philadelphia in 2021, and it’s showing up again as the 2026 season approaches. The team’s “connection” theme is more than a slogan right now. It’s the backdrop for a summer full of workouts, get-togethers, charity appearances, and staff bonding that’s been easy to spot even before training camp.
“Tough. Detailed. Together.”
That’s the message, and the Eagles have been living it in different corners of the offseason. Saquon Barkley, Cooper DeJean, Elijah Moore, and Kelee Ringo recently trained together, another example of players from different parts of the roster finding ways to work side by side.
That’s been a recurring pattern. Jalen Hurts has hosted the entire QB room, along with most of the team’s wide receivers and tight ends, for a mix of on-field work and off-field bonding earlier in the summer. The DB room has also been busy, with corners and safeties - both new additions and returning players - spending time together while getting ready for Vic Fangio’s defense.
The point isn’t just reps. It’s chemistry. It’s giving the newer faces a chance to settle in and giving longtime teammates more time to sharpen the relationships that already exist.
No pairing shows that better than Hurts and DeVonta Smith. The two have a long history, and this offseason they’ve doubled down on it. They trained together at Temple University, took part in a flag football game - Barkley was there too, though on the other team - and Hurts showed up for Smith’s charity softball game and the wide receiver’s wedding.
With A.J. Brown now in New England, the Hurts-Smith connection matters even more. Everyone around the team understands that.
The support has extended beyond workouts, too. Over the past few months, Eagles players have shown up for each other at charity events all over the place.
Smith’s softball game keeps drawing teammates to the mound, several golf events have brought out a crowd, and the Eagles Autism Challenge was another major success. If a player was doing something good for the community, chances are at least one teammate was there to back him up.
And it’s not just the players. Sirianni has also been working to pull the coaching staff closer together, especially with so many new faces in the room.
According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, the offseason included team and staff bonding events, including a team dinner, a bowling outing, basketball at Saint Joseph’s University, and a cookout for families on the last day of training camp. Sirianni also gathered with the coaches at a Philadelphia establishment, while Mannion hosted the offensive coaches at another event and invited Sirianni and his wife.
As Berman put it: “Sirianni focused on team and staff bonding events this offseason. There was a team dinner and bowling outing.
They played basketball at Saint Joseph’s University. On the last day of training camp, there was a cookout for families.
Sirianni had a get-together with all the coaches at a Philadelphia establishment. Mannion hosted the offensive coaches at a separate event and invited Sirianni and his wife.
This concept is not totally original, and similar stories from previous summers that take Sirianni’s temperature ahead of training camp would include comparable examples. These, too, are Sirianni’s greatest hits.”
There’s still a long way to go before the season reveals what this group really is. But for now, the Eagles are clearly spending their time the way Sirianni likes best: building the locker room from the inside out.
In Other News...
Eagles Face A Brutal Camp Verdict On Six Young Players
The Eagles camp inventory on their young players came back with a mixed verdict, and the overall theme is pretty clear: some prospects still deserve runway, while others are already running out of it. Tyler Steen and Andrew Mukuba both landed in the keep-developing category, along with Pierce, whose size and upside make him the kind of project teams are still willing to bet on when the traits are obvious even if the polish is not.
The tougher calls came on the other side of the ledger, where roster competition and limited paths to playing time pushed the conversation toward moving on. Will Shipley, Smael Mondon Jr. and Nolan Smith were all framed as players whose current value may not match the roster spot they occupy, with Smiths case especially notable for a former first-round pick who has not yet turned promise into enough production to feel secure. [Read more 🡒]
One Eagles Rookie Could Change A Familiar Training Camp Worry
The Eagles spent the offseason thinning out the guard room, and that has turned a familiar training camp concern into one of the more interesting early roster battles. Micah Morris, a sixth-round pick out of Georgia, enters camp with a real chance to carve out a role behind the starters, especially with the team needing someone who can handle guard work and be ready if the depth chart gets tested.
Michael Jordan, added after minicamp, brings the kind of NFL starting experience that usually makes a veteran the safe answer for a backup job. But Morris has the size and guard background to make this more than a routine camp formality, and with several young linemen also in the mix, the Eagles may find out quickly whether the rookie can push himself into the conversation for meaningful snaps early in his first season. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Camp Battle Fans Can't Ignore On Defense
The Eagles head into 2026 training camp with a real opening at safety after Reed Blankenship moved on in free agency, and the picture around him is still taking shape. Drew Mukuba is back to anchor one spot after a rookie year interrupted by a fractured ankle in Dallas, while Cooper DeJean is expected to keep bouncing between safety and nickel cornerback depending on the package, giving Philadelphia a flexible but unfinished back end.
What makes this battle worth watching is the competition for the final safety snaps, where Marcus Epps, Michael Carter II, Andre Sam and Cole Wisniewski are all in the mix. There are other bodies on the roster who could get a look, and Howie Roseman has shown he is willing to keep adjusting if the room does not sort itself out quickly, which leaves this as one of the more unsettled spots on the defense entering camp. [Read more 🡒]