Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are heading into 2026 with something to prove after their title defense fell apart a year earlier.
Philadelphia rode the high of winning Super Bowl 59 over the Kansas City Chiefs, but the follow-up never reached those same heights. The Eagles’ repeat bid ended with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card round, and now ESPN analyst Dan Graziano thinks a rebound is coming.
Graziano pointed to the offensive changes and still came away believing Philadelphia has too much talent to bottom out. “This team still seems too good to flop completely, even with all the changes.
The offensive line is healthy and still one of the best in the league on paper. Running back Saquon Barkley is still there, as is receiver DeVonta Smith.
There might be some growing pains early on as everyone gets used to Mannion and his system (and while Mannion gets comfortable in his new role), but Hurts is too tough and too driven to crumble under all of this,” Graziano wrote.
He took it a step further from there. “The most probable outcome is that he bounces back, the Eagles' offense has a strong enough year to complement a great defense and the team enters the postseason as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. If that happens, we'll be talking about another Hurts extension next spring.”
Philadelphia will try to improve on its 11-6 record from 2025 and reach the playoffs for a sixth straight season. It will also be the first year since 2021 without wide receiver A.J. Brown, after his trade to the New England Patriots.
The Eagles open at home against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Cooper DeJean Practice Clip Has Eagles Fans Talking For The Wrong Reason
Joint practices usually provide the cleanest snapshot of where a roster stands before the games start counting, and one of the most watched matchups on the field Thursday in New England came with Cooper DeJean lined up across from DeMario Douglas. The Eagles defensive back entered the offseason with plenty of momentum after earning first-team All-Pro honors as a slot defender last season, so every rep against a quick, elusive receiver was going to draw attention from fans looking for clues about how Philadelphias secondary is coming together.
Douglas made the most of the spotlight, winning all three of their 1-on-1 reps by snapping off sharp cuts and exploding into separation, and the clip moved quickly through social media as Eagles followers reacted to what they saw. It is still only a practice setting, of course, but when a player with DeJeans reputation looks out of sync in a widely shared drill, it is the kind of thing that tends to linger until the pads come on and the matchup gets another chance to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Bubble Players Suddenly Feel Like Real Trade Candidates
With roster cutdown day looming on Aug. 30, the Eagles are at the point in camp where the back end of the roster starts to matter as much as the headline names. The usual churn of preseason competition has turned into a real evaluation of who can help Philadelphia now, who has a future here, and who might bring back something useful if the front office decides to move a player instead of simply waive him.
That is why a few bubble cases suddenly carry more trade intrigue than they did a week ago. Andy Dalton, Smael Mondon Jr., Hollywood Brown, Jakorian Bennett and Fred Johnson all sit in different spots on the depth chart, but each comes with a mix of team need, contract situation and performance questions that could make them attractive to another club before the deadline. Nothing is settled yet, but this is the part of camp when a player can go from fighting for a roster spot to being discussed as a legitimate trade chip. [Read more 🡒]
Former Penn State Standout Sees Strong Eagles Camp Cut Short
Tariq Castro-Fields had been one of the more intriguing names in Eagles camp, trying to turn a strong summer into a legitimate push for a 53-man roster spot while working back from a heel injury. The former Penn State standout brought enough familiarity and upside to make him worth watching in a secondary that always seems to have room for another corner to force the issue.
Instead, Philadelphia moved Castro-Fields to injured reserve, which ends his training camp and likely his season before the real evaluation could even finish. The Eagles also waived/injured wide receiver Johnny Wilson while adding center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Brandon Hayes, a reminder of how quickly roster opportunities can shift at this stage of camp, especially for players trying to survive on the margins. [Read more 🡒]