The Eagles are heading into 2026 with the kind of expectations that come with a team that has been in the playoffs every year under Nick Sirianni. FanDuel has them tied for the 10th-shortest odds to win Super Bowl LXI, and in the NFC only the Rams, Seahawks, Lions and 49ers are listed with better odds.
That doesn’t mean the path is clean. There are still real questions hanging over this roster, and the biggest ones start up front and run all the way through the coaching staff.
The most obvious concern is the offensive line, because if that group is right, the Eagles can look dominant again. If it isn’t, everything gets harder fast.
Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson both fought through significant injuries last season, and their play took a hit. Jurgens was dealing with a painful back injury after playing through it in Super Bowl LIX, then needed surgery once the season ended.
He spent all of last offseason rehabbing, and his body still wasn’t right in 2025. Dickerson has been battling injuries since his college days, and the wear appears to have piled up to the point that he reportedly considered retirement this offseason.
Both players went to Colombia for stem cell therapy, and Jurgens has said he feels much better. Even so, their health will be something to watch all year.
Lane Johnson is part of that same conversation. He missed the second half of last season with a Lisfranc sprain and tried to come back for the playoff game, but his foot swelled and he couldn’t go.
Johnson says he feels good now, but he’s 36 and entering Year 14. He’s still one of the best at his position when he’s healthy, but staying healthy gets tougher this late in a career.
Jurgens, Dickerson and Johnson are all Pro Bowlers, and they’re three of the best players on the offense. That’s why the line matters so much: a season can go sideways quickly when injuries hit that unit. The Eagles are hoping 2026 brings better luck and better health in front.
The other major question is whether Sean Mannion can make the offense work as the new coordinator. The Eagles made a big bet by hiring him, and they didn’t do it lightly.
They interviewed 17 candidates before landing on Mannion, who was 33 when they brought him in and had only two years of NFL coaching experience. At the same time, he spent nine seasons in the league as a backup quarterback and had been preparing for coaching throughout that stretch.
What he’s bringing is a version of the Shanahan offense, which is a meaningful shift from what the Eagles have run over the first five seasons under Sirianni. Jalen Hurts has played for multiple offensive coordinators, but this setup is expected to ask him to do more things he hasn’t done as often in this era of Eagles football.
The team plans to mix old and new, but fans should expect more under-center snaps, more play action and more motion. The Eagles believe Hurts can handle it.
The real test comes when the games start.
Then there’s the play-calling. Mannion has never done it before, and that makes this one of the more intriguing parts of the whole change.
The Eagles have had strong play callers under Sirianni, including Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore, but Kevin Patullo was obviously not very good at it last season. Mannion’s first year will tell the story.
On defense, the Eagles still look loaded, and Vic Fangio is back for his third season in charge. The unit has been excellent for two straight years under him, and it could be even better in 2026 with the additions of Jonathan Greenard and Riq Woolen. But the defense did lose two important pieces in free agency: Nakobe Dean, who went to Las Vegas, and Reed Blankenship, who signed with Houston.
The Eagles have handled defensive departures well before, including after losing Milton Williams and Josh Sweat following the Super Bowl season, but Dean and Blankenship will be tough to replace. Safety may be the weakest spot on the roster entering training camp.
Drew Mukuba is back for his second NFL season, and the Eagles are hoping for a Year 2 leap after some encouraging rookie signs. Marcus Epps looks like the leading candidate to replace Blankenship, though he still has to win the job.
At linebacker, the picture is clearer. Jihaad Campbell, a first-round pick last season, gives the Eagles a real plan for the future.
He opened 2025 as the starter before Dean returned from injury, and Dean was the better option after that. Still, Campbell showed promise as a rookie.
Dean was stronger against the run and one of the league’s better blitzing linebackers, while Campbell brings more range and can also work up near the line as an overhang player.
The Eagles have enough talent to make another serious run. But the questions are obvious, and they’re not small ones. Health up front, a new offense, and the loss of key defenders will shape how far this team can go.
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