The Eagles have made NFC East titles look routine under Nick Sirianni, but the path to another one in 2026 is a little messier than it has been in recent years. Philadelphia has won the division three times since the 2022 season, yet this offseason brought enough turnover to make the repeat bid feel less certain. At the same time, Dallas and Washington both spent aggressively in free agency and attacked the draft, which means the Eagles may not be dealing with the same comfortable margin they’ve enjoyed before.
That leaves Philadelphia with three major hurdles to clear if it wants to stay on top of the division for a third straight year.
The first is simple enough: the offense no longer has A.J. Brown, and that changes the whole feel of the unit.
Brown was part of the foundation when this version of Eagles football started clicking in 2022, and his absence removes the explosive element that made life easier for Jalen Hurts. His vertical threat, along with his size and physical style against defensive backs, gave the passing game a different gear.
Now the Eagles are looking at a new pairing with DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon, but that true X receiver presence is gone. Hurts has done his best work with Brown on the field, so it’s fair to wonder how much the offense changes without him. Philadelphia may try to shift more responsibility elsewhere, but Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert are both getting up there in age, which makes it hard to know exactly who carries the load in 2026.
The second obstacle is the Cowboys, because Dallas actually did something meaningful this offseason on defense. That matters.
The jokes about the Cowboys never go away, but this team wasn’t a pushover, sitting at 6-5-1 at one point during 2025 even while fielding one of the league’s worst defenses. Dallas went after real upgrades, adding Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, and Malachi Lawrence, while also bringing in Christian Parker as defensive coordinator.
That’s a dangerous combination when the offense already ranked seventh in the NFL in points scored per game. If the defense can merely get to average, Dallas has enough firepower to stack wins and get into double-digit territory.
Philadelphia, by comparison, ranked 19th in points per game and fifth in points allowed per game. If Dallas flips that kind of balance in its favor, the Eagles could find themselves in a much tighter race than they’re used to.
The third issue circles back to Hurts himself. Nobody can question the winning.
He’s won nearly 70 percent of his regular season starts and owns a 6-4 postseason record with a Super Bowl title. That résumé speaks for itself.
But the passing profile has always been the concern. Hurts has never thrown for 4,000 yards in a season or more than 25 touchdown passes.
He’s not in the same passing tier as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and the rest of the elite aerial operators. His game is built around a very specific style, and it doesn’t naturally produce a high-volume passing attack.
The rushing ability is there, sure, but the quarterback’s first job is still to win from the pocket. With Brown gone, that limitation matters even more.
If the Eagles need Hurts to carry more of the passing burden, there’s no guarantee he can simply level up and solve that problem. Dak Prescott can beat teams with volume through the air, and Jayden Daniels already averages more touchdown passes per 17-game season than Hurts.
Jaxson Dart remains a question mark for the Giants, though New York still looks like it may be a year away.
That’s the backdrop for Philadelphia in 2026: a division favorite with real questions, and a quarterback who may have to do more than he has before if the Eagles want to avoid slipping behind.
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This Eagles Roster Longshot Could Become Camps Biggest Surprise
Erik Ezukanma got his shot with Philadelphia after OTAs, bringing a rsum that already includes stops with the Dolphins and Jaguars, plus a run in the UFL. For a receiver trying to stick in Eagles camp, that kind of path usually means starting from the back of the line, but Ezukanma does arrive with enough versatility to be more than a one-trick audition. He can line up as a receiver, handle the ball as a runner, and help on special teams, which gives him at least a way to get noticed while the competition at wideout sorts itself out.
The real opening may come in the return game, where the Eagles are looking to replace departed contributors and clean up an area that can swing field position quickly. Ezukanma does not need to win a starting job to matter, and that is what makes him an interesting camp name: there is a path for him to carve out a role if he can turn those extra reps into something useful on special teams. In a crowded room, that kind of value can keep a player in the conversation longer than most people expect. [Read more 🡒]
Howie Nailed This Eagles Draft Class But One Ending Still Stings
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Jordan Davis has turned into part of the payoff too, and his 2025 breakout finally matched the traits that made him such an intriguing selection in the first place. Jurgens has grown into one of the leagues better centers and Deans career arc has been more frustrating, which is why the draft class still carries one note of unfinished business even in a review that otherwise reads like a win for Howie Roseman and the Eagles. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Draft Pick Already Facing A Brutal O-Line Roster Squeeze
The Eagles are sorting through their offensive line picture heading into training camp, and the long-term plan is already getting crowded. Philadelphia used this years draft to add Markel Bell and Micah Morris as developmental options who could grow into future starters, while the coaching staff also has a new voice in Chris Kuper as it evaluates who can stick on the line and who is simply part of the offseason numbers game.
Cameron Williams is one of the young players caught in that squeeze. The 2025 sixth-round pick missed most of his rookie season because of a shoulder injury and only got into action in Week 18 against Washington, so every camp rep matters as he tries to carve out a backup role. With the Eagles continuing to shuffle pieces around up front, Williams has little margin for error as the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]