Historically, the loser of the Super Bowl has a tough time repeating their successes in the following years. Players make names for themselves and seek new futures, and coaches and coordinators from strong staffs get poached in the off-season. We’re just a couple of days removed from their appearance in the big game, but the Philadelphia Eagles may have a tough go of keeping the band together for 2023.
The defense will take the hardest hit. Philadelphia ranked 2nd in yards allowed and 8th in points allowed in 2022, making them one of the strongest units in the entire league. Their pass defense in particular was outstanding, ranking first in yard allowed and yards per attempt. But many of the important players that made them successful will be free agents this spring.
The Philadelphia Eagles Have A Tough Off-Season Coming Up
Of the five defensive players that racked up the most tackles for the Eagles, four of them have expiring contracts, including linebacker T.J. Edwards who racked up 159 total tackles. Fellow LB Kyzir White (110 tackles) is a free agent too, along with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (67) and tackle Javon Hargrave (60). In fact, seven of Philadelphia’s eleven defensive starters are scheduled to be free agents.
Their coordinator may not be around for long, either. There are reports that the Eagles are attempting to keep Jonathan Gannon as the coach of their defense, but he is in consideration for the head coaching job for the Arizona Cardinals.
The offense already had their coordinator poached, as Shane Steichen was hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. Steichen’s offense was just as impressive as the defense, finishing in 3rd in both points and yards in 2022. He did an excellent job in getting the most out of Jalen Hurts by turning the third-year quarterback into an MVP candidate and near-Super Bowl MVP, and his absence could hinder the Eagles offense going forward.
Here's why this is such a momentous loss for the #Eagles. Their 2023 free agents
Fletcher Cox
Brandon Graham
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Javon Hargrave
Jason Kelce
James Bradberry
Isaac Seumalo
T.J. Edwards
Robert Quinn
Ndamukong Suh
Lindval Joseph
Miles Sanders
Kyzir White— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) February 13, 2023
There aren’t a lot of free agents on the offensive side of the ball, thankfully. Though, there is one name that sticks out. All-Pro center Jason Kelce has an expiring contract, and his future is up in the air. It is likely that the Eagles will do whatever they can to bring back the anchor of their offensive line, but they’ll have a lot of money to fork out elsewhere. Will they have enough to bring back the 35-year-old veteran?
Oh, and they also have to pay Jalen Hurts some time soon, too.
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