The Eagles’ path back to the big game

• The turnaround in 2024 has been special: The Eagles arrive in New Orleans boasting one of the most talented starting units — on both sides of the ball — in recent memory. Their 93.3 team grade in the regular season ranked second only to the Lions, and 10 players earned grades of 80.0 or higher.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

It’s an oft-used cliche, but the Super Bowl hangover is real.

However, it’s the emotional hangover — the one that comes from drowning in disappointment — that stings the most. Pouring everything into the pursuit of a championship, only to fall short, can sometimes be too much to overcome. There’s a reason so many teams that lose the Super Bowl rarely make it back right away — if ever — within their current window.

History hasn’t been kind to the losers. Since 2000, only the Denver Broncos (2014-16), New England Patriots (2018-2019) and Los Angeles Rams (2019-2022) have made it back to the Super Bowl within three years of losing one. All three teams went on to exorcise their demons by winning the Lombardi Trophy in their next appearance and becoming a rare part of history.

Now, just two years after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles have returned to the big dance, hoping to become the most recent team on a very short list of redemption. However, the Eagles team facing the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday is starkly different from the one that lost 35-38 two years ago in Arizona.

The Eagles’ ability to reassess, rebuild, and return to the Super Bowl just two years later is a testament to how well-run the franchise is. A lot has changed since their last appearance on the sport’s biggest stage. Like many Super Bowl teams, they faced the challenges of roster turnover—key free agents such as Javon Hargrave and Miles Sanders landed big-money deals elsewhere. Meanwhile, their coaching staff was poached, with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon both departing for head coaching opportunities.

Comparison of the Starting 11: Super Bowl 57 vs. Super Bowl 59

In 2023, the Eagles weren’t the same beast. They finished 11-6 and were bounced out of the playoffs in the wild-card round, losing 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The offense had performed well, earning an 81.1 grade and finishing in the top 10 in points and yards. But the defense suffered, finishing 29th in EPA allowed per play.

Eagles legends Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, stalwarts in the trenches and locker room leaders, retired ahead of the 2024 season, with both leaving potentially unfillable holes on and off the field. Kelce left the game as one of the greatest centers of all time, allowing just two sacks in his final three seasons in the NFL and earning a 78.6 grade in 2023. Even beyond the retirements, the Eagles traded away Haason Reddick, a core piece of the defense.

All in all, the Eagles underwent remarkable turnover in just two seasons. It would have been fair to question whether they were heading in the wrong direction. Doubts swirled about Jalen Hurts’ true ceiling, especially with longtime anchor Jason Kelce no longer at center. Meanwhile, the development of recent high draft picks — Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith — had yet to meet expectations, adding to the concerns.

But the turnaround in 2024 has been special.

The Eagles arrive in New Orleans boasting one of the most talented starting units — on both sides of the ball — in recent memory. Their 93.3 team grade in the regular season ranked second only to the Lions, and 10 players earned grades of 80.0 or higher.

The offense returned to its bread and butter—but cranked it up to 11—thanks to the free-agent addition of Saquon Barkley. The newly crowned Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season, earning an 87.6 PFF grade in the process.

Barkley’s success was aided by the best offensive line in football. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson dominated at the tackle spots, while Landon Dickerson earned an 82.3 grade. Cam Jurgens seamlessly took over for Jason Kelce, earning Pro Bowl honors in his first season at center, and Mekhi Becton revived his career with a strong season after transitioning to guard.

The defense, however, was the unit that needed the most work. It required the guidance of one of the best coordinators in the game — Vic Fangio. Taking over as defensive coordinator, Fangio transformed a struggling group into the NFL’s best, unlocking its full potential. Under his leadership, the Eagles went from an underwhelming unit to a dominant force, finishing first in EPA allowed per play during the 2024 regular season.

Jalen Carter, who was already a player on the rise, continued his ascendency to become one of the best defenders in the NFL. His 76.8 PFF grade currently ranks 14th among interior defenders, and his 73 pressures are third at the position.

Nakobe Dean, who played in just 22 games in his first two seasons, leaped and formed a formidable linebacker partnership with Zack Baun, whose own lore is one of the stories of the season.

Baun joined the Eagles in the offseason without a real position, grinding away on special teams for the Saints while dipping in and out of playing on the edge. The Eagles dropped him off the ball, and Baun responded by putting together an All-Pro season, earning a 90.2 grade — the highest among all linebackers — and recording 111 tackles in the regular season. Baun’s rise is emblematic of the Eagles’ rise — new surroundings and fresh faces coming together to lift the unit.

Even recent draft picks like Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith, players who had underperformed early in their careers, had new life breathed into them. Smith tallied 31 pressures in the regular season and exploded with 15 pressures in the playoffs, the most of any edge rusher. Somewhat fittingly, the only defender with more quarterback pressures this postseason is his teammate, Jalen Carter.

The 2024 draft picks have hit the ground running, too. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have been outstanding. Mitchell started 16 games at cornerback for the defense, earning a 78.4 grade, while DeJean made a real impact in the slot, earning an 82.0 grade. Both are top-10 grades at the cornerback position.

Howie Roseman, the Eagles’ general manager, has been the architect behind the scenes. And his ability to retool and rebuild the roster through the draft and free agency has been central to the Eagles’ efforts to return to the proverbial promised land so soon. Roseman is consistently referred to as one of the best in the business, and you only need to glance at this Eagles team to see why.

All of the individual paths and struggles have led to a moment that not many teams in the past can say. The core of the 2022 Super Bowl team remains, and even by getting back to this moment this fast, they’ve done what not many teams in the past have done. They’ve given themselves another chance.