After an aggressive offseason from general manager Howie Roseman and crucial third-year leap by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles will conclude their 2022 campaign in Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.
And while the Eagles will have wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as well as Hurts with term left on their respective rookie deals after Sunday’s game, Philadelphia’s loaded roster likely will look much different next season. It’s why the veteran-led Eagles (more so than the Chiefs) have more on the line in the desert. After all, championship runs aren’t usually the norm and real chances to hoist the Lombardi Trophy tend to be few and far between.
Of course, this isn’t to say the Eagles will fall off some sort of cliff next season and miss the playoffs or be staring down the No. 1 draft pick. It is to say that Super Bowl LVII could be the organization’s best chance in the short term, however. And it goes beyond the simple fact the NFC champion Eagles will enter as the betting favorite or the fact Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes already has won a championship.
Simply put, the Eagles likely will look much different in 2023.
There’s a real possibility the City of Brotherly Love no longer will have all of its homegrown talents like five-time First Team All-Pro center Jason Kelce, three-time All-Pro honoree and offensive tackle Lane Johnson, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and standout defensive end Brandon Graham. Graham, Cox and Johnson arrived to Philadelphia as first-round picks in 2010, 2012 and 2013 while Kelce was drafted in 2011. The foursome has never represented anything besides an Eagles uniform and grew to become to organization’s forefathers.
They also all are approaching the end — and perhaps a win Sunday expedites those plans.
Kelce, who will be 36 next season, is a free agent and already contemplated retirement. Kelce, like the 34-year-old Graham and 32-year-old Cox all are impending free agents while the 32-year-old Johnson remains under contract but has acknowledged he’s also nearing the end of his career. They combined to be a key factor in the trenches, arguably Philadelphia’s greatest asset this season.
Aside from those veterans, Philadelphia was the most well-represented team on a recent list of ESPN’s top 50 available players this offseason. The Eagles had seven players included including three in the top 15. That high-end talent is a big reason Philly was able to run through the division and conference en route to the No. 1 seed.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who will enter his age 30 season, was the No. 3 player included. He was followed by Second Team All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry (No. 13), who will enter his age 30 season, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (No. 13), guard Isaac Seumalo (No. 34), linebacker T.J. Edwards (No. 36), Graham (No. 38) and running back Miles Sanders (No. 42). It’s tough to envision a scenario in which the Eagles are able to retain all of them. And that list doesn’t even include the aforementioned Kelce, Cox or Johnson, who’s institutional knowledge has proven just as vital on their on-field contributions.
Some will say, ‘Well, that’s how the NFL goes.’ That’s true. The Eagles are not the first team that will have to replenish their roster and they won’t be the last. And Philly already drafted Kelce’s replacement Cam Jurgens in the second round last year after selecting standout defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first round. That’s a good start and the 10th overall pick in 2022 will complement it, too.
But given that this Eagles roster turnover likely will include so many impactful veterans nevertheless makes Sunday’s result are the more important.
