Is This Philadelphia Eagles Season Their Best Shot At A Super Bowl?

The best shot at a Super Bowl? That might sound crazy for a team that just signed a young franchise QB that everyone seems to be high on. And even outside of Jalen Hurts, there’s no denying that the Eagles’ roster is stacked. The defending NFC Champions stacked the offensive side of the ball this offseason and re-upped the young talent on defense through the draft.

There are pro-bowlers all over the field (not that the pro bowl means anything anymore), and despite 2 new coordinators, Nick Sirianni has the making of a top NFL Coach with a long career ahead of him. That all points towards a team with a large window of championship contention. Wwith the state of the NFC, the opportunity is certainly there. And yet, there is a chance that this year is indeed the Eagles’ best shot at a Super Bowl with this core of players.

As good as the Eagles are right now, there are certainly some things that will be up in the air following the 2023 season. Talent is super important in the NFL, but so is veteran leadership. The Birds have that in spades currently, but those players won’t be around forever. Jason Kelce is very possibly heading into his last year of professional football, and he will hang his cleats up as one of the best centers ever. Lane Johnson has had a rough and tumble career that could be in its twilight as well. Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox have both had questions about their future for multiple offseasons now.

That core 4 of veteran leaders are not only still productive, but they are the lifeblood of this franchise. As good as the Eagles have been recently at drafting, there’s a chance that you’re looking at a replacement for all of them next offseason. That is a tall task, even for the best of GMs.

There’s another issue as well. Jalen Hurts’ new contract is deserved, but also expensive. It won’t look like it in a couple years. Howie Roseman did a great job of structuring it to allow for flexibility with the cap. But it does become harder to build a roster once you pay a franchise QB. Some of the important young players are already locked up. But DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Avonte Maddox, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams will all be looking for extensions in the next 2 years. That doesn’t even include the past 2 draft classes. Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith are all still on rookie deals. Can Roseman make it work? There’s no indication that he can’t, but the job certainly gets more difficult from here.

But wait, there’s more! The NFC right now is certainly the easier of the conferences in the NFL. Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert, Rodgers, Allen, Jackson, Lawrence, Watson, and Tagovailoa are all currently in the AFC. That will NOT be a permanent situation. Conferences have a way of balancing out after a while, and while the NFC is easier now, it won’t be forever.

As early as next season, the NFC could look much more difficult as solid veterans flee the young guns in the AFC to try and give themselves a better shot at competing for a Super Bowl. The Eagles are set up well for the future, but sustained success is hard to come by in the NFL. There will be more chances. But the Eagles’ best shot at a Super Bowl could very well be this season, and that raises the stakes just a little bit higher for this year.

The Philadelphia Eagles are almost ready to begin training camp at the Nova Care Complex.

The city of Philadelphia has the luxury of a baseball team in contention for the World Series once again in 2023. Are the Phillies actually overshadowing the Eagles less than half a year after an appearance in Super Bowl LVII though?

The offseason buzz hasn’t been as loud as in past years. Howie Roseman focused mostly on retaining key players that helped the Eagles win the NFC Championship Game in January.

The biggest splashes came at the NFL Draft. The Eagles entered the spotlight by adding a trio of Georgia Bulldogs in Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo.

It was an offseason without too many big-name free agents or blockbuster trades. However, the most passionate fan base in the NFL always has the hunger to watch the most prominent franchise in town. 

Training camp battles will always draw attention. The competition for both starting safety positions and the right guard spot in between franchise legends Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce will be the most impactful.

Nick Sirianni and the coaching staff will have their eyes on Cam Jurgens vs. Tyler Steen, Sydney Brown vs. Terrell Edmunds vs. (Ed) Reed Blankenship, and even a potential... punter battle.

However, the real draw of training camp and the NFL preseason is the lure of a looming season. As much as football fans like to write off the storylines, they’ll still slurp them up as quickly as an ice-cold beer at a tailgate before the home opener.

Remember the dates when you’ll overreact to every detail that comes out of daily practices in anticipation of the defense of an NFC Championship and a quest to avenge the sour taste of a Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The days at Lehigh University are over. An excellent tradition that included several other stops throughout franchise history ended in 2013.

Modern accommodations at the Nova Care Complex provide a sensible option for professional athletes, but some fans do miss the excitement of a late-summer trip to Eagles training camp (especially the ones who don't have the opportunity to see regular-season games in an era when tickets are in such high demand).

However, you'll see the practice notes, injury updates, and press conference takeaways from your favorite Eagles beat reporters beginning on Tuesday, July 25.

Philadelphia fans still have one opportunity to watch the team live during training camp.

Eagles Training Camp Public Practice presented by Independence Blue Cross will take place at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, August 6 at 7 pm.

Tickets are $10, and proceeds benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation.

Before you say that open practice has never mattered, remember that Nelson Agholor was public enemy number one entering the 2017 season. The roaring crowd at the Linc cheered Agholor on August 14, 2017, and the confidence he built as a preseason star actually mattered.

Agholor became a dangerous game-breaker throughout one of the most memorable seasons in Philadelphia sports history.

The Eagles will head south on I-95 for the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, August 12.

Most Eagles fans have two immediate reactions when they hear Eagles-Ravens preseason.

The first: the cringy moment when the organization canceled a game because of sloppy field conditions at Veterans Stadium. The second: when the era of Terrell Owens in midnight green started with an 81-yard bomb from Donovan McNabb.

The Eagles will hold joint practices with the Cleveland Browns the week leading up to Philadelphia's second preseason game.

The teams have not announced the official dates. Whatever you do, please don't buy into the notion of "winning" a joint practice.

The Eagles will take the field at the Linc in front of the home crowd against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, August 17.

It's not clear yet which starters will dress. It could be the first chance that fans have to watch (backup) Marcus Mariota after the Eagles have finally...done the deal.

Mariota provides a serviceable option behind Jalen Hurts, but his legacy in franchise history probably won't change.

The NFL preseason finale isn't the most dazzling football you'll ever watch. 

However, Eagles fans can still point to one of the most impactful final roster decisions in franchise history as a reason why the game can actually matter.

Corey Clement snuck onto the 2017 roster and later went for 100 yards in Super Bowl LII.

The Birds wrap up the preseason at home on Thursday, August 24 against the Indianapolis Colts at 8 pm.

NFL teams trim the rosters from 90 to 53 on August 29.

The announced rosters, however, don't always last until opening day. Surprise cuts frequently find ways onto other rosters in the final days of August or early September.

Why has Hard Knocks taken so long to get off the ground?

We finally found out that the New York Jets will be the featured team. As Adam Schefter told The John Kincade Show last week, HBO usually has boots on the ground at team facilities weeks before training camp.

At some point, you'll see what Pat Egan considers the one thing "scratching the football itch that's missing in our lives" late in the summer. Hard Knocks has aired on Tuesday nights in most past seasons.

This day can't come soon enough.

You can wash the hype away on Sunday, September 10 when the Eagles visit Foxborough to face the New England Patriots.

Nothing would wash away the anxiety of preseason like spoiling a ceremony honoring Tom Brady's jersey retirement.

Watch The John Kincade Show streaming live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.