The Philadelphia Eagles are 24 hours from kick-off at Super Bowl LIX, where they will face the Kansas City Chiefs.
The rematch of Super Bowl LVII comes in the form of Goliath vs. Goliath, as the Eagles look to thwart yet another claim at the NFL’s first-ever three-peat.
But the storylines don’t stop there: here is everything the Birds have to gain — and lose — on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles
Let’s begin with the team. For starters, the meaning behind this Super Bowl could not be more different than in 2017; when the Eagles won their first title, they did so for the city. Philadelphia was desperate to win, fiending for its first taste of Lombardi glory. The team was built of journeymen and underdogs, many of whom only recently called Philly home; 2024, on the other hand, is the definition of home-grown.
Check out the defense: Besides CJ Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay, nine starters were drafted. NINE. On the other side of the ball, four of the five offensive linemen drafted by Philly, Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith were handed midnight green on draft day, and the stinking QUARTERBACK is a career Eagle.
While the fans have gotten a taste of it, Jalen Carter is hungry. Jalen Hurts is hungry. More than that, they deserve it. This team’s reputation is not worn; it was earned – and on Sunday, they can prove to the world they are exactly who they’ve known themselves to be all along: the best team in the NFL.
DeVonta Smith
Here’s a fun one: with a single catch on Sunday, Smith would become the first Heisman Trophy winner to ever record a reception in the Super Bowl. Not good enough for you?
If the Birds win, Smitty will become just the fifth player in the history of the sport to win a Heisman Trophy, National Championship, and Super Bowl (in this house, we count Reggie Bush).
Jalen Hurts … and Nick Sirianni
Whether they like it or not (and by all indications, they certainly do NOT), Hurts and Sirianni’s legacies have become inextricably tied. To the haters, they are a game manager and a substitute teacher riding the coattails of an elite roster and schematic wizardry from the coordinators. To their fans, an unwavering leader built to win and an emphatic, passionate coach whose intangibles reflect the city’s spirit.
The praise of one has somehow come to undermine the accolades of the other. Rare is the fan who loves Jalen and has faith in Nick – more often, one or the other is the bane of some Philadelphian’s weekly ritual.
Despite four straight playoff appearances and two NFC Championships, both be mocked for choking once again, for coming up short even with new coordinators and some new personnel. For Hurts, a loss means he couldn’t do it despite having everything handed to him. Howie worked together the No. 1 defense in the league, fleeced Tennessee for AJ Brown… and that’s not to mention Saquon Barkley. If Hurts can’t do it with this team, the next question is – will he ever?
Sirianni is no different: this is still the same NFL season wherein Sirianni shaved his head and yelled at fans. He was facing national mockery for some called a Britney Spears-level meltdown, yet 14 wins later, and 60 minutes from lifting the Lombardi trophy, he is being praised – by me included – for this inexplicable ability to impact the team’s trajectory. If he wins on Sunday, he cements his legitimacy against the coach who had him fired. Lose and Kellen Moore’s departure will only sow more seeds of doubt in Sirianni’s ability to coach.
The “Exciting Whites”
It’s a bold move to announce a new podcast the week of the Super Bowl.
If Cooper DeJean and/or Reed Blankenship find themselves on the wrong end of a big play, their show will need more than an accompaniment of white wine.
But a game-changing pick-six, and suddenly they’re calling “Milk Check” on Such Great Heights. Do it for the pod!
Saquon Barkley
The hot take here is that Barkley doesn’t have much at stake anymore. Sure, he is within reach of some all-time rushing records (most notably 30 yards shy of Terrell Davis’ rushing yards in a season record, including playoffs). But did you know that without me writing it? Now, can you name the single-season rushing title holder? That’s correct! Eric Dickerson.
Frankly, Barkley already cemented his legacy this season. When he opted not to go for the single-season rushing record, the focus shifted away from a star running back and toward his team on a mission to win. Barkley has proven New York made a mistake. He has proven his ability. The value he places on the Lombardi trophy is clear in his decision to sit out Week 18, but should he lose, there isn’t a soul watching the game who would think less of him.
Jeffrey Lurie
Think ownership doesn’t matter? Consider this: the Eagles have the third-most Super Bowl appearances since 2000 with 4, just behind San Francisco’s 5 and New England’s 9. However, they are the only team on the list to do so with more than one quarterback or coach – in fact, they’ve done it with three different QB-coach combinations. General managers have come and gone, but this franchise continues to succeed, boasting the fifth most wins since Lurie bought the team.
Lurie cements himself as a Hall of Fame owner by winning on Sunday. Even without the sheer volume of Super Bowl titles, his ability to maintain the Eagles’ perch among elite NFL teams from one generation to the next speaks volumes. Lose, however, and he could go down as pre-Kansas City Andy Reid: a disappointment who couldn’t get it done (enough), once again relegated to bathe in the wrong confetti.
Zach Baun and Milton Williams
Cha-ching! That’s the sound of Baun and Williams’ great-grandchildren’s bank accounts cashing in on the generational wealth of a big NFL payday. These two have career years and are at the right time. Both are due for a new contract this offseason. Baun will likely be a priority for Philadelphia, though Williams’ price tag might be north of Howie’s offer.
Should the Eagles lose the Super Bowl… one silver lining could be getting two guys back on cheaper deals? Just don’t tell your friends that while they’re punching the TV.
Brandon Graham
The longest-tenured Eagle of all time will step foot on the field for his 207th and final time representing Philadelphia, owing absolutely nothing to anyone. What he does have a chance to do, however, is the most Brandon Graham thing ever: beat the two GOATs.
Graham is a trash talker, and if a trash talker loves anything, it’s having some dirt on you. Any little fact that will spur some fury is gold for trash talkers – which is why Graham has made a habit of reminding Tom Brady, who won Super Bowl LII. Take down Mahomes (perhaps even literally), and Graham’s quips about it will never end.
Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, Jake Elliott, and Rick Lovato
I lied; Graham has one more thing.
What do these four have in common? If you don’t already have it, they are the four players still on the roster from the 2017 Super Bowl team. Losing might mean less to them because they can still hang up the cleats and slip on their old ring, but a second piece of jewelry would mean a level of Philadelphia greatness that no one has known since the 1975 Flyers.
That’s right, these four would be the first Philadelphia athletes with two championships for the city in 50 years.
Jordan Mailata
Closing out on a cool one, Mailata has much national pride hanging in the balance this Sunday. Hailing from down under, the left tackle will become the first Australian to ever play in a Super Bowl on the Eagles’ first offensive snap of the game.
Mailata is not the first Aussie to appear in the big game—that honor belongs to the Seahawks’ Jesse Williams. But Williams did not actually play a snap, leaving Mailata with the opportunity to record yet another landmark for his home country.
Honorable Mention: Taylor Swift
PHOTO: Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
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