There isn’t a fanbase in the NFL like Philadelphia Eagles fans.
They sold out the stadium when the Eagles went 4-12 in 2012 in the last season under Andy Reid. They sat through the embarrassment that was the end of Chip Kelly era and were patient during the first growing pains of the Pederson era as well. Somehow, after all that, the Eagles front office has found a way to exhaust their fanbase to the point of indifference.
It’s incredible it’s gotten this far, but the most rabid fanbase in football is tired. Tired of anonymous sources. Exhausted from the finger-pointing. Worn out from the lies that have been fed to them. Weary of the knowledge that a once-promising franchise has reached a point many thought impossible: The doormat of the NFL.
How in the world did we get here?!
The Timeline
It has been an exhausting 2020-21 season for the Eagles fanbase. Week after week, the fans see their beloved team draw themselves into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Here’s a look at the last nine months that the fanbase has had to deal with.
Seriously….it’s only been nine months.
April – NFL Draft
- Howie Roseman does not move up to get CeeDee Lamb – obvious, and desperate need for the offense
- 24 Hours later in Round Two, they draft a QB after paying Wentz $100+ million a year ago
- Controversy immediately follows.
July/August – Injuries
- Best OL, Brandon Brooks goes down for the year. The franchise brings in 38-year-old, Jason Peters to play Guard
- More injuries to OL as Andre Dillard goes down. Lane Johnson also is hurt. No signings are made.
Week 1-8
- Injuries to the team decimate any hope of being competitive through the first half of the season. Calls for Wentz’s job escalate as the offense begins to look putrid every week
- Lack of creativity & adjustments on offense leads to questions about the coaching staff
Week 13/14
- Carson Wentz is benched in favor of the rookie, Jalen Hurts.
- Team wins one game and people call for Hurts to start the remainder of the year.
- Coaching staff changes the entire offense to fit what Hurts does well but did not do that for Carson Wentz (rollouts, running the ball, etc)
- Wentz is reportedly angry and will “ask for a trade in the offseason”
Week 15
- ESPN reports say the QB lost faith in the coaching staff before their game in Arizona
- QB has not spoken to accept or deny the report as true
Week 17
- Eagles tank final game of the season to finish 4-11-1 on national television and are attacked for weeks as it is reported players were upset with openly tanking
- People (particularly Giants fans) are outraged that the team benched Jalen Hurts during the final quarter of play, gifting Washington the division title
- Players come out in defense of the decision but were unaware it was going to happen
- Doug Pederson is accused of throwing the game and takes full responsibility
January 11th
- Pederson, after being told he was going to remain as HC with Howie Roseman as GM, is fired
- The main report out is that he did not want changes to his staff & led to his dismissal
- In the post-Pederson press conference, Jeffery Lurie deflects blame against Howie Roseman saying his job is safe
January
- More anonymous articles citing Wentz behind closed doors does not trust organization although he has not requested a trade
- Nick Sirianni is named HC, and struggles through first press conference. Lurie talks for over thirty minutes beforehand.
February
- The team finally listens to calls about a Carson Wentz trade
- Rumors around the NFL swirl blaming the real issue of the Eagles organization on Howie Roseman.
This was the condensed version.
I’ve covered some of the NFL’s worst run organizations. Watching and experiencing the end of the Todd Bowles era in New York, I’ve seen the Ben McAdoo Giants first hand.
Never in my life have I seen anything like what the Eagles organization has done to themselves.
It’s been exhausting to follow as a fan, as a reporter, and it’s about time that this fanbase gets a dignified response from Howie Roseman and Jeffery Lurie who have been silent amongst all the anonymous issues plaguing the organization.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
