Tom Brady has retired. The greatest quarterback that ever lived has called it a career and it leaves a major power vacuum in the rest of the NFL.
It’s a perfect time for the Eagles championship window to open.
Philadelphia’s core of young and talented players has led them all the way to Super Bowl LVII. As the franchise and its fanbase have seen though, sustaining success is extremely difficult in the NFL. After winning the Super Bowl in 2017, the Eagles did not crack the 10-win plateau until this season. Years of nine wins and a disaster four-win season ultimately led to a coaching change in Philly.
It’s a little bit different now. With a vast majority of top quarterbacks residing in the AFC now, the likelihood of Aaron Rodgers being traded from Green Bay, and now Brady’s retirement, the Eagles have a chance to become the dominating team in the conference over the next few years.
It will ultimately come down to their 2023 offseason though. Many of the Eagles’ key players for their current championship run are expected to be free agents after this season. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, TJ Edwards, and Javon Hargrave are all names that the Philadelphia will need to make decisions on in the coming months. Add in a multi-year extension for Jalen Hurts and the 2023 offseason for the Eagles could be the biggest one in years.
If Howie Roseman and the Eagles were able to knock this offseason out of the park, it will set the Eagles up not just to be favorites for this season, but for years to come.
Can the Eagles do it differently this time?
In 2018, Philly re-signed a lot of older players who were key to their championship success. The older players ended up breaking down early and the Eagles seasons ended before they even began.
In 2023, Philadelphia is in a different boat. Many of the free agents are under 30 years old and have plenty of years left. Resigning those types of talents and keeping the coaching staff (also a major difference from 2018) in tact will be what separates the Eagles from being a fluky Super Bowl team to a championship-level franchise each and every year.
Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire
