The Philadelphia Eagles returned to their winning ways in Week 17, as they secured the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Now all eyes are on the postseason, as the Eagles will rest their best players against the New York Giants in Week 18.
In the latest edition of my Eagles mailbag, I’ll discuss Jake Elliott’s return to kickoff duty, Philadelphia’s potential playoff opponents and much more regarding the team moving forward.
@PhillyDon2362 asked, “Do you think Jake Elliott kicking off helps him with kicking 50+ yard field goals?”
It’s no secret that Eagles kicker Jake Elliott was struggling with long distance field goals in 2024. While it was hard to pinpoint the reason for his struggles, there was one major change that could have impacted Elliott’s routine. He was no longer handling kickoff duty.
Despite logging 70+ kickoffs in six straight seasons, Elliott was inexplicably replaced by Braden Mann this season. Yet Elliott returned to kickoff duty in Week 17 and proceeded to make all seven of his kick attempts. Therefore, I truly believe that Elliott handling kickoff duty will positively impact his ability to make long distance field goals moving forward.
@devinweber796 asked, “If the Eagles lose to Green Bay as bad as Dallas did last year, what happens next?”
It’s tough to predict what would happen in that scenario, given that the Packers are no longer viewed as an unexpected playoff darling. It feels like many view the Packers as one of the best teams in the NFC this season. Therefore, the Eagles hosting them in the first round would be a tough draw.
Yet anything short of at least a trip to the NFC championship game would be disappointing for the Eagles. If Philadelphia loses in the first round of the playoffs, Nick Sirianni’s job status would certainly be called into question, although I’m not sure that he would be fired.
@Liam_Sagz asked, “This is obviously the first time since the 7-team playoff format that the Eagles are the No. 2 seed. They’ll have two home games, but how much of an advantage do you think the Lions or Vikings will have over the Eagles since only the No. 1 seed gets a bye now?”
Luckily for the Eagles, they secured their playoff position in Week 17 and can now enjoy a self-created bye week in Week 18. Therefore, the rest argument won’t necessarily work for Philadelphia.
The Lions are currently dealing with an absurd amount of injuries and Detroit could certainly use the rest more than the Vikings. Regardless of who secures the bye week and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Eagles are arguably healthier than both teams right now.
@CMPXMV asked, “There seems to be a realistic chance that the Eagles play the Lions or Vikings in the divisional round. If that were to happen and we lose, would it still be a disappointing season because we didn’t make it to the NFC Championship Game at least?”
As previously mentioned, anything short of a trip to the NFC championship game would likely be viewed as a failure in Philadelphia. The Eagles entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, with many viewing the Lions as the team’s biggest threat in the NFC.
Considering the amount of injuries that Detroit is dealing with right now, it truly feels that the Eagles are their own worst enemy in the NFC. Once Jalen Hurts returns, Philadelphia will likely have all 22 of their starters on offense and defense available for the postseason. The Eagles couldn’t have asked to be in a much better situation than they are heading into Week 18.
@Joe26981132 asked, “Which players do you think are coming back next season?”
The Eagles will have five key players that will hit free agency in 2025, including four current starters. Mekhi Becton, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Zack Baun and Brandon Graham are the players to watch for once free agency begins.
If I had to guess right now, I believe that Mekhi Becton, Zack Baun and Brandon Graham will return to Philadelphia. Becton and Baun were Howie Roseman’s biggest free agent finds in 2024 and both have earned bigger deals from the Eagles. While Graham could return after an unexpected injury prematurely ended his season.
While the Eagles have Tyler Steen waiting to replace Becton, it feels as though Becton wants to remain in Philadelphia as well. That would allow the Eagles to keep their starting offensive line together, while utilizing Steen as a super substitute off the bench that can potentially play four different position.
Roseman historically doesn’t pay linebackers, yet Baun could be the exception to the rule. Baun provides a unique skillset with his ability to play both on the edge and inside linebacker. He’s a unique player that allows Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to mix things up along the defensive front.
In regard to Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, I could see both players chasing big pay days outside of Philadelphia. The Eagles could feel comfortable with the replacements that they have in-house for both players already, including Moro Ojomo at defensive tackle.
Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
