The Eagles’ have quickly moved on from the highs of lifting the Vince Lombardi last month, as they’ve had to bid farewell to some of the key names in their Super Bowl-winning team, releasing them as free agents. Despite the dents punctured in the Eagles’ defense by these outgoings, Eagles’ youngster and birthday boy, Jalyx Hunt, is set to play a major role in ensuring the former veterans aren’t missed.
With the Eagles’ defense set to wear a new look next season, the linebacker: Jalyx Hunt, whose maiden NFL season with the Eagles capped off with a Super Bowl LIX victory, is set to step up and shoulder the responsibilities of
Hunt was an Eagles’ third-round pick in 2024 out of Houston Christian, but had limited snaps until Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff suffered a series of injuries. The 2001-born footballer notched 1½ sacks and two forced fumbles in regular season and 1½ sacks in the playoffs, including one split with Josh Sweat.
The departure of Josh Sweat, among the many exits –Milton Williams, Oren Burks, Isaiah Rodgers, Josh Sweat, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Isaiah Rodgers, Darius Slay – has stung Hunt in a great way.
“Hurting my heart,” Hunt said about losing his teammates.
“This is the business part that everybody talks about. So, this is my first time experiencing it. I’m going through the throes of it right now.”
One major help for him in his first season was Josh Sweat, whose guidance and influence will abide with him even after his departure to Arizona.
With Howie Roseman expecting a step up from Hunt and Moro Ojomo, Hunt hopes to keep finding inspiration from Sweat, watch his films to better his skills, follow his blueprints, and even compete against the veteran who led the Eagles with eight sacks in the regular season and racked up 2½ sacks at the Super Bowl.
“That’s the OG, man,” Hunt said. “Josh Sweat, he’s out of here. I told him, ‘It’s up,’ though, because now we’re in direct competition. Because before, I’m learning from you, everything. But now I’ve got to outrush him and everything like that.”
The ceiling Josh Sweat hit during his Eagles stint might be deemed too high a ceiling for a 24-year old who is just getting ready for his sophomore season in the NFL, but Hunt wants all the smoke.
Having significantly improved under Vic Fangio’s tutelage and moving from five total defensive snaps in his first few weeks to about 30% of the total defensive snaps in the last seven weeks of the regular season, Hunt feels he is ready for the challenge.
“I’m going to do what I did last year,” Hunt said. “Just put my head down, work, study some more film, ask more questions. I feel as if I can ask better questions now that I know a little bit more about the position and I’ve played and I’ve got some experience at it. Just ask my butt off. Work my butt off.”
It will be a great sight to see and an exemplary move for the remaining teams in the NFL if the Eagles’ idea of trusting their youngsters yields results and leads them to another Super Bowl glory.
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