Eagles
The offseason is chugging along. Don’t worry fans we’ll all be yelling at our TVs useful advice like “Throw it,” “You gotta catch that,” “Tackle him,” and my personal favorite, “BALL,” in no time. By the way the players can hear you don’t let facts or physics tell you otherwise. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the players that will be on the hot seat or the cool throne.
Like it or not, certain players are held to different standards and expectations. While some are fair, others are not. It’s like beauty, it’s in the hand of the beholder. Now I’ve never held any bees but I do follow the Eagles closely so you’re going to have to trust me. We’re going to take a look at a trio of players that each have high and low expectations.
Hot Seats:
Jalen Hurts – Listen I’m a Jalen Hurts fan. Hey the guy won a Super Bowl, appeared in another, and finished in MVP voting. That’s pretty good for a player going into his seventh year in the league. Unfortunately fans have the memory of a goldfish (which don’t actually have bad memories by the way). Still there’s a lot of pressure on Jalen Hurts going into the season. Looking just at last year, I don’t blame fans.
Analyzing the stats won’t back up the seeming drop in QB play. Hurts had better passing yards, touchdowns, and interception rate compared to the 2024 season. That said, he didn’t pass the eye-test when you looked at his play. Unfortunately quarterbacks get the lion’s share of the blame and success of their teams. So when your team loses in the first round of the playoffs, you get some of the blame. Now add on the article about him being difficult to work with and the team taking a step back in wide receiver talent. People want to see what Jalen Hurts can do this year. That’s where the pressure comes in and he’ll certainly have plenty on his shoulders this year.
Devonta Smith – He’s finally going to be WR1. He’s also going to have to step into the hole AJ Brown left in the trade. While I think he’ll step into the role well, it’s still a guarantee. He’s going to be facing a lot tougher competition and teams will game plan for him more specifically. He does have the added benefit of a proven offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion.
While he does have some things going for him, it’s not always easy to grab the bull by the horns and take over a receiving unit. Sometimes one bad drop can form a narrative. I don’t think many Eagles fans forget Saquon dropping a game winning catch even though they won a Super Bowl after.
Defensive Line – I think one of the biggest differences from 2024 and 2025 was the downturn of the defensive line play. Part of this is due to key players leaving and their replacements being young. People had high expectations for Jalyx Hunt and Moro Ojomo. Turns out neither could fully replicate Josh Sweat’s production. Still won’t stop people from comparing them going into the next season too.
Another part is their best player, Jalen Carter, missing time due to suspension and injury. While you can’t blame him for the latter you hope he can keep his ducks in a row and avoids any suspensions on the field. Still the entire unit has a certain amount of pressure on them. I truly believe that the most important part of a defense is the line. A strong line can stop the run and get to the quarterback to limit the pass. It also fits the hard nose defense Fangio likes to play so if the players don’t step up, expect some scrutiny.
Cool Throne:
Jordan Davis – I know what you’re thinking. How could Jordan Davis be on the cool throne if I just put the entire defensive line on the hot seat? Because he was the one standout from last year. The stats back this up too. He outperformed in just about every statistical category that matters. Tackles, sacks*, tackles for loss*, passes deflected*, and qb hits, you name it and he set the record for his career (*all of those stats he had the same or higher than every other year put together). He truly was a proverbial bull in the china shop of other teams’ offenses. And if you’re worried about him, just enjoy the Rams field goal block again.
Lane Johnson – What can you really say? He’s one of the greatest lineman in NFL history, not just the Eagles. I’d say he has nothing left to prove. There were rumors that he was going to retire. Coming back for one more ride after a disappointing season is what makes you a Philly legend. I think fans know they won’t get a full 17 game season out of him but who cares? He’s as strong as an ox when he plays. Also, the Eagles are definitively better when he plays, 110-57-1 with him and 18-27 without.
Makai Lemon – In the past Eagles first round picks came in with a lot of pressure. It looks like Howie learned from past mistakes like Nelson Agholor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Not only do the Eagles have Devonta Smith to get the majority of the targets but they also brought in a number of other receivers. Hopefully this limits any deer in the headlights moments from Lemon going into the season. It’s a big jump from college to the NFL. Players are stronger, faster, and hit harder. Lemon is lucky he has a good support cast while he learns the ropes.
Honestly this list is pretty subjective. Could Sirianni been on this list? Yes, but then the title would have to change. At the end of the day, these players will have developing stories by week 2 because that’s how sports work. It’s also true that the cool thrones melt faster than the hot seats. Either way I can’t wait for the season to start and have those irrational thoughts. Go Birds!
Sources: NFL on YouTube, Statmuse, Associated Press
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Hello, I’m a greater Philadelphia native writing mostly about the Eagles and the rest of the NFL. Articles aren’t … More about Kyle Lavin
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