How to Fix the Philadelphia Eagles in 2026

The pesky media will always try to give the fans something to click on when covering the Philadelphia Eagles; however, for more engagement, they often chase stories with a negative connotation. The Eagles gave them plenty of those melodramas last season: the A.J. Brown debacle, a “positive” bunny inflatable, and the Kevin Patullo criticism. The coverage of these things led to distractions on and off the field.

There is no denying A.J. Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the league, so getting rid of him will not solve many problems. What the Eagles can do, on the other hand, is keep him satisfied by getting him involved early on in games. Other teams do that for their star players, and while the Eagles have more stars than most, it is important to keep everybody as engaged as possible. Additionally, the leadership of the Eagles (Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni, and Jalen Hurts) need to do a better job of silencing the media when they try to prod at them for answers.

If the Eagles can keep the off-field distractions to a minimum this upcoming season, the team may see more success on the field. Of course, performing up to expectations will help minimize the outside noise as well, so hopefully new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion can help in that department as well.

In the Philadelphia Eagles’ lone playoff game this past season against the San Francisco 49ers, they only recorded one sack and lost the game. In Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times. Milton Williams and Josh Sweat recorded four-and-a-half of those sacks, but they are no longer with the team. It is no secret that pressuring the opposing team’s quarterback leads to more success, and the Eagles are in need of more players that can get past the league’s best offensive linemen.

Maxx Crosby, at the young age of 28, has proven he can do just that. He has recorded double-digits sacks in three of the last four NFL seasons. Luckily for the Eagles, rumors have it that he wants out of Las Vegas. As of late February, 29% of Kalshi bettors believe that he will end up in Philadelphia; they are the second most betted team for him to be traded to behind the Cincinnati Bengals at 31%.

While the Eagles have the trade capital to acquire Maxx Crosby, the competition may drive his price beyond what Howie Roseman can shell out. If the Eagles cannot get Crosby, they can explore the enticing options entering free agency next month. Trey Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons just a couple of years ago, so he may be able to revive his career in midnight green. If the Eagles prefer younger options, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe are both under the age of 30 and have recently come close to being double-digit sack guys. If the Eagles can pair one of these veterans with a few rookie defensive linemen, they may be able to generate the pass rush needed to limit opposing quarterbacks.

When comparing the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles offense to the 2025 version, the eye test will tell you that the latter version was not nearly as creative. The Eagles took a near 1,000 yard dip in total offensive production compared to 2024. Additionally, they scored 84 less points.

The Eagles will need to find more creative ways to get Saquon Barkley the ball. While the offensive line needs to be better at creating lanes as well, it will help if the Eagles can get Barkley more space outside of the hashes.

The Eagles will also need Jalen Hurts to step up as a passer. He has done a great job in recent years at protecting the football, but in a pass-heavy league, he needs to show that he is a threat to carve up a defense. Utilizing his deep ball more, maybe by including a flea flicker here and there, could give this offense back the explosive identity it once had.

All in all, Sean Mannion has his work cut out for him this season. If he can find ways to creatively use the Eagles playmakers like Kellen Moore did a few seasons ago, Philadelphia may hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time this decade.