An Enemy On Sunday; Once A Friend
Only the Original Architect of Their Return to Relevance Is Left in the Eagles’ Path.
Even on the opposite sideline on Sunday— Andy Reid will always have love in his heart for the Philadelphia Eagles.
PHOTO: Howard Smith/Imagn Images
One of a list of unconventional Head Coaching hires by Jeffrey Lurie over the years — the hiring of an innovative Quarterbacks Coach from Green Bay who had not even been a coordinator in 1999 — would take the Eagles franchise in the next decade from cellar dweller to the cusp of a championship.
Sunday — on the world’s largest championship stage — an Eagles team will face off against the original creator of its recent decades of success. When the Eagles faced Andy Reid’s Chiefs in the previous Super Bowl, they were not the team they are today. Even more, loaded with talent in 2025 — this Eagles team lives up to all the potential Reid saw when he took the Head Coach job in 1999.
Now, in 2025 — the Eagles are the only thing standing between Reid and his Chiefs, becoming perhaps the finest dynasty in NFL history.
It’s sometimes hard to remember the frustration that Philadelphia was feeling about its Eagles in 1999. It had been nearly two decades since Dick Vermeil had led the Eagles to the brink of a Championship in 1981.
Its last World Championship — a win at Franklin Field in 1960 — seemed to have faded even farther into history.
Both Buddy Ryan and Rich Kotite had taken approaches to return the Eagles to glory — only to stack the roster with talent and then win only one playoff game. The first of Mike Holmgren’s coaching tree would come to Philadelphia as a Head Coach in 1995 when Ray Rhodes took the job. Four years of his tenure had taken the Eagles from playoffs to the pits, and the Eagles fanbase was set on a draft pick of Ricky Williams to energize the franchise.
Standing behind Reid on the sideline on Sunday will be the Eagles’ former #1 Draft Pick, Carson Wentz — who has managed to reach this game with the opportunity to gain his second Super Bowl ring despite a career 0–1 record in the postseason.
Even after Reid left Philadelphia in 2012, his contribution to bringing the Eagles back to relevance has always been felt. Pat Shurmur returned to the Eagles in 2013 from Reid’s Coaching tree, and Doug Pederson would return in 2016 to lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory ever.
One has to believe — deep down — that when the Eagles win Super Bowl 59 tomorrow night — Andy Reid might be a little happy.
If only for a moment.
PHOTO: Howard Smith/Imagn Images
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Categorized:Eagles Unique Columns