Eagles•More PHL•Unique Columns
What Will Another Lombardi Trophy Mean for Philly?
How Will Another Championship Cement These Eagles Further?
Illuminated in a glass case as you walk into the NovaCare Complex — is the shining reminder of the exhilaration of winning the world’s most prestigious trophy in sports. The 2018 Lombardi Trophy — a glistening example of the magic of the 2017–2018 Philadelphia Eagles — is about to get some company.
For those of us who are older Eagles fans, times were not always as bright as this. Buddy Ryan and Rich Kotite’s promises, Ray Rhodes’s preaching of fundamentals, Chip Kelly’s revolutionary offense, Doug Pederson’s planning, and Andy Reid’s formulaic approach led to only one championship for this city.
A win on Sunday night in the glow of New Orleans won’t just put the Philadelphia Eagles in elite company — it will cement them as one of the best franchises in the National Football League.
It will make them champions for the second time in seven years — a moment the franchise saw coming when they had to endure a walk through the red and white confetti of a 2023 Super Bowl loss. And perhaps the beginning of their dynasty.
The Eagles know that their core offensive assault, led by Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Lane Johnson, AJ Brown, and Dallas Goedert, is no longer a novel show for the NFL. These Eagles are no longer up and coming but have arrived. Each of them is an All-Pro in their prime — the time for this group to win multiple NFL championships is now.
For the defense — this collection of veteran and young talent is a limited-time opportunity. The play this year of its young secondary — one of the finest in the NFL — almost guarantees that this will most probably be the final year of Big Play Slay here, but also the potential that this group will be safeguarding the Eagles’ secondary for years to come, on the defensive line — a similar situation. If Brandon Graham can play in the Super Bowl — this will almost certainly be his last game among a defensive line filled with young talent like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith.
PHOTO: James Lang/Imagn Images
The team remembers all too well the time days of mediocrity — the transition from a failed Chip Kelly regime, the rebuilding from perceptibly thrown games from the end of Doug Pederson’s tenure. When Jalen Hurts was asked last season in a post-game presser about how he arrived to be one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL, not just by stats but by winning — he responded simply by saying — “By losing.”
But what this Super Bowl victory truly means is validation. Validation that Nick Sirianni was the right man for the job and that he could right the ship from a year ago. Validation that the dismissal of Super-Bowl winning Coach Doug Pederson was the right move for the Eagles. Validation that Howie Roseman’s free agent signings, contract extensions, and draft picks have been exactly the right moves at exactly the right time.
This Super Bowl win won’t just be about this team. It will be about the finest group of Philadelphia football players in the last century in our city. It will be about what they will do on Sunday. And can repeat for years to come.
Enjoy the Super Bowl, Philly.
PHOTO: James Lang/Imagn Images
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