Personally, I don’t know how anyone could watch the game against Washington and still have hope for the 2026 Philadelphia Eagles. I know there are some of you out there though. I’m here to tell you, it’s ok. You can let go of the hopes for this season and still maintain your fan card. For those of us who have already given up, it doesn’t make us less fans, it just lets us get started early on next year sooner. Take my hand while we journey to the other side.
The Division
The Giants don’t have a QB, lead the division at only 4-2-1, and have a decently rough schedule coming up. That doesn’t mean that winning the division should still be a goal. Let’s say we win the division at 7-10, does that mean we are good? You see how the team is playing, does this make you confident at taking down the Seattle Seahawks or the Chicago Bears (who already whipped us with Case Keenum at QB)? It shouldn’t.
I know what you’re thinking, anything can happen in the playoffs, right? Well, do you know who else is thinking that? The Dallas Cowboys. They are 3-5 and still believe they have a chance. We laugh at them. What makes us so different? Injuries? Hopes that the offense starts to gel? Be serious.
As the Phillies were slowly dying on us this year, it dawned on me that the long dead Mets had it better. At least their hopes were dashed early, they sold at the deadline and got a better draft pick. The Eagles are the Mets in this situation. The Cowboys are the Phillies. It’s over for both teams. The Cowboys just don’t know it yet and the Eagles do.
The biggest difference between winning the division at 7-10 or losing it at 6-11 is about 10 draft positions in every round. It isn’t worth it,
What’s In It for Us?
There’s one thing I learned from the Process era of the Sixers: if your team is bad and you are rooting for losses, you are going to feel pretty good. The Eagles are BAD. Not only have we been decimated by injuries, but even the healthy players don’t look very good. The defense was supposed to be the saving grace of the team, but they were shredded by a truly bad Washington offense. Are you ready for JJ McCarthy to run wild?
Right now, the Eagles have the 4th pick in the NFL Draft. It’s going to be tough to out lose the Dolphins or the Chargers for the top spot this year, but a top 5 pick is something that can truly change a team. The last time we had one, we drafted a Hall of Famer in Lane Johnson. I want the chance at that kind of selection again. Deep down, you do too.
At the trade deadline, the Eagles are going to make trades. Don’t find that surprising. Moro Ojomo, Nolan Smith, and maybe even Zack Baun should be out the door because they will not sign another contract with the team. We may have a soft spot for them, but this team was never built on paying players because we like them. It has always been a ruthless game of maximizing value and working all the angles. Not capitalizing on future free agents and trades is something the New York Giants and Joe Schoen do. You don’t want to be Joe Schoen.
We already have extra draft picks coming in the future. Think of draft day this year. Would you rather see another team take a sure thing or all of a sudden see that card surprisingly flip to show the Philadelphia Eagles are on the clock? Extra picks mean extra moves mean extra opportunities. In April, a lost season won’t feel so bad, but a meaningless win that dropped us several spots in the draft will kill.
We Are All Rooting for the Same Thing
Those of us who want the team to lose as much as possible want the same thing you do. We want the team to be better in the future. We aren’t mad at the Eagles. We aren’t trying to feel worse. No. We want the future Eagles to be better than the current version. Because the current version stinks.
It does. You can admit it. Search your heart and mind about Nick Sirianni too. Don’t make excuses for him, think about what he does here. He is supposed to motivate the players, make sure they are prepared, and keep the ship steady. None of that is happening right now. He also has nothing to offer the offense. Sean Mannion needs help. Sirianni has none to offer. How do I know that? Because nothing has changed.
You are trying to search for excuses for Nick as you read this. Why? Because he won the Super Bowl? He should have been fired that year too. This team just doesn’t have any answers. Yes, there has been bad luck, but what we have right now is a team running on the fumes of two seasons ago. There needs to be a reckoning.
Sometimes the only way a team can get better is by bottoming out. The expectations go away, the embarrassment sets in, and the team can reset. Look around the roster. It’s needed. Next year, Vic Fangio will be gone. Sirianni will be gone. And Sean Mannion will likely be gone too. It is going to be something completely new. Last time that happened, we entered the most successful era in team history. It’s ok to want that again.
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