Eagles Embark On New Journey: "We're Not Defending Nothing"

PHILADELPHIA – Jordan Mailata got a bit defensive when asked about defending the Super Bowl title the Eagles won less than six months ago.

"Whatever we did last year, that's in the rearview mirror,” said the left tackle as the team opened training camp with a 75-minute practice on Wednesday. “We're not defending nothing. We're not the defending champs. We're the 2024 World Champions. That's it. We're not defending (bleep). We're not.

“So I don't like hearing, ‘Oh, we're the defending champions.’ We're not defending nothing. We just won the title, and now we got to go win it again. Prove it all over again, and that's the mentality this team is gonna have. We're not gonna prove anything to anyone else, but ourselves.”

As he has developed into one of the game’s best left tackles, though perhaps a still underrated one, Mailata has become one of this team’s leaders, and he said he isn’t the only one who feels the way he does.

The team’s leaders are on the same page, though maybe not in those exact words of “not defending (bleep).”

“Nick would never swear,” Mailata laughed referring to head coach Nick Sirianni.

“That was more me, we're not defending nothing,” he said. “I hate hearing that. I think it contributes to the Super Bowl hangover. I'm not trying to be hungover. I'm trying to move on. When I hear, ‘These are the defending world champs.’ Man, we ain't (bleep). We ain't nothing.

“We're out here to prove it all again. All over again. It's a whole new team. It's a whole new league. We gotta go earn it. We're not defending nothing.”

Sure enough, quarterback Jalen Hurts echoed Mailata's sentiments, only with different words.

"It’s a new journey," the Super Bowl LIX MVP said. "It’s a new season. Those things are far behind us. The past is behind us, and the future is too far away. We have to stay in the present and worry about right now.

"This is a new team, a new journey. Ultimately, we’re here for the same collective. It’s about finding ways to win, and right now, it’s the time to build the foundation to do so. And continue to build that chemistry as a team."

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