Eagles Practice for First Time Since Arriving at Super Bowl LVII

PHOENIX – Into the craziness of Super Bowl week, there was at last a glimmer of normalcy as the Eagles actually held their first practice since arriving in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.

They took to the practice fields of the Arizona Cardinals outside of State Farm Stadium, where the big game will be played on Sunday. Their last practice was Saturday.

“It definitely felt good to get back on the field and move around,” said WR A.J. Brown. “It was like recess to be honest because this is a circus, all this stuff is a circus. I’m trying to block it all out and just play, so it felt great.”

The Eagles took the field to Creed’s “My Sacrifice,” per a pool report since the media isn’t allowed to watch Super Bowl practices.

The request for the song was made by Lane Johnson.

The right tackle texted head coach Nick Sirianni to ask for it.

“I don’t know if he thinks I’m the DJ or what, but I guess he knows I can get things done,” Sirianni said, laughing.

The next song up was Creed’s “Arms Wide Open,” and Johnson sang right along.

The playlist quickly shifted to alternative rock and current rap hits, all part of Sirianni’s plan to make Arizona feel like home.

The coach put the team through a 70-minute, up-tempo walkthrough.

“It absolutely felt good,” said DT Fletcher Cox. “It’s always good to get back on the field and put a helmet and some cleats on. Saturday was our last practice.

“Some guys and myself have been doing some stuff to make sure the body stays loose. I saw guys taking care of themselves during that little break to make sure they’re primed up and getting ready to go.”

All 53 players on the active roster participated, including cornerback Avonte Maddox, who missed time late in the regular season with a toe injury and guard Landon Dickerson, who suffered an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game win over the 49ers.

“We understand the hype of the game,” said DE Brandon Graham. “We appreciate the moment a little more because we know how to turn it on and off, that’s what I like about this team.”

Maddox, Johnson (groin/rest), and interior offensive lineman Cam Jurgens (hip/rest) were listed as limited participants; they were joined on the Eagles’ initial injury report by Dickerson, and defensive end Robert Quinn (foot), who were listed as full participants.

Per the pool report, Wednesday’s session was heavy on individual and position drills, and included a brief one's vs. one's situational period at the end of practice, part of Sirianni’s plan to get his team ready for any scenario they might encounter against the Chiefs on Sunday.

“We’re kind of obsessed with situations; not kind of, we are obsessed with situations,” Sirianni said. “So, everyday players are in the building we’re working on those, and that can be a lot of things, third downs, things that could pop up on first or second down. We’ve got a whole list of them that we want to rep and go over.”

The Eagles will increase their practice intensity on Thursday, though Sirianni will not have his players in pads for that session because they wore pads one time last week. He expects, however, another day of serious work to prepare for what he expects to be a physical game against the Chiefs.

“We want to keep them fresh, that’s really what we want,” the coach said.

“It felt good to get back out there and be in Arizona weather,” said cornerback James Bradberry. “It’s way different than Philly weather right now, so that was good. Of course, it takes a little adjusting to the media aspect of it. It is quite a bit.”

Even with all the media and sponsor obligations that have consumed the two teams for the past 72 hours, nobody is losing track that there is a game to be played on Sunday.

“You’re always aware you have to play on Sunday,” said Bradberry. “You might lose track of your routine because we’re not in the comfort of our home. We’re typically in Philly until Friday or Saturday then we travel but being somewhere different kind of throws off your routine.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.