Soul-Searching Has Led To Big Turnaround For Eagles Defensive Tackle

Jordan Davis isn’t hearing any of the Pro Bowl talk. The Eagles' defensive tackle is only focused on one thing with Week 17 and a visit to what is expected to be snowy Buffalo on Sunday to play a Bills team that has won four straight games.

That one thing is easy – winning.

“We wanna win; that’s it,” he told NBC Philly’s John Clark after the Eagles won their second straight NFC East title by beating the Washington Commanders on Saturday. “We wanna win each week, (be) 1-0 and that’s the only thing because at the end of the day, once you get to that big dance, it’s going to be 1-0 each week. I’ll leave that (Pro Bowl talk) to the people. We’ll just keep working.”

The NFL is filled with talented defensive tackles. Davis is right up there with them. Finally. It took years for Davis to become the player we are seeing on the field right now, but here he is stacking games of lights-out football.

He added another six tackles to his resume in the 29-18 win over the Commanders and now has 65 of those, which is 20 more than his previous career-high of 45 set in 2023. He has set career highs in everything across the board – sacks (4.5), tackles for loss (9), and quarterback hits (6).

This is what the Eagles were hoping to get when they traded up to select him 13th overall in the 2022 draft.

Soul Searching Leads To "New" Davis

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) during player introductions against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

“A lot of soul searching, understanding what I want from myself,” he told Clark about how he has turned things around this season. “The team wanted me to be more and play more and be capable of more. Ultimately, it was on me to make the decision to flip that switch and work at it.”

Davis completely remade himself. He changed his lifestyle. He lost weight, and that has allowed him to be more present in the locker room and not on a treadmill or stair climber after practice, trying to manage his weight. His presence around his teammates is something fun to watch. He’s having fun with them, and they enjoy being around him.

“I have joy in doing that,” he told Clark. “Any time that somebody goes through the same thing that I went through, it’s easy for me to connect because I’ve been through it, I’ve worked through it. I’m still working through it. It’s not something that just turns on. You can’t do that. You have to constantly work at it. I think that’s a big part of it. You can do anything that you put your mind to. You just have to go out there and do it.”

He has become one of the leaders on defense. It would be a surprise to no one if, next year, his teammates vote him to be a team captain.

The Eagles showed faith in Davis by picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in the offseason that will pay him close to $13 million in 2026. That's a bargain, and perhaps the Eagles will reward him with a long-term deal worth millions more this spring.

“I always say Rome isn’t built in a day,” he said. “It took years of work to get to this point, but now it’s probably at a point where it clicks, and I’m consistent at it. I understand. I love where I’m at. I love my body. I love where I’m at. I love the way I’m playing, I love the way that I’m moving. I’m breathing different, I’m living different. All that factors in and just motivates me to be a better player, a better person, and keep playing, have an impact.”

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