Five positive things to look at the Eagles heading into the 2026 season

There has been a lot of drama surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Ever since the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild card round of the playoffs, the talk around the Jefferson Health Training Complex has revolved around Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown.

Will Brown be back with the Eagles in 2026? When will Brown be traded and how much borrowed time is he on? Would the Eagles extend Jalen Hurts past the 2026 season? How much will Jalen Hurts be adaptable in the new-look offense under Sean Mannion? Will the Eagles adjust the offense if the passing game struggles?

Certainly there are a lot of questions regarding the Eagles heading into 2026. Let's not forget this is a team coming off five consecutive playoff appearances and two Super Bowl appearances in the last four years. The Eagles are 59-26 over the last five years, as the .694 win percentage is second only in the NFL to the Buffalo Bills.

Best win percentage in NFL -- last 5 seasons
Bills	.714
Eagles	.694
Chiefs	.682
49ers	.624
Vikings	.600
Ravens	.600

There's a lot to like about this Eagles team, so let's focus on the positives at this point in the 2026 offseason. This is still one of the most talented teams in the NFL after all.

Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean

The Eagles pass defense has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL over the past two seasons, averaging just 182.0 passing yards per game. This is the same pass defense that has allowed just 36 passing touchdowns in that same span (first in NFL) and a completion rate of 59.5% (second).

No coincidence Mitchell and DeJean's first two seasons in the NFL were during that span. Both players were All-Pro selections in just their second year in the league. Mitchell led all NFL cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (42.4%) while DeJean led all slot cornerbacks in catch rate allowed (61.4%). DeJean still hasn't allowed a passing touchdown in the slot.

The Eagles pass defense is excellent, and those two are the cornerstones. The unit should still be elite if those two are healthy.

Vic Fangio is the defensive coordinator

The Eagles won the Super Bowl off the heels of their defense, which dominated the Kansas City Chiefs from start to finish. The defense was great again in 2025, ranking fifth in points per game (19.1) and seventh in points allowed per possession (1.81). That unit had less talent that the championship defense from the season before.

The constant in this group? Fangio, who will be back for a third season as defensive coordinator. The Eagles have allowed the second fewest points per game in the NFL (18.5), second fewest yards per game (296.3), despite having a middle-of-the-pack run defense and top-10 pass rush.

Despite the talent the Eagles have lost over the past few years, the defense remains good under Fangio.

Offensive line remains intact

The Eagles' offensive line struggled through the year with injuries, not being the typical dominant unit Philadelphia has been accustomed to seeing over the past decade. Regardless, there still is a ton of talent amongst this group.

Jordan Mailata was an All-Pro selection just two years ago, while Landon Dickerson is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Dickerson battled knee injuries that have slowed down his career, but he's still one of the best left guards in the game when healthy.

Cam Jurgens is beaten up by the "Tush Push," but he was selected to the Pro Bowl last year. Tyler Steen is fine at right guard, while Lane Johnson is still one of the elite right tackles in football -- even at the age of 35. Johnson hasn't allowed a sack since 2023, and has a pressure rate allowed of just 1.6% over the past two seasons.

Even with a new offensive line coach in Chris Kuper, this unit is still one of the best in the game when healthy. This group should rebound in a big way in 2026.

DeVonta Smith is ready for a bigger role

The Eagles have yet to see Smith as a No. 1 wideout, but know he'll be up to the challenge if AJ Brown heads elsewhere. Smith has done nothing but produce since being drafted by the Eagles, having three 1,000-yard seasons in five years.

This is all as the No. 2 wideout by the way. What happens when Smith gets a higher volume of targets and becomes the focal point of the passing game?

The yards per game (59.3) should significantly go up, higher than Smith's career high in 2022 (70.4). The receptions per game will be significantly higher than 4.5 as well. While Sean Mannion's offense still remains a mystery, there's a good opportunity for Smith to get a higher volume of targets -- espeiclaly if Brown departs.

Smith was one of the best playmakers in college when he was at the University of Alabama, and can have 1,500 receiving yards in the right system. More opportunities to make plays may result in a more explosive offense for the Eagles.

The defensive tackle rotation

A major strength of the Eagles defense is the interior of the defensive line, starting with the duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Carter showcased his dominance in year two with the Eagles, as Fangio had a hard time taking him off the field -- especially in playoff games. Remember how dominant Carter was in the divisional playoff victory over the Los Angeles Rams? The Eagles won a Super Bowl a few weeks later thanks to that performance.

Davis earned his contract extension thanks to a dominant 2025, leading all interior defensive lineman in run stops (34) and ranked third amongst defensive tackles in tackles (72). Moro Ojomo (6.0 sacks) was second on the team in sacks last season while Bryon Young added good depth as a reserve pass rusher.

The top four in this group are arguably one of the best in the NFL. When looking how strong the defense is, just look at the defensive tackle depth to start.