The Philadelphia Eagles are in one of the most interesting phases a recent Super Bowl champion can enter: still talented enough to expect another deep January run, but changed enough that the old formula no longer applies.
Jalen Hurts is still the quarterback. Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens and Jordan Mailata still give the offense a veteran core. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Zack Baun, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell still give the defense an elite foundation.
But A.J. Brown is gone. The offense has a new coordinator in Sean Mannion. Philadelphia used its first-round pick on wide receiver Makai Lemon. The defense lost several familiar contributors in free agency and has already begun transitioning younger players into larger roles. The Eagles are not rebuilding; they are testing whether their structure is strong enough to absorb meaningful losses without losing their identity.
That makes 2026 less about proving Philadelphia is still good and more about proving the organization can keep evolving around Hurts without asking him to recreate the same offense forever.
A.J. Brown’s departure changes the offense even if the Eagles insist the standard does not
The trade of A.J. Brown to New England was the clearest sign that Philadelphia was willing to change a successful offense rather than preserve it for sentimental reasons.
Brown gave the Eagles four seasons of physical, high-level receiver play and helped form one of the league’s most dangerous pairings with DeVonta Smith. Philadelphia sent him to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection, adding future flexibility while removing one of the most dominant personalities and targets from the offense.
The move creates a football question and a roster-building question at the same time.
On the field, the Eagles have to replace the stress Brown created. His size and strength forced defenses to commit help outside. His presence also gave Hurts a trusted option when the play structure broke down. Philadelphia does not have another receiver with exactly that profile.
Off the field, the move demonstrates how Howie Roseman manages windows. The Eagles did not wait until Brown had no trade value. They converted an expensive veteran into future premium capital while trusting the rest of the roster to absorb the loss.
That philosophy only works if the replacements are good enough.
Jalen Hurts is being asked to evolve with the offense again
Hurts enters 2026 after a 2025 season in which he threw a career-high 25 touchdown passes and earned his third Pro Bowl selection. He has now guided Philadelphia to five consecutive playoff appearances, two NFC championships and a Super Bowl victory.
At this point, the conversation around Hurts should not be about whether he can win. It should be about how he continues to adapt.
Sean Mannion is the latest offensive coordinator asked to build around Hurts’ strengths. Philadelphia’s offseason material has repeatedly emphasized new terminology, new concepts and a desire to keep the quarterback growing within the position rather than simply repeating the same package every year.
That is important because the offense around him has changed. Brown is gone. First-round rookie Makai Lemon is entering the lineup. Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Dontayvion Wicks give the receiver room different types of speed and spacing. The tight end room is deeper and more flexible. Barkley remains one of the league’s most dangerous backs.
The best version of the 2026 offense should not ask Hurts to become a different player. It should give him more answers before he has to improvise.
Makai Lemon is not being drafted to imitate A.J. Brown
Philadelphia used the 20th pick in the draft on Makai Lemon, the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner from USC.
Lemon’s college production was substantial: 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns in his final season. He also contributed as a returner and occasional runner, giving the Eagles a player who can be moved around the formation instead of locked into one receiver role.
That versatility is probably more important than trying to force him into Brown’s old job.
The Eagles already have DeVonta Smith as an established route runner and vertical threat. Hollywood Brown can stretch coverage. Elijah Moore can work inside. Lemon gives Mannion another movable piece who can be used in motion, on option routes, on manufactured touches and in the return game.
Training-camp reports showed Philadelphia using Lemon quickly in those roles, including pre-snap motion and punt-return work. The rookie does not have to become a 1,300-yard receiver for the offense to improve. He has to make defenses account for another player who can change alignment and create space.
DeVonta Smith becomes even more central without changing who he is
DeVonta Smith has spent much of his career sharing attention with bigger names. In 2026, the offense should lean more directly on what he already does well.
Smith does not need to become a possession receiver simply because Brown is gone. His value comes from route precision, acceleration and the ability to win at multiple levels without needing the ball forced to him.
The difference is volume and responsibility. Defenses can no longer divide their coverage plan between two established top receivers. Smith will see more attention, and Philadelphia will need the rest of the passing game to punish that attention.
That is where Lemon, Hollywood Brown, Moore, Goedert and the running backs become important. If the offense becomes more distributed, Smith’s role can grow without becoming predictable.
Saquon Barkley remains the offense’s stabilizer
One of the easiest ways to handle turnover at receiver is to keep the run game dangerous.
Saquon Barkley still gives Philadelphia that foundation. His presence forces defenses to account for the box, gives Hurts favorable play-action looks and prevents the offense from becoming a weekly referendum on the passing game.
The offensive line remains built to support that style. Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens provide continuity and high-end play at premium spots. Tyler Steen remains part of the interior solution, while younger linemen continue developing behind the established starters.
That matters because the Eagles’ offense is at its best when every answer reinforces another one. Barkley creates pressure on linebackers. Hurts creates another run threat. Smith and Lemon stress coverage. Goedert works the middle. The line allows the entire structure to function without constant protection concessions.
Philadelphia does not need one player to replace Brown if the offense becomes harder to isolate.
The defense has changed more quietly than the offense
The Eagles lost several familiar contributors in the offseason.
Reed Blankenship signed with Houston. Nakobe Dean left for Las Vegas. Jaelan Phillips departed. Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche also moved on. Those exits matter because Philadelphia’s recent defensive success was built as much on depth as star power.
The organization responded the way it usually does: retain the premium internal pieces, add veterans selectively and trust young players to grow into larger roles.
Jalen Carter signed a four-year extension through 2031. Jordan Davis also received a multiyear extension. Zack Baun remains the established leader at linebacker. Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell are entering the kind of years when promising young defensive backs are expected to become weekly matchup advantages.
Philadelphia also added Jonathan Greenard, A.J. Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie, Riq Woolen, Jonathan Jones and Michael Carter II to deepen the defense.
The names are different, but the structure is familiar: invest in the line, develop the secondary and create enough depth that one injury does not destroy the plan.
Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis now carry the defensive identity
Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis entered the league as former Georgia teammates and have become the center of Philadelphia’s defensive front.
Carter’s new extension through 2031 confirms that the Eagles view him as one of the franchise’s long-term anchors. Davis’ extension does the same from a different angle. Carter provides penetration and disruption. Davis provides mass, power and run-game control.
That pairing matters more after the departures around them. A defensive line with dominant interior play can make the rest of the unit easier to manage. Edge rushers get more one-on-one opportunities. Linebackers can play cleaner. Defensive backs do not have to cover as long.
The Eagles have spent years building defenses from the line outward. In 2026, that philosophy is being tested again with a younger surrounding cast.
The secondary may be the deepest part of the roster
Philadelphia’s defensive backfield has both proven talent and developmental upside.
Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell give the Eagles two versatile young defenders who can handle difficult assignments. Riq Woolen brings size and starting experience. Jonathan Jones adds veteran depth. Michael Carter II gives the defense another slot option. Andrew Mukuba is positioned for a larger role at safety after starting 10 games as a rookie.
The unit will be asked to compensate for turnover at safety and linebacker, but that is exactly what a strong secondary can do. If the corners can survive man coverage and the safeties communicate cleanly, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can disguise pressure and coverage without exposing the back end.
That becomes especially important while Jonathan Greenard works back from the PUP list and the edge rotation settles into shape.
The linebacker turnover is one of the few real defensive questions
Nakobe Dean’s departure leaves production and leadership to replace.
Zack Baun remains the veteran standard, but Philadelphia is relying more heavily on Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon Jr. than it did a year ago.
That is not necessarily a weakness. It is simply a transition point.
Campbell has the athletic profile to become a major piece. Trotter knows the system and continues to develop. Mondon adds another young option. The concern is whether the group can play fast enough mentally to match the athletic ability.
Linebacker is often the position where a defense looks young even when the talent is obvious. Run fits, route distribution and communication mistakes can create easy offense for opponents. Philadelphia’s front and secondary may be strong enough to protect the group while it grows.
Howie Roseman is once again trying to stay young without getting worse
The Brown trade, draft choices and contract extensions all point to the same organizational philosophy.
Philadelphia is constantly trying to replace expensive production before the roster becomes old at the same time.
That is why Brown could be traded while Carter and Davis were extended. It is why Lemon was drafted in the first round. It is why multiple future picks matter. It is why the Eagles carry young players into meaningful roles before every veteran position has completely collapsed.
That approach is uncomfortable because it requires moving on from good players while they still have value. It also explains why Philadelphia has avoided the kind of long rebuild that often follows a Super Bowl roster.
The risk is obvious: eventually one of those replacements has to be worse than the player who left.
2026 will reveal whether the Eagles are still ahead of that curve.
The Week 1 matchup immediately tests the new offense
Philadelphia opens Sept. 13 at home against the Washington Commanders.
That is exactly the kind of game that will show whether the offensive transition is functional.
Washington knows Hurts. It knows Barkley. It knows the Eagles’ offensive line. The new variables are Mannion’s structure, Lemon’s role and how Philadelphia distributes targets without Brown.
The schedule then sends the Eagles to Tennessee before a Monday night road game against Chicago. Later come San Francisco, Green Bay, Seattle, Buffalo and two games each against Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants.
Philadelphia will not have to wait long to discover whether its new offensive spacing works against teams that understand its tendencies.
The Eagles do not need to recreate the Super Bowl roster
One of the easiest traps for a recent champion is trying to preserve the exact team that won.
That is rarely possible.
Players get paid. Coaches leave. Young players need larger roles. Draft picks become starters. Veterans become trade assets. The salary cap forces choices.
The Eagles appear comfortable with that reality.
The 2026 roster is not a replica of the Super Bowl LIX team. It should not be. The goal is to preserve the underlying advantages: quarterback stability, offensive-line strength, an elite defensive front, versatile defensive backs and a front office willing to keep reshaping the roster.
Hurts is now the player who connects every version of the offense.
Jalen Hurts is being asked to prove the Eagles’ identity can survive change
The most important thing about Hurts in 2026 is not another individual statistic.
It is whether the offense remains coherent when one of its defining stars is gone and the scheme changes around him again.
Hurts has already won with different coordinators, different supporting casts and different offensive emphases. That adaptability is one of the strongest arguments in his favor as a franchise quarterback.
This season pushes the idea further.
If Lemon emerges quickly, Smith handles a larger role, Barkley keeps the run game dangerous and Mannion creates a passing structure with more distributed answers, Philadelphia may become less dependent on one matchup than it was before.
If the offense becomes narrower without Brown, the trade will look much riskier.
That is what makes 2026 compelling.
The Eagles are not asking whether Jalen Hurts can win.
They are asking whether the organization can keep changing around him and still remain one of the NFC’s hardest teams to beat.
That is a much higher standard — and exactly the one Philadelphia has earned.