For a fifth straight year, the NFL salary cap is on the rise.
The league informed its clubs on Friday that the base salary cap will rise to $301.2 million for the 2026 season, a $22 million increase from 2025’s figure. This is the first time in the history of the NFL salary cap that it has crossed the $300 million threshold.
The salary cap has now risen 7.88% since last year’s league-wide limit of $279.2 million, marking the lowest rate of growth since 2020, when it rose 5.31% at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Last season, the salary cap increased 8.69%.
While the salary cap is rising, so are the Eagles’ cap charges in 2026. According to Over The Cap, the Eagles will be sitting at approximately $13.8 million in cap space come the start of the new league year on March 11.
That rough figure does not include the space that will be required to sign the 2026 draft class, so the team’s effective cap space is likely lower.
Thus, general manager Howie Roseman will have to do some maneuvering if he wants to make free-agent additions this offseason. He already tempered expectations regarding potential external free-agent signings this offseason on Feb. 20, stating that it’s the team’s priority to attempt to retain its own players instead.
“It’s going to be hard for us, unless we make major moves to subtract, to really make some sort of splash move that costs money because we like the players we have drafted and want them as a big part of our next few years as well,” Roseman said.
The majority of those homegrown players in line for imminent extensions are on defense, including Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Moro Ojomo. Other defensive players on rookie deals, such as Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Jalyx Hunt, will have to be addressed in the coming years.
Carter and Smith, the Eagles’ 2023 first-round picks, are eligible to have their fifth-year options exercised this offseason. Now that the cap has been set, the NFL also reportedly shared fifth-year option amounts with clubs on Friday.
By making two Pro Bowls, Carter has solidified himself in the highest salary tier, potentially earning himself a base salary of $27.1 million in 2027 if exercised. Smith is in the lowest tier at $13.8 million.
Extensions for Jordan Davis (left) and Jalen Carter are expected to be on the Eagles’ radar.
Jalen Hurts could also warrant an extension or a restructure, given that his cap hit jumps to $32 million in 2026 (approximately 10.2% of the salary cap).
The Eagles have several pending unrestricted free agents that could be in line for paydays, either with the Eagles or elsewhere, including Jaelan Phillips, Dallas Goedert, Nakobe Dean, and Reed Blankenship. Given the team’s financial situation, it will be a challenge to retain any one of them.
Still, Roseman emphasized that attempting to keep some of the Eagles’ pending free agents will be at the top of his to-do list this offseason.
“I think from a big picture perspective, we want to build a team that every year has a chance to compete for championships, that drafts really well and signs their own players and just sporadically goes into free agency,” Roseman said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. And sometimes as much as you want to add from outside and you want to change it up, you got to make a decision to keep the players you know have played well and are part of your culture.”
INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Vrabel’s recent comments about A.J. Brown may not qualify as tampering, but they are reflective of a certain preoccupation those associated with the Eagles have had with the wide receiver’s future at the scouting combine this week.
And, to some degree, the rest of the league shares that preoccupation — elite receivers still in the prime of their careers rarely are available.
Vrabel didn’t bring up Brown on his own. The Patriots coach first was asked about his relationship with his former player during a news conference on Wednesday and then about possibly trading for him during an interview session with New England-area reporters shortly afterward.
“I think that we’ll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster,” Vrabel said in answering the second question. “There’s a lot of back-and-forth. Taking on compensation. And so, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft.”
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has expressed his affection for A.J. Brown, but how that translates to a potential deal remains unknown.
It was a rather innocuous response, and Vrabel made sure not to mention Brown by name, as that could be considered tampering with a player under contract with another team. But the former Titans coach, who drafted the receiver in 2019 and coached him for three seasons, didn’t avoid going into detail about how close he remains to Brown.
“I think the relationship with players — and, specifically, you asked about A.J. — has meant a lot,” Vrabel said earlier from the combine media center podium. “I watched him grow. I watched him mature. I’m proud of him, proud of the father that he is. I’m proud of the husband. And that has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played.
“So those are the things that are important. We reach out, text each other during the things that happen good to each other. And sometimes things don’t go so well for the people that you’re close with and you text those, as well. So it’s been a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.”
There’s little wrong with what Vrabel said, as it’s been consistent with his comments about Brown since the Titans traded him to Philly almost four years ago. Just last January, after he was hired in New England and as the Eagles were in the middle of their Super Bowl run, Vrabel said the following about Brown on Boston radio:
“I love him to death and I have a very, very close relationship with him.”
A lot has changed around Brown’s Eagles and Vrabel’s Patriots a year later. And with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman unwilling to shut the door on Brown being obtainable for the right price, Vrabel’s openness about his communication with the 28-year old could be characterized as flirtatious.
Not that Roseman should take any issue with his remarks, as they could help spur activity and give the general manager the type of leverage he would need to receive compensation for an All-Pro-caliber receiver whose exit would leave a giant hole on offense and trigger significant salary cap repercussions.
A.J. Brown (left) eventually warmed to Mike Vrabel’s coaching in Tennessee, though it was Vrabel’s Titans who ultimately dealt Brown.
And that is why a decision on Brown seemingly will be made sooner — as in the next 10 days ahead of the official start of the “legal tampering” period on March 9 — rather than later. At least that’s the sense sources close to several Eagles with uncertain futures have gotten from their conversations with the team this week.
Roseman should be compelled to make a decision in the immediate future. Moving or keeping Brown impacts almost every other personnel decision he will make this offseason in terms of free agency, contract extensions, and the draft. It’s not an imperative, but waiting would make putting the roster puzzle together more difficult.
Roseman’s messaging has been consistent since the end of the season.
“It’s really hard to find great players,” Roseman said last week to Eagles beat reporters. “I think A.J. is a great player. I think that, from my perspective, we’re looking to improve in all areas, and you don’t do that by subtracting.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni tweaked his initial response to questions about Brown after he said he couldn’t “guarantee” the receiver’s return — based on the notion that nothing in life is guaranteed — during his media rounds at the combine on Tuesday. Sirianni avoided the phrasing and said he expects and wants Brown back.
But Roseman will make the final call and he will be the one entertaining offers. And that’s exactly what he has made obvious to interested teams every time he’s been asked about Brown: We’re open for business. Give us your best shot.
“I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,” Roseman said last week. “I don’t think that you can go into any conversation with anyone and just shoot things down without hearing what they have to say, because you never know.”
What Roseman is doing here is creating momentum and building a market that would draw in competing offers. All he needs is two interested teams to create leverage. Three teams could get him closer to the finish line, depending upon the value he has assigned to Brown.
Roseman’s tactics are renowned. He’ll set the cost much higher than prevailing wisdom says it should be. One NFL executive said he heard the Eagles were seeking a return that included a first- and second-round draft pick. Whether accurate or not, the price tag is already being floated within league circles.
Teams will check in, some with more interest than others, but Roseman will get a sense of who is serious by their initial offers. He’ll then whittle down their counter-arguments until he grinds out what he views as suitable compensation.
If he doesn’t get that compensation, he won’t trade Brown, even if the receiver has told the Eagles he wants out of Philly. The cap hit — about $45 million — is just too steep. And even if the teams have a handshake deal to wait until June 1 so the Eagles can spread the charge over two years, Roseman probably won’t take anything less than a conditional second-rounder.
Brown may seem to be on the decline. He may have a chronic knee condition that hurt his stock as far back as the pre-draft process. He might be emotional and the occasional headache. But he’s still better than most receivers and seemingly anyone who will be available in free agency.
The draft is another animal. But teams like the Patriots, Bills, and Ravens might be only a Brown away from getting over the championship hump. All three teams have picks in each of the first two rounds. The Patriots have Nos. 31 and 63, the Bills have Nos. 26 and 60, and the Ravens have Nos. 14 and 45.
The Eagles have eight projected picks with one first-rounder (No. 23), one second-rounder (No. 54), and two third-rounders (No. 68 and a No. 98 projected). It’s possible Roseman would accept a 2027 first-rounder in return for Brown.
Howie Roseman acknowledged that nothing is off the table when it comes to trade talks. But he has a history to suggest he won’t be fleeced.
But it seems inconceivable that the Eagles would take anything less than what the Seahawks got for receiver DK Metcalf last offseason — essentially a second-rounder — or the Bills got for receiver Stefon Diggs — essentially second- and fifth-rounders — two offseasons ago.
A trade partner would have to be willing to take on the remaining amount of the three-year, $92 million extension Brown signed two offseasons ago — at about $25 million per over the next two seasons. But that isn’t a backbreaking commitment for a player who turns 29 in June.
The Patriots have a need at the position, even if Diggs reached 1,000 yards receiving in his first season in New England. It was clear in Super Bowl LX that quarterback Drake Maye, despite his deficiencies, was lacking a true No. 1 target.
Brown was rooting for the Patriots, having been a fan since he was young. He went on the Dudes on Dudes podcast hosted by former Patriots Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski before the title game and spoke about his affinity for the team and for Vrabel, the coach he said he didn’t initially like in Tennessee.
The Patriots, of course, lost to the Seahawks. The podcast did not air until Feb. 18, however, so Brown’s chumminess with an enemy team might have come off as brash to some Eagles fans. Edelman ended the show by saying, “Just remember, we’re all Patriots. You know that, right?”
Brown winked, as if to suggest that he would become a Patriot, but quickly rebounded and said, “No, no, no. I’m trolling.”
The constant media attention on a potential Brown trade may seem like trolling to Eagles fans reluctant to see the star receiver leave after four dominant seasons. But the prospects are real. Whether it happens or not, the answer could come in a matter of days.
Despite the league’s attempt to keep the annual NFL Players Association’s 2026 report card out of the public eye, ESPN reported its results on Thursday night. The Eagles reportedly finished 20th — an improvement from 22nd a year ago — in the annual poll.
The Eagles’ grades with each category range from glowing — especially surrounding the coaching staff — to glaring.
Nick Sirianni passed with flying colors. The Eagles head coach received an A grade, an improvement over his A- finish in 2025. Sirianni was one of 11 coaches who earned an A or higher. Only two head coaches — Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders — earned A+ grades.
Sirianni wasn’t the only Eagles coach who garnered a strong grade. Vic Fangio was one of three defensive coordinators to receive an A+, joining Jesse Minter of the Los Angeles Chargers (now the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens) and Aden Durde of the Seattle Seahawks.
Eagles players praised coach Nick Sirianni in the NFLPA player survey.
Special teams coordinator Michael Clay and the training staff both earned As. The strength coaches and position coaches both received A- grades.
Former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was awarded a C+, the lowest grade of the coaching staff.
For a second straight year, owner Jeffrey Lurie earned a B grade. General manager Howie Roseman took home a B, too.
The Eagles’ worst grades didn’t have to do with the coaching staff or the front office. Just like last year, the team was awarded an F in team travel. In the 2025 survey, players noted that they should get first-class seats on team flights, instead of the coaching staff.
A team source told The Inquirer the organization held a meeting with the Eagles leadership council last offseason to address the concerns detailed in the 2025 NFLPA report card and determine improvements. The only concern the organization had heard related to team travel is that the whole team does not have first-class, lie-flat seats for every road game.
The team introduced first-class seating for starters on flights over three hours, but the Eagles only played one of those long-distance games this past season. For flights of less than three hours, about 28 players have an entire three-seat row to themselves.
The New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also given failing grades in team travel.
The Eagles locker room was rated a D, down from a D+ in 2025. Last year, players expressed a concern about the lack of space in the locker room at the practice facility, which is now called the Jefferson Health Training Complex.
The players gave the Eagles a C+ for “treatment of families,” a minor improvement over last year’s C- grade. A team source said that they took feedback and introduced a postgame space for players and their friends and family that was not open to season ticket holders.
Additionally, Lincoln Financial Field earned an A, as did the food and dining areas at the training facility. The Eagles received an A- for their weight room, a B+ for their nutritionist/dietician, and a B- for their training room.
A team source told The Inquirer the Eagles are in the midst of a multi-million-dollar facility upgrade driven by the acquisition of the former Rothman Orthopaedics space, which includes an overhaul to the training and recovery areas, including upgraded massage rooms, spaces dedicated to mental health, sleep, and total body wellness.
According to ESPN, the survey was conducted from Nov. 2 to Dec. 11. The report cards were based on responses from 1,759 players, each of which were on a 2025 roster during the time of the survey.
The NFLPA has been conducting anonymous player surveys since 2023. Before this year, they were distributed for public consumption. However, earlier this month, the NFL won a grievance against the NFLPA that argued the report cards were a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.
The NFLPA responded by releasing a statement saying it would continue to conduct the surveys regardless of the ban on public distribution.
It’s common advice, Brandon Graham said, to plan out what you’re going to do after you retire while you’re still playing pro sports.
You never know when your career will be over, the Eagles defensive end said. Just take it from him — Graham retired at the end of the 2024 season, then decided to come back midway through the 2025 campaign.
But it’s easier said than done to plan for later while you’re still in the game. Being a professional athlete takes up a massive amount of time and mental energy, and their bubble is often made up primarily of people who play their sport.
Enter Pro Athlete Community, an organization dedicated to supporting professional athletes across all sports as they transition into post-playing careers. Graham, 37, got involved with the organization in its early stages in 2018, just after the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win.
“When we won, when I finally got out of that label, I started to really take it seriously and try to make sure that I have something to look forward to when I’m done, so that I won’t be behind the eight ball on that,” Graham said.
PAC claims to be like “the locker room outside the locker room.” Through group conferences and networking events, it connects active and retired pro athletes with business leaders and career fields that are interested in bringing pro athletes into the fold.
One of the discussions that resonated most with Graham was on real estate investing, and finding a way to continue to generate income without working a 9-to-5 job. Through PAC, he has started making connections with people who make their money through investments, and learning about how to manage those opportunities.
“For me, I don’t want to be locked up in a job,” Graham said. “I’ve been locked up in the job for a long time. It’s been a good job, don’t get me wrong, playing, but it’s stressful, too, and then on top of that, I’ve got kids, so I want to be available to them.”
Eagles pass rusher Jaelan Phillips has been involved with PAC since his rookie season. He played for the Miami Dolphins when the Dolphins Business Combine expanded beyond the organization to become what is now PAC in 2022.
Getting involved with the organization so early was key for Phillips, 26, because PAC was not only useful for him to learn about what comes after football but for what he does off the field during his NFL career.
When Phillips suffered a torn ACL in 2024, he spent the recovery period doing a business fellowship with PAC, working to organize events and engage more athletes.
“It’s really cool to be able to go to these combines and see and hear athletes that you’ve heard of,” Phillips said. “Maybe you know them personally, maybe you don’t, but you might, after 20 minutes, [you] figure out that, ‘Man, I have a lot in common with this guy.’”
Jaelan Phillips came to the Eagles from the Dolphins in a deal at the trade deadline in November.
From there, Phillips said, he has made new friends and business connections. Retired athletes, like former NFL players and twins Devin and Jason McCourty, who are on the board of the organization, regularly share their paths and provide support for PAC members.
And because of the unique skill set of pro athletes, business leaders are especially excited about the prospect of bringing them in.
“It’s not just like this conceptual idea of, ‘Oh, go to PAC and learn a bunch of things,” Phillips said. “I’ve actually seen it firsthand, where people start to take action and start to do some really cool things based on the information and the people they’ve met at PAC.”
INDIANAPOLIS — After a five-year hiatus, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton rejoined the competition committee this offseason. He said he likes “our league” and having a say in the rules that govern it.
But every once in a while, his self-described “B.S. meter” spikes.
Last year’s discussions surrounding the Tush Push struck a sour note with Payton. He claimed the competition committee spent hours highlighting the health and safety risks of the push sneak, all the while introducing the dynamic kickoff in 2024 that would lead to an uptick in returns, and in turn, concussions.
Thus, Payton suggested that furthering the health-and-safety argument to effectively ban the Tush Push would be hypocritical.
“Look, I think if that ever goes away, it’s not a health and safety thing, right?” Payton said on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “We discussed that last year for two hours, and we just adopted 1,000 more kick returns. Which play do you think is more of a health risk? One thousand more kick returns. So I think if we choose to ever move on from that, it won’t be because of health and safety. It will just be like, we don’t like it, which is OK.”
Broncos head coach Sean Payton said his “B.S. meter” went off with the way a Tush Push ban was being sold last to the league last offseason.
Despite previous leaguewide critiques of player safety and aesthetics, the Tush Push could be poised to live another season. Competition committee cochairman Rich McKay told reporters on Monday that he doesn’t anticipate a team submission of a rules proposal seeking to eradicate the push sneak recently popularized by the Eagles.
While the play had been scrutinized since its inception in 2022, the Green Bay Packers were the first team to take a formal shot at a ban when they submitted a rule change proposal in March. The proposal did not garner the requisite support from the league’s owners to be adopted last season.
The past could stay in the past. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that his team has no plans to revive its proposal, which fell short by two votes last year.
The waning ire directed at the play correlates with the Eagles’ declining efficiency in 2025. According to tushpush.fyi, the Eagles attempted a league-high 33 push sneaks while converting 21, a 64% success rate (the league average is 73.8%). By the end of the regular season, the Eagles decided against running their signature sneak in short-yardage situations.
Even in the red zone, the Eagles opted for variations of the sneak instead of calling upon quarterback Jalen Hurts to drive his legs through defenders and across the line to gain. Tight end Dallas Goedert’s success in the red zone (10 touchdowns inside the opponent’s 20-yard line) in 2025 occurred in part due to the Eagles’ struggles at executing the push play.
The Packers were nominally behind the effort to ban a Tush Push play that was also disliked by the league office.
The competition committee and the teams could still submit proposals ahead of the annual league meeting in late March. But John Lynch, the San Francisco 49ers general manager and another member of the competition committee, suggested that the crusade against the Tush Push has lost steam after defenses caught up to its dominance.
“That’s all we talked about last year,” Lynch said. “And I will tell you, it felt like there was momentum going into league meetings that it would be overturned. And then it kind of flipped, and those things happen. I think now, we went through a year, maybe people have gotten a little bit better at defending it. Maybe they’re doing it less. People aren’t wanting to put their quarterbacks in those types of situations. You’re seeing more variety. They line up in the Tush Push, they run outside.
“So maybe, just maybe, it’s kind of solving itself, but we’ll see. I think you’ve got to monitor those things over time to see the trends, and that’s something we’ll continue to do.”
The Tush Push isn’t in the clear just yet, so Nick Sirianni said he doesn’t “have to cross that bridge” until its legality in 2026 is official. Still, the Eagles coach said he is looking forward to reimagining its fit in a new-look scheme under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
“I think there’s some things that teams did this year that they did a good job of being able to stop it and we either have to get back to being able to be as dominant as we were at it, or we find new avenues to be able to convert on third down or in the red zone,” Sirianni said. “And so that’s the fun part about [the] offseason, is to be able to go through those processes. You go through them during the season as well. I think you saw us do some cool things off of it, and you still want to be able to do that.
“We know it took a little bit of [a] step back, and we’ve got to coach it better and we’ve got to execute it better. And looking forward to seeing where that goes in the future.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion played with the Seahawks in his last NFL stop.
Mannion draws praise
As quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, Dave Canales would refer to his cadre of quarterbacks as his “bullpen.” But while the starting quarterback garnered the bulk of the reps, Mannion, the third-stringer, still prepared as if he was the go-to guy, according to Canales.
“Sean wanted to make sure he got all the throws, and then he wanted to make sure he put himself in the most impossible physical positions to try to get the throw done,” said Canales, now the Carolina Panthers’ head coach. “I learned so much in our times [together]. Different progressions, different types of drills he forced himself into were things that I took with me as I continued to coach quarterbacks over the last couple of years. But [he’s] brilliant, asks the right questions, catches the loopholes in protections and different things like that.”
Those interactions over the course of their year together gave Canales the confidence that Mannion had the offensive aptitude to take on a coaching role following his NFL playing career. But his football intelligence wouldn’t be the only determining factor.
“It was just a matter of if he was dumb enough to get into the profession,” Canales said with a smile. “But I guess he is, so here he is.”
Here he is, just three years into his coaching career. After Mannion’s two seasons with the Packers — one as an offensive assistant and another as quarterbacks coach — the Eagles hired him to succeed Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator in late January.
The precise ins and outs of his prospective scheme remain unknown, although Sirianni has acknowledged it is influenced by the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay scheme, an ode to Mannion’s roots as a player and as a Packers assistant.
New Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski (left, with fellow Philadelphia-area native and Falcons president of football Matt Ryan) had high praise for Sean Mannion.
Despite Mannion’s lack of play-calling experience, his coaching acumen is highly regarded by his peers, including new Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski. The Wayne native and St. Joseph’s Prep/Penn product was Mannion’s offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. They kept in touch over the years and discussed coaching opportunities, Stefanski said, but Mannion elected to keep playing.
“You could tell right away he was wired to do this,” Stefanski said. “His dad’s a coach. When you’re [in] the backup [quarterback] role, I think great coaches come from that role, because you have to prepare yourself to play, even when you’re not getting the reps. So I think he’s been really developed into it, developed by the different stops that he’s had with the different people that he’s had. But it’s always been in him to coach, and I think that just goes back to how he was brought up.”
Gutekunst said he wasn’t surprised by Mannion’s quick rise up the coaching ranks, either. However, Mannion’s departure was “unfortunate,” Gutekunst said, seeing as he hoped to keep “a young, really talented coach” on staff for more than a couple of years.
“He’s going to do a great job,” Gutekunst said. “The ability to see the game through a quarterback’s eyes because of his playing career, coming from a coaching family, there’s just a lot to like there.”
AJ Brown’s future…Sean Mannion’s hiring as offensive coordinator…Jeff Stoutland’s awkward exit…the Eagles’ strategy for free agency and the draft. These have been the dominant storylines of the Eagles’ offseason. More than a month after the team’s unceremonious exit from the playoffs, its top two decision makers finally weighed in publicly on these topics. Ahead of this week’s NFL combine, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner participated in beat reporters-only interview sessions with general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni. With the embargo lifted, Jeff and Olivia discuss their main takeaways.
00:00 Roseman and Sirianni speak!
01:13 Roseman and Sirianni address the AJ Brown situation
10:26 Sirianni indicates that offense will be different under new coordinator Sean Mannion
20:15 Sirianni gives his side of the Jeff Stoutland story
26:34 How will coaching changes affect Howie Roseman’s offseason personnel strategy
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
The Winter Olympics were full of exciting moments for Team USA — from the men’s and women’s hockey teams winning gold to Alysa Liu stunning fans every time she took the ice. And one man was there to witness it all: Jason Kelce.
The former Eagles center joined his wife, Kylie Kelce, who attended on behalf of NBC and YouTube. While Kylie was there on business, Jason enjoyed his time as a spectator and had no problem with CBC Olympics labeling him as Kylie Kelce’s husband.
“I really was just there to have fun and enjoy the Olympics,” Kelce said on the latest episode of New Heights. “So, I was 100% — this was the correct way to say it. I wanted to tell them I prefer ‘ball and chain.’”
During his time in Milan, Kelce got some bobsledding experience and attended four Olympic hockey games, the short program for figure skating and short-track speedskating. Here’s everything he had to say about his experience at the Winter Olympics:
Bobsledding experience
Ahead of the games, Kelce had the chance to get some hands-on experience with Team USA’s bobsledding team at their headquarters in Park City, Utah, where he learned about their training and got to see what it feels like going down the track with Team USA member Frank Del Duca.
“The ride itself, way more intense than I imagined,” Kelce said. “Like I thought it would be like a roller coaster. I really did. The energy that you are moving down this thing at over 80 mph. And when you go into these bank turns, it pushes you into the bottom of this thing.
“And on the bottom of the sled, there’s like these metal rails and my [expletive] is so [expletive] wide, they’re sitting on those metal rails. I’m being pinched down onto these metal beams. I’m trying to keep my head up so I can see. [Expletive] is flying by. I have no [expletive] idea how [Frank] was even knowing when to do the turns and everything. Like, you have to memorize it.”
‘The most fun sport to watch on the planet’
After the men’s U.S. hockey team made history, winning the gold medal for the first time in 46 years, Kelce went to social media to express his feelings with a simple, “Let’s [expletive] go!”
“There is just something about hockey, whether it’s playoff hockey or national hockey,” Kelce said. “When guys are like going all out, it’s just the most fun sport to watch on the planet. USA, hockey capital of the world. Men’s and women’s gold medal. Best country on the planet in hockey. I don’t want to hear any arguments.”
Kelce supported both teams in Milan, attending two women’s hockey games and two men’s games — including the men’s dominant 6-2 win over Slovakia in the semifinals, and the women’s gold medal victory over Canada.
“Canada got out to a quick lead and it made it very stressful,” Kelce said. “It was an electric game and then obviously we got to see USA men’s dismantle Slovakia. And I was sitting with the Tkachuk family. Keith Tkachuk was over there on the end of it. Got to shake the hand of a [expletive] legend … We were right by the Hughes family, too. Jack Hughes, who had the golden goal for the U.S. in the gold medal game.”
“After talking to her, you realize she is from the Heights,” Kelce said. “There’s just like this humbleness but also she’s a great person and it comes across very apparent when you speak to her. … They’re a great team, man. They’re tightknit. They’re playing jokes on one another. Just so proud for all of them. It’s an incredible moment to win a gold medal, especially in a team sport like that.”
Speed skating vs. figure skating
Kelce attended the short program for figure skating and he had just one recommendation when it comes to watching in the arena.
“I would have liked to have heard Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir announcing it live,” Kelce said. “When you don’t have that, especially for someone newer to the sport, you like to hear the excitement in the announcer’s voice that they just did something difficult or they just nailed a routine or they just missed something.”
But when it came to speed skating, Kelce had no notes.
“In speed skating, it is a [expletive] party in that speed skating arena,” Kelce said. “There’s DJ’s playing music. It’s fast paced, there’s bells ringing, it is high-stakes action in the speed skating short track.”
Kelce even had the chance to meet Apolo Ohno, a speed skating legend and eight-time medalist.
“Apolo, we watched him all growing up,” Kelce said. “Unbelievable speed skater. … Speed skating was electric as [expletive]. … These things were fast paced, they were moving. They’re doing Tush Pushes because we saw the relay version where they get in there and push the [expletive] of the guy in front of them.”
With its soft motion-sensor lights, bubble walls, beanbag chairs, and custom tactile artwork, the sensory room at Lincoln Financial Field showcases the Eagles Autism Foundation’s work to create an inclusive environment for those with autism.
There’s more work behind the scenes that many don’t get the chance to see. This year, the Eagles Autism Foundation is contributing $10.8 million in funding to 54 research and community projects specializing in autism research and care, the largest amount raised to date by the foundation.
“This was a huge milestone for us. It was the first year we raised over $10 million,” said Ryan Hammond, executive director of the Eagles Autism Foundation.
“The fact that we can be a model to an inclusive fan experience, inclusive recreation opportunities, inclusive employment, all of those things are just as important as the science,” she said. “We’re impacting people every day by feeling included — whether it’s a family seeing our mascot wearing headphones and their son wearing headphones, they feel seen.”
Eagles Jalen Hurts (right) takes a selfie with Aaron Greenfield of Plymouth Meeting at the eighth annual Eagles Autism Challenge in May.
“It is rewarding to know that our financial investment this year will support the next generation of scientific researchers and leaders who are all working hard to accelerate treatment for the autism community,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “While we are proud to celebrate another record-setting year for the Eagles Autism Foundation, it comes at an unfortunate time where too many institutions are having their funding cut. Now more than ever, we need to invest in science and prioritize those who need our help.”
“To know that we were making [our] largest investment in science at a time that it’s the most needed is a point of not only pride, but motivation to continue to support and serve this community,” Hammond said. “Funding science is critical, and a lot of institutions are faced with challenges with losing funding from the federal government.”
As the foundation grows, so does the interest from potential research partners. This year, the Eagles Autism Foundation received a record 267 letters of intent for research grant funding. A scientific adviser helped review each letter, taking innovation and measurable outcomes into consideration to narrow the pool to 52 proposals.
Each proposal was assigned to an independent team of scientists for review. Then, Dr. Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, who serves as the foundation’s scientific adviser and chairman of its review panel, and others participated in a two-day discussion at Lurie’s home to negotiate the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of each project.
“Being able to go through this process that’s not only rigorous but also transparent makes me feel like we’re doing a service on behalf of every single person who agreed to support our mission,” Hammond said. “I’m filled with hope that these projects are really going to change someone’s life.”
Added Lurie: “We are beyond grateful for Dr. DiCicco-Bloom and his esteemed panel of colleagues for putting in the time, once again, to evaluate these projects and drive meaningful progress in autism research.”
Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie and his family donated $50 million to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to create the Lurie Autism Institute last year.
This year, the foundation will fund 13 pilot grants, four postdoctoral fellowships, and three translational grants that include a three-year investment for research. The four postdoctoral fellowships will support the work at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, both partners in the Lurie Autism Institute, which was founded last year after the Lurie family donated $50 million to CHOP and Penn Medicine.
In addition to funding autism research, grants were given to dozens of local projects that provide an immediate need in the community and align with the Eagles Autism Foundation’s mission.
Since 2018, the Eagles Autism Foundation has invested more than $40 million in 223 research projects and community grants. To Hammond, this is just the beginning.
“Honestly, the sky is really the limit,” Hammond said. “What we’ve been able to see in such a short time has been incredible. … We’re continuing to drive a more inclusive future for everyone.”
Savannah Laycock of Quakertown and Brennan Sim of Atco play in the Eagles’ sensory room at Lincoln Financial Field.
Where is all the money going?
The Eagles Autism Foundation will divide the $10.8 million in funds among 54 research and community projects:
Research institutions
Local: The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (two postdoctoral fellowships and a translational grant), and the University of Pennsylvania (two postdoctoral fellowships).
National/global: Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital — Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Children’s National, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Stanford University, Stony Brook University, University of California San Francisco, University of Geneva, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Community projects and initiatives
Local: KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools, A Step Up Academy, Common Space, Huddle Up for Autism, KultureCity Barefoot Country Music Fest, Coffee Closet with Barista Jake, Office for People with Disabilities (City of Philadelphia), Penn State Health, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Zoo, Saint Joseph’s University, CASA Youth Advocates, Special Olympics Pennsylvania, SPIN, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, St. John of God Community Services, Stratford Friends School, TGR Learning Lab, Timothy School, Theatre Horizon, Thomas Jefferson University, and Variety — The Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, Comprehensive Learning Center, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Elwyn Foundation, KultureCity Super Bowl LIX, Melmark, Neurodiversity Employment Network, No Limits Café, Pathway School, Potential Inc., Raise the Bar Family Services, Shore Medical Center, Special Equestrians.
INDIANAPOLIS — Howie Roseman opened his session with Eagles reporters last week in Philadelphia ahead of the NFL scouting combine by laying out a basic blueprint for building a championship-caliber roster: Draft well, re-sign your best homegrown talent, add here and there in free agency, and hopefully rinse and repeat.
But in setting those parameters, Roseman was also managing expectations for how the Eagles will approach their 19 unrestricted free agents, those who will reach the market next month, and how the general manager will navigate a tightening salary cap after years of pushing cash into future years.
On Tuesday at the combine, Roseman was asked about specific players whose contracts are up, and some still under contract who aren’t guaranteed to return next season — not that the GM would ever promise that any player will be back (see: wide receiver A.J. Brown).
Roseman, conversely, didn’t rule out the return of anyone he was asked about, even though he made clear last week that the Eagles will have to say goodbye to many of their free agents, a group that includes some starters they drafted.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips would seem to be a priority signing, even if he’s projected to be one of the more sought-after free-agent commodities when the new league year opens on March 11. The Eagles had Phillips for only two-plus months but praised his work.
“You certainly see his fit with Coach [Vic] Fangio in our defense, which a lot of times when you’re talking about free agency is a big part of free agency,” Roseman said. “How is this guy gonna fit into our defense? So you see that there, you’ve been with the guy. He’s got tremendous character, tremendous work ethic.
“And then all the things that you’re doing, you’re trying to balance the other factors that go along with that to try to come down with a value.”
In other words, the Eagles will negotiate, but they might be willing to only go so far. If they can’t bring the 26-year-old Phillips back, they may need to find other avenues at the position. Nolan Smith Jr., Jalyx Hunt, and Jose Ramirez, who signed a futures contract after the season, are the only Eagles edge rushers currently under contract.
“We usually take seven or eight guys to camp. We only have three on the roster right now,” Roseman said. “So definitely think we’ll have to address it. It’s a priority position for us.”
Aside from Phillips, Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Brandon Graham are all slated to become free agents. Roseman didn’t rule out welcoming back the 37-year-old Graham, who came out of retirement in early November, for an unprecedented 17th season in midnight green.
“Brandon Graham is always welcome in Philadelphia,” Roseman said. “Obviously, when I think about what he’s done for us as a player, as a person, and then last year, even when he came back in, the versatility that he showed, coming in in the end of the year and reducing inside and playing defensive tackle, just an all-time Eagles great, future Eagles Hall of Famer.”
Dallas Goedert led the Eagles in touchdowns but might have played his last game with the team.
Roseman speaks on Goedert, Blankenship, other free agents, extension candidates
Roseman had the following to say about the Eagles’ three other free agents who started last season:
On tight end Dallas Goedert:
“Tremendous player and person for the Philadelphia Eagles. Really glad we were able to figure it out and bring him back to Philadelphia this year and for the season and [be] tremendously productive for us. Just a huge asset for our offense to have him on our football team. Again, we got to put the whole puzzle together. To sit here — we got a lot of other free agents, too — and say, ‘Hey, we’re definitely going to get this guy back …’ When we get this late, obviously, the market dictates a lot of that, as well. But we’ll certainly sit down with his agent here over the next couple of days and have a conversation.”
Goedert isn’t the Eagles’ only free agent tight end. Grant Calcaterra and Kyle Granson will be unrestricted in a few weeks. Roseman said last week he needed to do a better job of evaluating the position in prioritizing hybrids who can also block. He has a chance to remake the position, with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion expected to implement the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme.
On safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Nakobe Dean:
“Really proud of Reed, undrafted free agent, and played in two Super Bowls, four years, four playoff appearances. Was a captain this year for our team, tremendous player, tremendous person.”
Roseman wasn’t asked directly about linebacker Nakobe Dean, but when the topic of 2025 first-rounder Jihaad Campbell stepping back into a starting role was brought up, he brought up Dean.
“Obviously, we have a free agent at that position, a guy that we drafted, a guy that we think is a really good player, and unbelievable character,” Roseman said. “And so, all those decisions here [will be] made in the next couple of weeks.”
Still, it seems unlikely that Dean will be back. Blankenship’s future in Philly seems more dependent upon his leaguewide value or whether the Eagles can afford Phillips.
On potential contract extensions across the defensive line:
The Eagles also have three defensive players available for extensions three years into their rookie deals: defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo along with linebacker Nolan Smith Jr.
The Eagles picked up the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Jordan Davis last offseason rather than extend him, and their gamble paid off after he took a jump in Year 4. Davis may be the most likely of the quartert to have his contract reworked this offseason.
“That’s another guy, obviously, that you draft, you develop, tremendous character and continues to get better,” Roseman said. “That’s a group of a lot of players that we have, that we have tremendous confidence in, and the puzzle is trying to keep as many of them together as we possibly can.”
Howie Roseman expressed confidence in up-and-down kicker Jake Elliott.
On Jake Elliott:
Kicker Jake Elliott is under contract for three more seasons, but he has become increasingly inconsistent after having a career year in 2023. Elliott has been under 80% in field goal efficiency the last two years. Roseman gave him a strong endorsement, however.
“Jake has been a tremendous kicker for us since we got him off practice squad in Cincinnati in 2017,” Roseman said. “Tremendously clutch. Have a lot of confidence in him as a player, as a kicker, as a person, captain on our team, and continue to believe in him as our place kicker.”
At cornerback, the Eagles have two of the best at their respective positions: outside corner Quinyon Mitchell and nickel corner Cooper DeJean. The third spot was unsettled until veteran Adoree’ Jackson settled into the spot in the second half of the season.
But he is also a free agent and the Eagles are unlikely to spend with Mitchell and DeJean likely to warrant big extensions next offseason.
“When you look at Q and Coop leading that group — two All-Pro players, guys who we want to be part of Philadelphia Eagles for a long time,” Roseman said. “Coop, he can play anything. He can play outside corner, he can play nickel, he could play at an All-Pro level anywhere. So having him gives you some flexibility.
“And so, we’ll go into the offseason looking to add to that position. Adoree’ did a really nice job for us last year and got better throughout the course of the year. … He’s a free agent and we’ll just kind of see how the offseason plays out.”
INDIANAPOLIS — A.J. Brown and his future in Philadelphia may be dominating the offseason news cycle, but don’t forget about the other star Eagles receiver under contract in 2026.
Come training camp, all eyes will be on DeVonta Smith and his role in the new-look Eagles offense under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, regardless of whether Brown is back on the team. Despite a relatively down year for the offense as a whole, Smith continued to impress last season, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his career.
Five seasons into his tenure with the Eagles, does Smith have the potential to take it up another notch in a Mannion-led, Shanahan/McVay-style offense in 2026? Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at his annual news conference at the NFL scouting combine that Smith has not yet reached his ceiling.
“Oh, no,” Sirianni said. “No, I think he continually gets better. I think you saw him have a great year this year. And even when a guy appears not to have as good a year, you’re always looking at it like, ‘Is his arrow on the rise? Is his arrow on the fall?’ And even if a guy doesn’t have his best year, he still can be on the rise. Well, I think we saw DeVonta have a great year, and I think you just continue to see him play better and better.
“And I think that’s a tribute to who he is. Guys that are tough, that love football, that are smart football players and they’re talented, have a tendency to reach their ceiling, God willing. And I think that’s what you’re seeing. You’re seeing him continue to get better. You’re seeing him continue to do these things and make plays only that he can make on the football field. And so I just think you continue to see him on the rise and excited about what he’ll look like in this new offense that we’ll have.”
Could that role expand in 2026? Smith led the Eagles in receiving yards in 2025, accumulating 5 more than Brown. But he was targeted 113 times, eight fewer times than Brown. Smith had 77 receptions in 2025, the third-lowest total of his career.
“Getting DeVonta Smith the ball and getting him targets is always going to be important, as long as he’s an Eagle, to the success of our football team,” Sirianni said. “And so it’s just the way the season goes, the way the flow of a game goes. It’s important that he’s seeing targets every game, because he does good things when he gets those things. So I don’t ever want to say, ‘Hey, this is the number. He needs to have this many targets’. He needs to be able to affect the game each game and that number can change each game, each year based off of that.”
Saquon Barkley struggled at times to find running lanes in 2025. Will changes to O-line techniques yield better results?
Barkley on the rebound?
As Sirianni expressed on Friday, the running game is poised to make a significant shift in philosophy under Mannion. The Shanahan/McVay offense typically features a wide-zone blocking scheme that requires a different technique from the offensive linemen than the scheme they had grown accustomed to under Jeff Stoutland.
Time will tell how the new scheme impacts Barkley’s output on the ground. The running back, now 29, posted historic numbers in 2024 (2,005 rushing yards), only to take a step back last season. Barkley wasn’t his prolific self in Year 2 with the Eagles, although he still eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career (1,140).
While Barkley won’t take the field with the offense until the spring, Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the All-Pro running back and his ability to adapt to the new system.
“My experience with great football players is, you come in and you’re like, ‘Hey, Saquon, we’re going to run inside zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run gap schemes.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run wide zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run the option.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to split you out wide.’ He’s just a great football player. And so guys that are great football players can fit into a lot of different offenses.
“And Saquon, regardless of the scheme, I think you saw that in some of the things that we’ve done, he’s been highly productive in many of the schemes, whether it’s gap schemes, whether it’s inside zones, whether it’s pin-and-pulls, whether it’s toss-cracks, every one of these things, I’m picturing him breaking a big run off on that. And so that’s a common theme with good football players. They can fit into a lot of different schemes. So I believe he’ll be exceptional at that.”
