The 76ers assigned Charles Bassey to the Delaware Blue Coats on Monday, hours after announcing they signed him to a 10-day contract.
This is Bassey’s second stint with the Sixers (24-20). The team initially selected the 6-foot-11 center with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft out of Western Kentucky. He appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 3.0 points on 63.8% shooting along with 2.7 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 7.3 minutes.
However, Bassey became expendable when the Sixers added reserve center Montrezl Harrell to the roster in September 2022. The Nigerian player was waived on Oct. 13, 2022.
He has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 115 NBA games with the Sixers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Charles Bassey (28) has played 115 NBA games with the Sixers, San Antonio Spurs, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Bassey’s rejoining the Sixers enables two-way contract players Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to continue playing in NBA games. The Sixers would have run out of available games for players on two-way deals since they had fewer than 15 players signed to standard NBA contracts. Bassey’s signing brings the number up to 15.
Before his signing, Bassey played for the Santa Cruz Warriors, the NBA G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors.
The Eagles are promoting Joe Kasper to fill their defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator vacancy left by Christian Parker, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Monday.
The NFL Network first reported the news, which comes four days after the Dallas Cowboys hired Parker as their next defensive coordinator.
Kasper has a history with both the Eagles and Vic Fangio spanning five seasons. He began his NFL coaching career in Philadelphia in 2021 as the team’s defensive quality control coach, a position he held for two years. He left in 2023 to work for Fangio as the Miami Dolphins’ safeties coach.
When Fangio was hired as Eagles defensive coordinator in 2024, he brought Kasper with him to serve in the same role. Kasper had a hand in developing a stingy secondary, beginning with a group that allowed the fewest passing yards in the league (174.2 per game) and ranked No. 6 in passing touchdowns allowed (22) in 2024.
The Eagles surrendered the fewest passing touchdowns (14) in the NFL and were No. 8 in passing yards allowed per game (189.8) in 2025. Cooper DeJean spoke highly of Kasper and his impact on the defensive backs in the aftermath of the Eagles’ wild-card exit.
“[Parker] and Coach Kasper, what those guys mean to us in the DB room, how they coach, the intensity they bring, the passion they have for the game, means a lot to us,” DeJean said on Jan. 12. “Doesn’t go unnoticed.”
The Eagles will now be tasked with identifying a new safeties coach in addition to filling their vacant offensive coordinator job and any subsequent departures on the offensive side of the ball.
Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this article.
The search for the next Eagles offensive coordinator is nearly two weeks old, and while the team has conducted multiple interviews, new candidates are still appearing, signaling a clear replacement for Kevin Patullo has not yet emerged.
Here’s a look at the state of the search the day after championship Sunday in the NFL.
New candidates
The Eagles added at least two names to their interview list Monday morning, according to reports.
According to NFL Network, the Eagles interviewed Dolphins coordinator Frank Smith, who worked under Mike McDaniel in Miami. The Eagles, according to sources, talked to McDaniel during the process, but McDaniel is headed for Los Angeles to be the next Chargers coordinator under Jim Harbaugh.
The Eagles are obviously interested in McDaniel’s staff, so talking to Smith makes sense in that regard. While McDaniel was the play-caller, Smith oversaw the Dolphins offense from 2022 to 2025. The Dolphins were sixth in total offense in 2022 and then first in 2023 before taking big steps back in each of the last two seasons. Before the Dolphins, Smith was the running game coordinator and offensive line coach under Sean McVay for the 2021 Los Angeles Rams season. Before that, Smith held assistant roles under Sean Payton in New Orleans, John Fox in Chicago, and Jon Gruden in Oakland.
The Eagles also are set to interview Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, according to The Athletic. The team interviewed him for the same role before it hired Kellen Moore in 2024. Johnson, a former quarterback, was in camp with the Eagles in 2011. He was a Bill Walsh Diversity Fellow with the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts in 2017 and 2019, respectively, before becoming an offensive quality control coach with Indianapolis in 2020, when Nick Sirianni was the Colts’ offensive coordinator.
The Eagles will be interviewing Houston Texans quarterback coach Jerrod Johnson for an OC role for the second time in three years.
Johnson was then the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022 before joining the staff in Houston under then-coordinator Bobby Slowik, who was also a candidate for this Eagles job but reportedly has agreed to fill that position in Miami.
You’ve met the new names, now let’s run through the others who are still on the board.
In addition to the names above, the known candidates still available are: Jim Bob Cooter, Josh Grizzard, and Matt Nagy.
Matt Nagy (left) is out in Kansas City and remains on the board for his former employer, the Eagles.
The Eagles interviewed Nagy, a former Andy Reid assistant, last week.
Cross them off?
The Eagles reportedly tried to add another name to the candidate list over the weekend. According to ESPN, the team requested to interview Dallas Cowboys coordinator Klayton Adams, who doesn’t call plays. But Dallas denied that request, blocking Adams from a promotion with its divisional rival.
The Eagles, according to The Athletic, had conversations with Arthur Smith, who is heading back to the college ranks to be the OC at Ohio State.
A candidate is a candidate until he’s officially not, but Brian Daboll, according to The Athletic, is a candidate for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job and is otherwise planning to be the next offensive coordinator in Tennessee.
Nothing official there, and Daboll did interview with the Eagles.
Ex-New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll (left) is technically still on the board but remains a head coaching candidate in Buffalo.
McDaniel’s hire in Los Angeles became official Monday. Slowik was, according to ESPN, elevated to the OC role in Miami over the weekend.
Three other names that were connected to the Eagles were crossed off the list Monday.
Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, whom the team interviewed last week, withdrew his name from consideration, according to The Athletic. LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who followed Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, informed the team that he will remain in college football, according to The Athletic. Lastly, Mike Kafka, who was the New York Giants’ coordinator under Daboll, was hired by the Detroit Lions in a “high-ranking offensive staff role,” according to NFL Network. Of course, that doesn’t mean any of them were offered or turned down the job.
Zac Robinson, who interviewed with the Eagles, took another OC job late last week with Tampa Bay.
Who could be next?
Rams passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase has a busy Monday. After his team was eliminated Sunday in Seattle, Scheelhaase is set to be interviewed in Los Angeles for the vacant head coaching gig in Cleveland, according to multiple reports.
If he doesn’t get that job, could he emerge as an offensive coordinator candidate for the Eagles? It’s possible, though current Rams OC Mike LaFleur seems to be a front-runner to be the next head coach in Arizona, meaning Scheelhaase would be in line for a promotion in L.A., even if he doesn’t call plays (McVay does). Scheelhaase has not called plays in the NFL, but he has in college under new Penn State coach and Sirianni friend Matt Campbell at Iowa State.
Another coaching candidate who lost Sunday is Davis Webb, who was quarterbacking in the league as recently as 2022. Webb became Denver’s quarterbacks coach in 2023 and added passing game coordinator to his duties in 2025. According to reports, Webb is set to be interviewed for Buffalo’s head coaching job and is a candidate for the head coaching job in Las Vegas. If he doesn’t land either of those, Webb could be someone the Eagles want to talk to for their OC vacancy.
The Eagles have not been publicly linked to Kliff Kingsbury, but it seems likely the team would have at least considered him for the gig. There’s also Bills coordinator Joe Brady, a head coaching candidate whose current team is looking for a new head coach.
The Eagles said they were going to cast a wide net, and they have. It wouldn’t be any surprise to see it expanding.
We’ll never know how far the Union would have gone in last year’s playoffs had Quinn Sullivan not been sidelined with a torn ACL.
But for as far as he still has to go until he’s back on the field, Sullivan has let any such feelings go from his mind.
“I definitely felt like if I was healthy, I could have contributed, and maybe the game’s a little different,” he said. “But it wasn’t that way, and you know, it’s how the cookie crumbles. It’s all right.”
That doesn’t mean he has moved on from everything along the way. Some of the moments were ones he’ll cherish for a long time: being named the fans’ player of the year, joining his teammates to lift the Supporters’ Shield, and banging the pregame drum before the Union’s first-round rout of Chicago.
The roars from the crowd during the last two of those could have powered Subaru Park for a few weeks afterward.
Quinn Sullivan, out there even with his injury, lifts the Supporters’ Shield to a big ovation:
“It was an amazing experience to really feel part of it,” Sullivan said. “My teammates have been truly great [since then]. Checking in, just asking me stuff, how I’m doing, how are things going in the offseason, were you here the whole time.”
Yes he was, rehabbing under the watchful eye of the Union’s head of health and innovation, Brad Papson.
“So it’s nice to have the guys back,” Sullivan said. “My banter was at an all-time high because I had a lot of time to prepare some stuff.”
Another memorable moment came when the U.S. men’s national team visited in November. Sullivan got to meet with the squad when it trained at the Union’s facilities leading up to the game vs. Paraguay, then after the Americans won he went downstairs to join them again.
As he arrived at the walkway to the locker room, he was greeted by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, who had given Sullivan his first senior caps with the Gold Cup team in the summer. Pochettino put an arm around Sullivan’s shoulder as they passed the media nearby.
Quinn Sullivan met Mauricio Pochettino at the mixed zone to walk (gingerly) toward the #USMNT locker room, which is the Union locker room.
Nathan Harriel and Alejandro Bedoya followed a few steps later.
“Seeing ‘Poch’ was great,” Sullivan said, also praising top assistant Jesús Pérez for catching him on the way. “The whole staff was super-loving and caring and asked a lot of questions, and the support staff and the athletic training department over there has reached out a couple times to see how recovery has been going. So that definitely makes me feel part of it, which is nice.”
Sullivan is one of 70 players Pochettino has called up in his tenure, and no offense is meant by the assumption that he’s not a contender to crack Pochettino’s World Cup roster.
But Pochettino and Pérez showed their character by reaching out to him, and the moment stuck with many people who saw it.
“It makes you feel a part of it,” Sullivan said. “I definitely felt that when I was in the Gold Cup camp. I obviously didn’t get a ton of minutes — we talked post-camp that I would love to have played more — and yet here I am injured and they still are caring and supporting. So I really appreciate it, and it goes a long way.”
He has passed the time in a number of ways: from social media content to making his own matcha to helping his girlfriend launch Stavélo, a soccer-themed fashion brand.
Now he is at the point in his rehab where he can start looking forward to returning to action, even though it will still be a while before he plays in a game.
Growing into a locker room leader
It says much about Sullivan and the Union’s emphasis on youth that this season will be his sixth since the 21-year-old attacking midfielder turned pro at the start of 2021. He and 24-year-old Nathan Harriel, who made his first-team debut the same year, are now old heads in the locker room.
“Being injured allows me to play a bigger role in that leadership, because I’m not actively fighting for a spot or trying to prove something,” Sullivan said. “I’m trying to prove something to myself and get back, obviously, but in terms of on the pitch.”
Not only does he embrace it, but he’d take on more of it if offered.
“I’m able to take that role of, whatever people need, they can come to me, ask questions,” he said. “Talking to the new guys, and trying to help them get acclimated to everything. So, yeah, I’m definitely trying to take a bigger leadership role — it’s also a different one. It’s definitely a learning process, but I think I’m getting a pretty good hang of it.”
Quinn Sullivan talking with Union manager Bradley Carnell during a game in April.
It’s possible, perhaps even likely, that Sullivan won’t play in another game for the Union until after the World Cup break ends in July, a point he was first to make.
“I’m ahead of schedule already, but I’m still saying nine months [after surgery in early October] is what we’re shooting for,” he said. “When you get in that last month, you’re basically shooting with strength numbers from what I’ve talked to with Brad. … ACL is by no means a linear recovery. I’m cautiously optimistic with how recovery has gone thus far.”
When the time finally comes, it’s also possible that he won’t just be greeted with another roar. He could well become one of the faces of the Union, even more than he already is in advertisements around town with his more-heralded brother Cavan.
“I feel the support from the fans obviously, with winning player of the year last year — that was really nice,” Quinn said. “And to know that I have that support, and that roar when Kevin [Casey, Subaru Park’s public address announcer] says my name over the loudspeaker for the starting lineup. So, yeah, that would be amazing.”
Quinn Sullivan going airborne to corral a ball during a game in April.
It is, again, not meant to diminish Quinn’s feats or potential to say he is not on the fast track to Europe like Cavan is. If he really excels late this year and next, there could certainly be offers from abroad for him.
But if they are a little slower to come, and if that means the Bridesburg native stays in his hometown for a little while longer, he won’t mind standing in the spotlight.
“I’d love to be the face of this team,” he said. “I mean, I grew up supporting this team. I love this team, I love this city, I feel like I embody what Philadelphia means. I would love if that was the case.”
That overtime loss to the Knicks on Saturday notwithstanding, this has been quite a different season for the 76ers. Tanking losers a season ago, they stand at 24-20 and look at times like a team that might actually win a playoff series, something the Sixers haven’t done since 2023.
The NBA trade deadline is 10 days away and NBA sources tell our Keith Pompey that the Sixers are willing to part ways with Andre Drummond. Pompey is not a fan of such a move, given the big man’s contributions off the bench.
In fact, Pompey writes, it might make sense for the team to do little at all at the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Whether it’s fool’s gold or not, the Sixers believe they have a chance to contend. They might try to unload some salary (Eric Gordon, anyone?), but they might just decide to see how far Nick Nurse can take this team.
The Phillies’ core that includes (from left) Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper will be in place again in 2026 with some young players joining the mix.
Whether or not you think the Phillies made an appropriate number of changes after a second straight NL East title and another loss in the divisional round of the playoffs, the pertinent question is this: Are they better or worse today than when last season ended Oct. 9 at Dodger Stadium?
Scott Lauber examines whether the Phillies are any better with a cast of characters that is one year older but almost as familiar as ever. Here are a few factors to consider.
At 6-foot-5 and 296 pounds, Downingtown’s Drew Shelton was Penn State’s left tackle for the last two seasons.
Penn State tackle Drew Shelton is in Frisco, Texas, for East-West Shrine Bowl workouts as he prepares for the NFL draft. The Downingtown native will get even deeper in preparation when he attends the sports academy run by OL Masterminds, a program for standout offensive linemen with NFL opportunities ahead.
“Coming from Downingtown and growing into the offensive lineman that I needed to be at Penn State, and continuing to grow to be the offensive tackle I need to be in the NFL, it’s been fun,” Shelton says. “It’s been a challenge.”
Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay shoots as UConn’s Alex Karaban guards him Saturday in Hartford, Conn.
Villanova coach Kevin Willard is taking no moral victories from a 75-67 road loss to No. 2 Connecticut in overtime on Saturday. Sure, the Wildcats battled, but they also missed 10 of 15 layups.
Flyers right wing Owen Tippett picked up his second career hat trick in a big win at Colorado.
The Flyers had lost six straight before heading west to take on three of the NHL’s best. They headed home after taking five out of six points, capped by a 7-3 victory against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Owen Tippett notched his second career hat trick against Colorado.
“He’s a big-time player,” goalie Sam Ersson said. “He makes big-time plays at the right time when we need it. And he’s that guy who can score from anywhere. He just doesn’t need much. And you give him the finger, he’ll take the whole hand.”
Sports snapshot
Former Drexel star Malik Rose (left) and coach Bill Herrion acknowledge the crowd Saturday at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
Legendary Dragons: Malik Rose and coach Bill Herrion led Drexel to three NCAA Tournament bids in the 1990s. On Saturday, they joined the Dragons’ Hall of Fame.
Jan. 26, 2025: The Eagles throttled the Washington Commanders, 55-23, in the NFC championship game. Saquon Barkley rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
Bryce Harper (left) hit behind Kyle Schwarber for most of the 2025 season. That could change in 2026.
The Phillies led the National League in batting average and finished second in OPS last season as they won their second consecutive NL East title. That offense was led by a lineup that generally featured Trea Turner leading off, Kyle Schwarber batting second, and Bryce Harper batting third. Harper has spent most of his career batting third.
This year might be different.
Asked if the changes could involve Harper moving out of the three-hole, manager Rob Thomson said, “Yes.”
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, Devin Jackson, Marcus Hayes, Scott Lauber, Jackie Spiegel, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Mack, Conor Smith, and Katie Lewis.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading. Here’s hoping you stay warm in this deep freeze. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim
What type of player would help them with the NBA trade deadline 10 days away?
At the guard spot, where the duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe is regarded as one of the NBA’s best young backcourts, they’re pretty good. And that doesn’t account for the depth that Quentin Grimes provides off the bench.
With Andre Drummond and Adem Bona backing up Joel Embiid, who’s playing at a high level, the center position is pretty good, too.
At forward, Dominick Barlow is playing well. And the Sixers get stellar play out of the duo of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.
I’m not sure what they need.
Some will argue that the Sixers (24-20) don’t have a true point guard. But they have a lot of guards who can handle the ball. And you can add Oubre and George, who were guards in the previous season, to that mix.
If the Sixers remain healthy, they’re a deep team.
But based on their recent history of trading to get under the luxury-tax threshold, there’s an expectation that they’ll make at least one trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Guard Quentin Grimes Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him.
The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.
But this season is different from the recent ones heading into the trade deadline. Whether it’s fool’s gold or not, the Sixers see that they have a chance.
Embiid, the 2023 MVP, is returning to his All-NBA level, averaging 33.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 58.3% from three-point range in his last four games. George is regaining his rhythm while playing the role of a facilitator and defender who occasionally takes over scoring for stretches. Maxey is the league’s third-leading scorer (29.9 points per game) and an All-Star starter. And Edgecombe has been better than expected as a rookie.
So this season is definitely different. In 2023-24, the Sixers’ hopes were dashed heading into the trade deadline because Embiid suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. And last season, they were 20-30 and on their way to full-blown tanking.
The Sixers probably think that when they’re at their best, they could beat anyone else in the East.
However, sources around the league say the team is willing to part ways with Drummond.
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that the financial aspect will play a role at the trade deadline unless it’s someone like Eric Gordon. The reserve guard has played in only six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option. Gordon’s deal created a $2.3 million cap and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which is considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
Maybe the Sixers could entice the Nets or the Utah Jazz, teams with a lot of cap space, with a second-round pick just to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. However, he’s Edgecombe’s mentor, and there’s a sense the Sixers may keep him because of that.
Meanwhile, Oubre ($8.3 million), Grimes ($8.7M), and Drummond ($5M) also have expiring contracts.
The Sixers have gotten the most out of two-way players Jabari Walker (left) and Dominick Barlow.
Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him. Yet some around the league are wondering if the Sixers are willing to part ways with Oubre, whose name keeps coming up as a possible trade chip. But by getting rid of Drummond, the Sixers would be in the market for another backup center.
Maybe, they’ll give former Sixer Charles Bassey a look after he signs his 10-day contract. However, it appears that his signing is more to help facilitate Barlow and Jabari Walker getting extended time on their two-way contracts. Bassey was scheduled to sign his deal Sunday night. He needed to do so ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in order for Barlow and Walker to play.
But Drummond and Bona have been equally great assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid. Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers with a post presence.
The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder averages a team-leading 9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.1, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9).
Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Sixers guarding the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson on Saturday.
He’s also averaging 7.1 points while playing in 35 games with 16 starts this season. With his contract, there’s a market for Drummond. Teams in need of a backup center would like to acquire him.
But coach Nick Nurse didn’t play him in Saturday’s loss to the Knicks despite his squad being outrebounded by 53-38 and having a 26-4 disadvantage in second-chance points. This came after Drummond had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his lone game against the Knicks this season.
Perhaps Nurse felt the Knicks, who favored a small-ball lineup, were a bad matchup for Drummond. But his not playing was a big omission and a conversation piece.
It’s hard to imagine Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris, who knows the window is closing, would forfeit the opportunity to finally win an NBA championship to get rid of key pieces just to save money. I wouldn’t blame Harris if he could stay under the first apron and get below the luxury-tax threshold if it was manipulated by a fringe player or someone out of the rotation.
But if it were Oubre, Grimes, or Drummond, players vital to their success, it would be a bad look.
Nor should they trade Jared McCain, who recently dropped out of the rotation. Even though the second-year guard is struggling, he’s insurance for Grimes, whom the Sixers could lose this summer in free agency. And the Sixers should only trade Grimes if they were getting back an upgrade in talent. It doesn’t make any sense to part ways with him in return for a same-level player.
But the Sixers do have three players on two-way contracts in Barlow, Walker, and MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp has yet to be active in an NBA game since signing his Sixers deal on Dec. 26. However, power forwards Barlow and Walker have been with the Sixers all season. And all three players’ time would have expired following Saturday’s 112-109 loss to the New York Knicks if the Sixers didn’t make a roster move.
Bassey must sign his contract before Monday’s game for Barlow and Walker to be available to play.
Both of them have played well this season, but Walker could be replaceable now that the Sixers have their full complement of players.
Paul George has assumed an important role for the Sixers after a lost season.
Barlow has come off the bench in the last two games as the team moved George to power forward and started Oubre at small forward. Walker did not play in either game as Trendon Watford received the other power-forward minutes in the rotation.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if we find out the Sixers aren’t committed to converting both players to standard deals, as they’re making decisions based on the salary cap and who’s helping the team. Things will work themselves out, as the squad has cap experts who handle such matters.
But this roster, as it stands, is the best one Nurse has coached during his tenure.
The Sixers have been in a lot of games that came down to the wire — some they won, others they lost. They could easily be seven games over .500 instead of four. And they’re just starting to consistently play games with their Big Three of Maxey, Embiid, and George.
So the Sixers’ biggest need is time, not an addition before the trade deadline.
Diversification should be the operational word for Howie Roseman and his front office this offseason.
You’ve heard it said that the Eagles have more talent on their roster than any team in the NFL. The claim is more often than not the source of the shade thrown at Nick Sirianni and his coaching staff. When the Eagles win, it is because of their overwhelming talent. When the Eagles lose, it is because of how their overwhelming talent is coached.
That claim wasn’t true at the end of the 2025 season, and I’m not sure it was true at any point. The Eagles were getting less than 100 percent of Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens and zero percent of Lane Johnson. Even if A.J. Brown was 95 percent of the player he had been over the previous three years, that missing five percent is often what distinguishes very good players from unstoppable ones. Same goes for Saquon Barkley, whose name popped up on the injury report late in the season and who lacked at least some percentage of the lateral improvisation and finishing abilities that he’d displayed during the Eagles’ 2024 championship run.
All of these things could prove to be temporary, the result of the shortened recovery period that comes as a result of a season ending in mid-January rather than early February. It stands to reason that those most impacted would be players whose competitive advantage lies in their sheer physicality. Johnson, Brown, Barkley, Dickerson, and Jurgens weren’t as physically capable as they were in 2024. Yet, here we are, fixated on the play-calling.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is knee-deep in preparations for the draft and free agency.
That’s not to say the Eagles offense won’t benefit from a new strategic direction. But their problems clearly are not singular in nature, given the depth and breadth of their issues. For three seasons, the Eagles’ scheme was the logical conclusion of their personnel. They went to two Super Bowls and won one in a blowout because their talent allowed them — heck, required them — to keep it simple.
What we saw this season was a team whose elite performers could be mitigated enough to place the onus on those operating in their shadow. This reality expressed itself most clearly in the form of Dallas Goedert. He scored eight more touchdowns and averaged nearly as many targets per game as he did in 2022, when he averaged 59 yards per game and arrived at the Super Bowl being compared to Travis Kelce. But, this season, Goedert averaged just 39.4 yards per game, his lowest output since he was a rookie.
If the path forward for the Eagles is a scheme that does not rely as heavily on the singular abilities of players like Johnson and Brown and Barkley — and it almost certainly is — the path forward requires a roster that allows for such a scheme. It is a roster that has a third wide receiver with much better ball skills, and/or physicality on routes, than Jahan Dotson brings. It is a roster that has a second tight end who brings positive value as a run blocker and makes a catch or two a game. It is a roster that has a change-of-pace back who adds a different dimension from Barkley.
Let’s address those in order:
1) Fix the tight end position
Tight end is as important as it has ever been. Among the 13 highest-graded run blockers at the position according to Pro Football Focus, only two played for teams that missed the playoffs.
All three Eagles tight ends ranked among the 15 lowest-graded run blockers at the position (among 94 total).
Goedert’s future isn’t the only question. He’ll be a free agent after playing 2025 on a one-year deal. But the Eagles also need to find a TE2 who can complement the starter.
Grant Calcaterra and the Eagles tight ends came up short as blockers.
The Eagles were one of only five teams in the league that didn’t have a second tight end with at least 100 yards receiving. That’s partially due to the presence of two top-end wide receivers who were targeted on nearly half of Jalen Hurts’ pass attempts. But there is also a chicken-and-egg component to the Eagles’ narrow pass distribution. Would Hurts distribute the ball more evenly with a wider set of options? The Rams had four tight ends with at least 200 receiving yards despite Puka Nacua and Davante Adams combining for nearly half of the team’s targets.
The Eagles missed out on last year’s bumper draft crop at the position. They are missing what they once had in Goedert — a young, three-dimensional player who is poised to step up the way he did alongside of and then in place of Zach Ertz. They have no choice but to focus on the free-agent market. Jake Tonges is likely to return to the 49ers as a restricted free agent. The Ravens’ Isaiah Likely is unrestricted, but is likely to have a significant market. The Eagles need to find this year’s version of Colby Parkinson and move aggressively the way the Rams did post-2023.
2) Replace Jahan Dotson
A lot was made of the non-pass interference call deep down the left sideline in the Eagles’ playoff loss to the 49ers. But a receiver needs to earn those calls. Dotson has not.
In the entire NFL, there was only one wide receiver who caught fewer than 29 passes while playing at least 575 snaps. It was Jahan Dotson. He caught 18.
Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson caught only 18 passes this season.
The Eagles’ fourth-leading receiver was Saquon Barkley with 50 targets, 37 catches and 273 yards. Dotson was behind him with 36 targets, 18 catches and 262 yards.
Only three playoff teams didn’t have a fourth pass-catcher with 300-plus yards: the Eagles, the Seahawks, and the Panthers. Of the 14 teams that made the playoffs, eight had at least five players with 300-plus receiving yards, including six of the eight teams that advanced to the divisional round.
That doesn’t prove anything, of course. There are lots of different ways to operate a functional passing offense. Nobody is saying the Seahawks would be better off if more of Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s targets went to Elijah Arroyo. But even the Seahawks’ pass distribution was fairly broad beyond their top three target-getters. They finished the season with eight players who had at least 22 targets and 144 receiving yards. The Eagles had five players with more than 13 targets and 92 receiving yards while throwing the ball about as often as Seattle (slightly more, in fact).
Let’s not forget the whole point of this exercise. While functional NFL passing offenses take all sorts of forms, the Eagles’ passing offense was not functional. Assuming Brown returns and continues to draw the same coverages he and DeVonta Smith faced this season, the Eagles need a third wide receiver who can actually take advantage of the lack of attention paid to him.
3) A change-of-pace back
The Eagles need their version of the Ravens’ Justice Hill, a player who can take a screen pass 20-plus yards or gash a defense on the infamous third-and-long Will Shipley draw. Tank Bigsby was an excellent find by Roseman, but he brings a similar dimension to Barkley. The goal here is to find a veteran back with quickness and pass-catching ability who can be more than a lesser version of the lead back.
Long story short, the Eagles either need to upgrade the breadth of their skill sets behind their Big Three (Brown, Smith, Barkley) and/or find a fourth player who brings his own dynamic skill set that can exploit the defense’s focus on the stars.
Sure, they need a play-caller who can enable their skill players to fully express themselves.
SEATTLE — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.
Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.
Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown.
Darnold, who flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings, played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving and a touchdown on 10 catches.
Because of the snow and ice storm that hit roughly half of the nation on Sunday, the 76ers’ game against the Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., initially scheduled for Monday night, has been moved up to 3 p.m.
The game will be televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The NBA postponed games in Memphis and Milwaukee on Sunday because of the massive winter storm that is creating dangerous travel conditions across much of the U.S.
The Dallas Mavericks tried twice to fly to Milwaukee for their Sunday night game against the Bucks, but conditions didn’t allow it. A decision to postpone was announced a few hours before tipoff. Food that had been prepared for the game was donated to shelters in the Milwaukee area.
Earlier Sunday, a game between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies was postponed about three hours before tipoff. Reschedule dates were not announced.
The league also changed the start time for the Indiana Pacers’ game at Atlanta Hawks from 7:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
At least two college women’s basketball games were postponed: No. 17 Tennessee’s visit to No. 18 Mississippi on Monday and Tulane’s visit to Memphis on Tuesday. Reschedule dates were not announced.
In men’s basketball, a game featuring Tennessee at No. 21 Georgia was pushed back a day from Tuesday to Wednesday. Purdue Fort Wayne and IU Indianapolis, and Southern Illinois and Evansville had Sunday games postponed without make-up dates announced.
DENVER — Drake Maye ran for 68 yards and threw for 86 in sloppy, snowy conditions and scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, at New England’s 36 with 2:11 remaining and the Patriots (17-3) iced their first playoff win in Denver when Maye ran for 7 yards on third-and-5 from his 41.
New England became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.
The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60.
Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime.
The Patriots fell behind 7-0, but had a key fourth-down stop near their own end zone to spark the comeback. Their victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.
It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that gave New England its first lead at 10-7.
The Patriots managed just four first downs and 72 yards in the first half, punting five times and missing a field goal. But they capitalized on a short field when New England’s defense set up Maye at the Denver 12 with a takeaway and Maye took it in from 6 yards out to tie it at 7 at halftime.
Stepping in for the injured Nix (ankle surgery), Stidham’s first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch that started the scoring.
