Center City District Restaurant Week returned Sunday for the first time in a year, with 120 restaurants offering fixed-price lunches and dinners — the largest lineup since the pandemic.
This also will be 2026’s only restaurant week. After running both fall and winter editions since September 2003, a district spokesperson told The Inquirer that it will not return this fall and will remain an early-winter promotion “at this time.”
The fall edition disappeared last September as the district said it had shifted its focus to newer programs, such as Open Streets and Let’s Do Lunch, while keeping its popular Center City District Sips series. Restaurateurs had also been pushing back on the September restaurant week, arguing that it landed during an already busy month and that promotional dollars were better spent in January, traditionally the slowest stretch of the year.
For the 2026 restaurant week, running through Jan. 31, some restaurants will offer $20 two-course lunches in addition to three-course dinners priced at $45 or $60. (The lower-tier dinners were $40 last year.)
More than 100 of the participating restaurants are repeats from last January, including such popular destinations as a.kitchen, Barbuzzo, Del Frisco’s, Estia, Fork, Forsythia, Gran Caffe L’Aquila, Harp & Crown, Loch Bar, and Wilder.
Additions this year include the yearlings Rockwell & Rose (attached to P.J. Clarke’s on Washington Square) and Rhythm & Spirits (at One Penn Center, above Suburban Station), as well as established restaurants Ambrosia, Bar Bombon, Charlie was a sinner., Cry Baby Pasta, Farina Pasta Bar, Grandma’s Philly, Hi-Lo Taco Co., Kanella, Kirin House, La Fontana Della Citta, Miss Saigon, the Mulberry on Arch, Pub & Kitchen, Radicchio Cafe, Superfolie, Trattoria Carina, Umami Steak & Sushi Bar, and Vita.
Some 2025 participants are not returning, such as the shuttered Banh Mi & Bottles, Del Frisco’s Grille, Flambo, Iron Hill Brewery, Kook Burger & Bar, and Mulherin’s Pizzeria.
The district has arranged discount parking for $10 or less at participating BexPark by Brandywine Realty Trust, LAZ Parking, and Philadelphia Parking Authority parking facilities from 4:45 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Earlier in the week, the Dallas Cowboys reportedly requested permission to interview Eagles defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Christian Parker for their defensive coordinator opening. It now appears that interview is moving forward, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Cowboys plan to bring in Eagles pass game coordinator/DBs Christian Parker for an in-person interview, per sources.
Former Arizona HC Jonathan Gannon and Vikings assistant Daronte Jones also coming in, per @toddarcher
New ‘unCovering the Birds’: What do Lurie and Roseman really think of Sirianni?
Marcus Hayes joined Jeff McLane on the latest episode of “unCovering the Birds.”
There was a lot said during the Eagles’ end-of-season news conference, but nothing stood out more to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane than a comment general manager Howie Roseman made about his head coach, Nick Sirianni. What did Roseman say, and why was it so noteworthy? Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes joins Jeff as the two read between the lines in this recap of Roseman and Sirianni’s Q&A with reporters.
Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
The Eagles are interviewing Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson Friday in Philadelphia as a potential Kevin Patullo replacement, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
It’s Robinson’s third interview, having already met with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions.
Robinson, 39, a former NFL quarterback who spent the bulk of his brief career with the Cincinnati Bengals, has been the Falcons’ offensive coordinator for two seasons. Prior to that he spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay, moving up from an assistant quarterbacks coach to the team’s pass game coordinator.
Kevin Stefanski to have second interviews with multiple teams
Kevin Stefanski is getting a lot of interest from teams this hiring cycle.
It’s looking less and less likely the Eagles will land Philly native Kevin Stefanski as their next offensive coordinator.
The former Cleveland Browns head coach has already interviewed for six head coaching jobs and is scheduled to hold second interviews with multiple teams next week, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
“My sense is the Titans, Falcons and Ravens are all potential landing spots for Stefanski,” Pelissero said Friday.
Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt was a key part of the Eagles staff in 2025.
As the NFL draft process gets underway over the next few weeks with the All-Star games circuit, one of the Eagles’ position coaches will get an unique opportunity to be a head coach for a week.
Clint Hurtt, the Eagles’ defensive line coach, will lead the National team at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which begins practice in Mobile, Ala. on Jan. 27. The event brings in the top draft-eligible players to compete in three practices, culminating in the Senior Bowl game on Jan. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Staduim.
The 47-year-old Hurtt has spent the last two seasons coaching the D-line for the Eagles. Hurtt began his career at the collegiate level for 11 years before making the jump to the NFL with the Bears in 2014 and spent seven years with the Seahawks in various roles, including as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
It is possible more Eagles assistant coaches will join Hurtt to help him coach at the Senior Bowl. The All-Star game typically gives assistant coaches the opportunity to manage staff, format practices, and assume gameday decisions typically reserved for head coaches. Joel Thomas, a member of former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s staff in New Orleans, will be the head coach of the American team.
Mike McDaniel interviewing for at least two offensive coordinator jobs
Ex-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is drawing a lot of interest across the NFL.
By the end of the day, former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will have interviewed for at least two offensive coordinator jobs.
Unfortunately, neither will be with the Eagles.
McDaniel is scheduled to interview for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vacant offensive coordinator position Friday, as first reported by Fox Sports reporter Greg Auman. McDaniel also interviewed with the Detroit Lions for their offensive coordinator opening.
That’s on top of at least four teams that have interviewed McDaniel for head coaching jobs – the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens.
“Since he arrived in Miami in 2022, the Dolphins rank sixth in rushing average at 4.5 yards per attempt,” wrote columnist David Murphy. “He did this while also calling an offense that saw quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throw for 4,624 yards and go 11-6 in 2023.”
An early look at potential Eagles first-round draft picks
Utah offensive lineman Caleb Lomu could be of assistance for an Eagles trench group that took a step back in 2025.
The last time the Eagles picked in the early 20s range of the NFL draft was two years ago, when the team broke a 22-year streak of not selecting a defensive back in the first round. The player they selected was Toledo defensive back Quinyon Mitchell, who was recently named a first-team NFL All-Pro.
After a disappointing end to their Super Bowl title defense, the Eagles head into the offseason with uncertainty at a few positions, but most of their core is intact.
Could they add younger pieces to an offensive line that struggled? Add some youth to a tight end room that might be without Dallas Goedert next year? Or will the Eagles add to the secondary?
With the Eagles locked into the No. 23 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, barring a trade, here are six players they could target:
A.J. Brown hasn’t spoken with reporters for more than a month.
With questions swirling about his future in Philly, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown reportedly jumped on social media to share a few cryptic posts before deactivating his account.
94.1 WIP’s Devan Kaney took a screenshot of the two posts Brown shared Thursday evening:
What the posts mean is anyone’s guess. Brown hasn’t spoken to reporters for more than a month and was a no-show when the team cleaned out their lockers.
General manager Howie Roseman called Brown a “great” player but was noncommittal about trading away his star wide receiver.
“It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player,” Roseman told reporters Friday. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for, when we go out here in free agency and in the draft, is trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy. So that would be my answer.”
Where we are on the Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator
Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll is a candidate to become the Birds next offensive coordinator.
We’re going on four days since the Eagles moved on from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, but we still don’t have a clear idea who the team is focused on or planning on interviewing.
Here’s the latest:
On Thursday, Nick Sirianni told reporters they’re looking for an offensive coordinator to help “evolve” the offense. That supports the idea the Eagles are looking for an experienced play caller.
Other names mentioned for the Eagles include former Cleveland Browns head coach (and Philly native) Kevin Stefanski and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, whom the team previously vetted. Here are some other possible candidates.
One potential Eagles candidate is off their list. Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is reportedly heading to the New York Giants with head coach John Harbaugh.
Eagles OC candidate Mike McDaniel to interview with the Bucs today
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will interview with the Bucs Friday for their offensive coordinator position, per source. @gregauman had it first.
Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay, seen here in September.
The Eagles might have a second coaching vacancy to fill.
Birds Special teams coordinator Michael Clay interviewed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday for the same position.
“It’s somewhat surprising news because special teams has been decent in the five years Clay has been here and Sirianni has always spoken highly of Clay,” wrote NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank.
Clay, whose contract is up next month, has been with the Eagles since 2021. It’s his second stint with the Birds after starting as a defensive quality control coach in 2014.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni at the NovaCare Complex Thursday.
Unprompted, Howie Roseman listed Nick Sirianni’s responsibilities and accomplishments.
Normally, a head coach one year removed from winning a Super Bowl, who has taken his team to the title game twice, and to the postseason in each of his first five seasons, wouldn’t need to be publicly lionized by his general manager.
But these aren’t normal times and not in Philadelphia. The Eagles got bounced from the playoffs in the first round and the expectations that have risen from recent success — in part because of Sirianni — have helped foster a distorted reality that has been amplified by a culture increasingly shaped by contrarianism, algorithms, and conspiracy.
Roseman heard several questions about the Eagles’ next offensive coordinator when he felt compelled to jump in. He knew where the inquiry was going having sat in the same seat two years ago when Sirianni’s authority seemed diminished and he was asked essentially: What is it exactly that you do here?
The narrative that Sirianni was just a figurehead propped up by Roseman and his coordinators has hung over his tenure — even after winning a championship. But it gained steam again after he removed Kevin Patullo as coordinator on Tuesday, and the question of who will replace him and how much Sirianni will be involved in the offense remains unanswered.
There is truth to the notion that the selection of a pedigreed play-caller who has previously been a head coach — Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll are among the top candidates on the list — will make Sirianni more powerless, perhaps put him on the hot seat as early as next season if things go poorly. Roseman might have been anticipating that narrative when he spoke on Sirianni’s behalf during Thursday’s end-of-season news conference.
We’re also following a basketball gambling conspiracy that federal prosecutors say involved tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and millions in fraudulent bets, some of which were placed in Philly.
Between the newly inaugurated Bucks sheriff canceling an agreement with ICE and Haverford Township banning participation in such deals, top officials across the region are taking a stand against cooperation with ICE.
As they grapple with ever-shifting policies, here’s a brief overview of how they’re handling interactions with federal immigration authorities.
In Philadelphia, ICE is still active, but President Donald Trump has not sent troops as he has to other major cities. Philly calls itself a “welcoming city,” and a 2016 directive orders authorities to not comply with ICE-issued detainer requests unless there is a judicial warrant.
In Bucks County, sheriff’s deputies are no longer allowed to act as immigration officers. However, it is not a sanctuary county, and its corrections department will still share information with federal agencies, including ICE.
In Montgomery County, officials approved a policy that limits communication with ICE, but no formal ordinance labels it a sanctuary or welcoming county.
And in related news: The judicial district that oversees the Philadelphia court system says that the authority for managing ICE’s controversial presence at the Criminal Justice Center rests on Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and that decisions around that are her “sole responsibility.”
Federal prosecutors charged dozens of people Thursday in a wide-ranging scheme to fix basketball games in the NCAA and China.
Some of the bets in the “point-shaving” operation, placed at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, were for hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf.
Who was charged: Twenty basketball players and six so-called “fixers.” They are accused of crimes, including bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. A number of Division 1 college players from programs including Northwestern State University and La Salle University were reportedly involved.
How they allegedly did it: The fixers would bribe players to underperform in games, then bettors would wager against that player’s team and collect millions in illicit winnings, Metcalf said.
Nearly 20 people witnessed an assault in the Cheltenham High football team’s locker room last fall, and no one tried to stop it, according to an external investigation.
The Norristown Hospitality Center, a nonprofit day shelter for people experiencing homelessness, will shut down if it can’t find a new home quickly.
A Republican state senator from Allentown called Philadelphia a nasty word. He doubled down on his remarks despite heavy backlash from prominent Philly Democrats.
Penn has refused to comply with a federal subpoena seeking a list of Jewish students and faculty as part of a federal antisemitism investigation. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing the university for the data.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration sued a former vendor for failing to deliver 3.4 million pieces of state agency mail to residents. In Shapiro’s first public remarks on the matter, he called the situation “absolutely unacceptable.”
Families have flooded Yeadon police with concerns for their buried dead after more than 100 human remains were stolen from Mount Moriah Cemetery.
Emergency medical services at Riddle Hospital in Media will be rebranded as Main Line Health EMS. The seven-ambulance fleet serves Main Line’s four-hospital system.
This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from reporter Michelle Myers on why the Philadelphia Art Museum looks so dull and dim at night after a reader lamented the “shyness of such a gorgeous building.”
The reason it is kept looking gloomy in the dark involves infrastructure, money, and negotiations. Here’s the full story.
Cheers to Tommy Joyce, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Brent Celek. The former Eagles tight end is using his platform to raise awareness on men’s health.
Photo of the day
Painters spruce up the underside of an old water tower along Dillworth Street at Columbus Blvd in South Philadelphia.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Have a great weekend.
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Think you know your news? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome back to our weekly News Quiz — a quick way to see if your reading habits are sinking in and to put your local news knowledge to the test.
Question 1 of 10
Erin Andrews’ coat at the Eagles-49ers game stole the show. What was it made of?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Andrews’ coat appears to be a completely faux fur $950 statement piece from the brand Auter. Despite the internet haters, the jacket was seemingly functional and fashionable for a 30-degree and windy wild-card game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Question 2 of 10
Food writer Kiki Aranita says this little treat, with roots in Mexico and China, is the talk of the town right now:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The story of Mexican conchas and Chinese bo lo bao predates “little treat culture” by hundreds of years. Crackled, cookie-like crusts sit on top of round, fluffy milk bread, sometimes filled with cream or jam, or custard and char siu, or vibrant red Cantonese roast pork. Versions of the treats are available across Philly.
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Question 3 of 10
Wawa is closing a store on Drexel University’s campus after it was remodeled to test this concept:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The location was remodeled in 2023 to test the new store format, a digital-only concept that required customers to order all items on a touch screen, with no shelves of products to browse. The pilot was not a success, leading to the store’s planned closure, said a company statement.
Question 4 of 10
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed a bill, despite near-unanimous legislative support, that would’ve allowed a legal carveout for:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
New Jersey's Milltown is struggling to continue its Groundhog Day celebrations because of a lack of access to live groundhogs. A bill to carve out exceptions for groundhog imports was vetoed. Gov. Phil Murphy said the bill was inappropriate, citing public safety concerns, including rabies.
Question 5 of 10
A $150 million streetscape project will transform South Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts by adding more:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
A $150 million streetscape project will transform South Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts with trees, public art, traffic calming, and redesigned medians and sidewalks, starting this month.
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Eagles fan and content creator Robert Williams III kept the faith all season by cranking out parody songs about the Birds. His videos have caught the attention of celebrities ranging from Questlove to Hall and Oates. What artist does he find himself covering more times than not?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Williams (also known as Billy Soul) puts on a strawberry blond wig and spoofs songs like the 1984 Billy Joel hit: “For the Longest Time.” He says his Joel covers seem to perform the best. “My favorite genres of music are hip-hop and R&B so those parodies are easy to me,” Williams said. When I’m doing Billy Joel, I’m challenging myself.”
Question 7 of 10
A Philadelphia woman’s fliers around the region seeking help went viral. She was asking for someone of which trade to perform what act?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The flier said: “Seeking: Experienced Witch to Curse My Ex.” The woman set up an email — for serious inquiries only. Experts say wishing a curse on your ex is part of a tradition dating back to antiquity.
Question 8 of 10
Restaurant scalping is a growing trend nationwide that business owners would like to stop. A Philly restaurant took to social media, announcing it had canceled someone’s reservations and wanted to ban them after they were caught trying to flip reservations for a profit. What restaurant was it?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Mawn’s owners, Phila and Rachel Lorn, took to the restaurant’s Instagram to lambaste a woman attempting to sell coveted dinner reservations on the “Buy, Sell, Trade” section of Philaqueens, a private Facebook group with 75,000 members. “Eww. Gross … Don’t play with us,” the owners wrote on Mawn’s Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of the Facebook post that included the seller’s name. “All 11 of this person’s reservations are canceled.”
Question 9 of 10
This Philly-based comedian went viral on TikTok for her ASMR-style videos, where she whispers about this local favorite:
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
Of all the things Betsy Kenney thought she might go viral for, whispering about Wawa wasn’t one of them. But the 38-year-old comedian’s Philly “ASMR” videos have taken off on TikTok and Instagram, turning Kenney — who spent more than a decade pursuing a comedy career in New York City — into an unlikely local celebrity. Kenney’s videos have racked up millions of views and even earned an endorsement from Kylie Kelce.
Question 10 of 10
Retro enthusiasts and nostalgia lovers are thrilled about a chain restaurant location in Tunkhannock, a small town in the Endless Mountains of Wyoming County, about 140 miles northeast of Philadelphia. That’s because it was restored to look and feel like versions of this spot did decades ago. Which restaurant is it?
CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.
The Pizza Hut location has been in a shopping center parking lot for decades, but was restored into a classic version, complete with the red, angled roof. “No touchscreen kiosks, no sleek redesign, just the classic dine-in Hut experience you thought was gone forever. It’s more than pizza. It’s a full-blown childhood flashback served with breadsticks and a plastic red cup!” a fan wrote on Facebook.
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Seems like you’ve been skimming more than reading there, buddy. There’s always next week.
You’ve read some articles (or made some educated guesses) but we wouldn’t come to you first for our local news recaps. Better luck next week!
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Six Pennsylvania nursing homes closed last year, down from 10 in 2024, according to data provided to The Inquirer by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
None of last year’s closures were in the Philadelphia area. The most recent closure in Southeastern Pennsylvania was at Main Line Health’s Riddle Hospital, which shuttered its very small, 23-bed facility in early 2023. That year, five nursing homes closed statewide.
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But this year is starting with the loss of a Philadelphia facility. Monumental Post-Acute Care at Woodside, formerly called Bala Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, notified state official last month that the 180-bed facility will close next month.
Officials there could not be reached for comment about why nursing home is closing after 37 years. More than 90% of the facility’s patients had Medicaid insurance for low-income people.
Monumental is among the larger nursing homes to close recently. About half of the nursing homes that closed during the last three years had 50 or fewer beds. The statewide average is 127 beds.
Smaller facilities have a harder time covering their costs.
The county hardest hit by nursing home closures was Allegheny, which is home to Pittsburgh. Four nursing homes closed there. The counties that are home to Scranton and Wilkes-Barre each lost two facilities.
It’s awards season, and not just for those in showbiz. The Eagles fell short of a Super Bowl repeat, but they’re still eligible for the next best thing — The Inquirer’s 2025 EEOYAAOS (Eagles end-of-year awards and other superlatives).
The name is a work-in-progress and subject to change next season. All jokes aside, while the year ended in disappointment for the team, there were bright spots that can serve as sources of encouragement for seasons to come. Here are the winners of this season’s superlatives, unilaterally selected by yours truly:
Quinyon Mitchell, left, and Cooper DeJean both became All-Pros in 2025.
Most Valuable Player
Let’s start this exercise off strong by breaking the rules (that don’t exist). There are two most valuable players on this year’s team, and they’re both on defense: Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Not-so-coincidentally, both second-year cornerbacks were selected to their first All-Pro team and Pro Bowl this year.
In a short period of time, Mitchell and DeJean have become cornerstones of Vic Fangio’s defense. Mitchell, 24, took on more responsibility within the scheme in his second season. Before the Week 9 bye, the 2024 No. 22 overall pick out of Toledo was often tasked with shadowing the opposing team’s top receiver.
According to Next Gen Stats, going into Week 8, Mitchell had at least 10 man coverage matchups against Tampa Bay’s Emeka Egbuka (16 matchups), the Rams’ Davante Adams (15), Denver’s Courtland Sutton (15), and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (11). He conceded 43 receiving yards on four receptions against Sutton, but he held each of the other three receivers to 12 or fewer yards.
After the bye, Mitchell primarily aligned in the boundary, the short side of the field that typically garners less safety help. He had more passes defensed (9) than receptions allowed (6) across 29 targets and 233 coverage snaps in the boundary, per Next Gen Stats. His 20.7% completion percentage allowed in that alignment was three times lower than the season-long league average from that spot (65.5%).
DeJean was just as dominant from the slot, an important position in Fangio’s defense that is required to defend the run and pass. He finished the season with a 57.4% completion percentage and 5.9 yards per target from the slot. Both metrics rank below the league averages of 69.5% and 6.8, respectively.
They had their struggles (and successes) in the wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but their bodies of work throughout the year make them worthy recipients of the award.
If 2025 was his swan song in Philly, Dallas Goedert went out with a bang.
Offensive Player of the Year
This award nearly went to DeVonta Smith, but Dallas Goedert gets the slight edge. The 31-year-old tight end was Jalen Hurts’ most trusted receiver in the red zone, hauling in 10 touchdown passes inside the 20-yard line this season. That performance was particularly meaningful given the Eagles’ declining efficiency on the Tush Push.
Goedert’s 11 receiving touchdowns tied for the most among tight ends in 2025 and set a franchise record at the position. Goedert added two more touchdowns in the wild-card game — one rushing and one receiving — making him the first tight end in NFL history to rush for a touchdown in the playoffs.
This isn’t just about his red-zone performance, though. Goedert caught 73.2% of his targets, the most among the Eagles’ top three receivers (including Smith and A.J. Brown). He also started a career-high 15 games, which was particularly impressive coming off of an injury-riddled 2024 season.
He did not have his best year as a run blocker, although neither did any other player paving the way for Saquon Barkley. Still, it was a career-best year for Goedert in other areas heading into an offseason of uncertainty. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year.
Jordan Davis was a force along the defensive line for the Eagles in 2025.
Defensive Player of the Year
Few Eagles players ascended as rapidly as Jordan Davis did this season. In his fourth year with the team, the 6-foot-6, 336-pound defensive tackle became the every-down player the Eagles sought when they drafted him No. 13 overall out of Georgia in 2022.
Davis played a career-high 61% of the defensive snaps in 2025, his first season playing more than half of them. Unsurprisingly, he was particularly effective against the run. According to Next Gen Stats, Davis notched a career-best 50 run stops, which are tackles in run defense that result in a negative play for the opposing offense. That total was the second-most among defensive linemen.
He showed some pop as a pass-rusher, too. Davis finished the year with a career-high 4½ sacks. His 22 pressures were a personal best, too, per Next Gen Stats. Davis could be in line for an extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.
Eagles punter Braden Mann has a strong leg and had a strong year.
Special Teams Player of the Year
There’s an argument to be made that Davis and Jalen Carter could share this award given their blocked field goals this season. But the unsung specialist of the season was Braden Mann,the 28-year-old punter. Some might even call him the Mann of the Year.
Mann, who signed with the Eagles in 2023 after spending the first three years of his career with the New York Jets, had the single best season by an Eagles punter in franchise history. He averaged 49.5 gross yards per punt, bringing his Eagles career average to a franchise-best 49.5.
In his Week 8 showing against the New York Giants, Mann averaged 57 net yards (subtracting return yardage) per punt, the most in a single game in franchise history. In a year where the Eagles offense punted a lot, Mann did his best to help out the defense and put opposing offenses in poor field position. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year and the Eagles would be wise to bring him back on a new deal.
Jihaad Campbell is off to an encouraging start to his career.
Rookie of the Year
Jihaad Campbell was the Eagles’ top rookie this season. He didn’t have much competition. Safety Drew Mukuba fractured his fibula in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys, prematurely ending his up-and-down rookie campaign.
Ty Robinson, Mac McWilliams, Smael Mondon, Drew Kendall, and Cameron Williams hardly played this year. Kyle McCord and Myles Hinton didn’t play this year.
Still, Campbell is a worthy recipient. He fared well as the starting inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun while Nakobe Dean recovered from his torn patellar tendon in his knee to start the season. In Weeks 1-6, Campbell played 94.3% of defensive snaps, then dropped off to 30.7% over the next eight games before Dean’s hamstring injury.
He flashed potential, especially in coverage. Going into Week 13, he had a 63% completion percentage when targeted, which ranked ninth-lowest rate among linebackers in 2025 (minimum of 15 targets) at the time, per Next Gen Stats. Campbell has plenty of room to grow, with more opportunities on the way in 2026, as Dean is a free agent this offseason.
Defensive backs coach Christian Parker’s talents have been recognized around the league.
Assistant Coach of the Year
It’s a big season for the Eagles defensive backs room at the EEOYAAOS. Christian Parker, the Eagles defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, is earning his flowers as the team’s assistant coach of the year.
The 34-year-old assistant has helped Mitchell and DeJean reach great heights in their first two seasons in the league, especially this season in their All-Pro year. Parker also deserves some credit for the improved play of Adoree’ Jackson as the season progressed. The second outside cornerback spot seemed like a concern coming out of training camp, but the competition eventually stabilized as Jackson grew more comfortable in the defense.
How much longer will Fangio be able to keep Parker around in Philly? Parker is reportedly interviewing with the Dallas Cowboys for their vacant defensive coordinator job.
Jordan Davis celebrated a touchdown after running back a late fourth quarter blocked field goal against the Rams on Sept. 21.
Best play
Few plays brought more juice this season than Davis’ blocked field goal to seal the Eagles’ 33-26 Week 3 win over the Rams. Both Carter and Davis exploited the Rams’ weaknesses in their field goal unit to block a pair of three-point tries in the fourth quarter, but the image of the 6-foot-6, 336-pound Davis returning the loose ball to the end zone as time expired will live on in franchise history.
The play sustained the Eagles’ dominance over the Rams under Nick Sirianni, bringing their head-to-head record to 4-0 over the last three seasons (including the postseason).
Nolan Smith Jr. and the Eagles emphatically assisted Kenny Pickett and the Raiders to becoming the NFL’s worst team in 2025.
Best game
The Eagles offense was a tale of two halves for the majority of the season, making for some uneasy watches. One of the only exceptions was the 31-0 Week 15 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
In theory, the quality of the opponent should factor into consideration for this award. But the timing of this win is too important to ignore. This resounding victory came on the heels of the Eagles’ three-game losing streak, during which comparisons to the 2023 collapse intensified. The Eagles quelled some doubts by beating up on a bad team, although they ultimately faced the same postseason fate as the 2023 squad.
Fangio’s defense had never been more dominant. They limited the Raiders to 75 yards of offense, a new single-game franchise low for the Eagles and the fewest allowed by any defense during season at the time. Hurts bounced back from committing five turnovers the week prior in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He went 12-for-15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns, earning a near-perfect 154.9 passer rating.
Tank Bigsby averaged nearly six yards per rush even as the Eagles’ rushing offense struggled at times.
Biggest surprise
It took some time, but Tank Bigsby proved to be a solid addition this season. Immediately after Howie Roseman acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks, he began the first four weeks of his Eagles career as a kick returner.
He wasn’t the right fit for the role. After a couple of muffed kicks, he was removed from the gig. But on offense, he made the most of his scant carries. He 58 rushes for 344 yards and two touchdowns. While the majority of his touches came against bad defenses (i.e. the Giants, Raiders, and Commanders), his 5.9 yards per carry ranked third in the league among running backs with at least 50 runs.
Bigsby is under contract through 2026, ensuring the Eagles have a solid RB2 option behind Barkley next season.
Jalen Hurts knows his way around a quote.
Best quote
Hurts is known for dropping bits of wisdom in his press conferences. He seems to have sayings for everything, including some of the hottest practices of training camp. After a sweltering practice on July 29, Hurts said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all,” a quote that has been attributed to a variety of prominent figures including U.S. Army general George S. Patton and Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi.
Perhaps the second-best quote of the season came from Jordan Mailata, regarding another one of Hurts’ aphorisms: “That [stuff] is [freaking] hilarious. Like, how does one think of that?”
Jordan Davis: fun to cover.
Best locker room guy
Davis emerged both on the field and off of it this season. Not only was he dominant as a player in his fourth season, but his infectious personality also uplifted his teammates as he stepped into a leadership role.
No player was more gregarious in the locker room. Transcribing interviews was typically an exercise in trying to decipher quotes from a cacophony of laughter and yelling in the background, which stemmed from Davis. The 26-year-old defensive tackle earned the Eagles local media corps’ stand-up player of the year award, bestowed upon a player for their accessibility and honesty.
Plenty of others deserved the distinction, too. Jackson and Zack Baun landed on my ballot, in addition to Davis. Brown, Barkley, Dean, Brandon Graham, and Britain Covey are always insightful in their discussions with the press.
Best nonhuman source of positivity
Reggie the dog, the Eagles director of joy. Better luck next year, Positivity Rabbit.
In nearly five decades of directing puzzle competitions, New York Times crossword editor and NPR puzzle master Will Shortz has encountered a cheater only once, at a Sudoku championship in Philadelphia.
Luckily, Shortz doesn’t hold it against us. That came across loud and clear when he recently announced he’s moving the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament from Connecticut down to Philly next year.
“Philadelphia has a cultured audience,” Shortz said when we spoke this week. “It’s just a great city to have a major literary event at.”
The first time I heard of the ACPT was while watchingWordplay, a 2006 documentary about crossword puzzles featuring Shortz; the latter half of the movie is set at his annual tournament. I loved the movie when it came out and on a rewatch 20 years later, it’s still as quirky and delightful as ever.
In the film, the late puzzle constructor Merl Reagle, who crafted crosswords for the Times, The Inquirer, and other papers across the country, calls the ACPT an “orgy of puzzling,” which is a fantastic phrase that I’m guessing he never got into a puzzle and one that’s probably responsible for the film’s perplexing PG rating.
The play-by-play
Shortz — who designed his own major in enigmatology (the study of puzzles) at Indiana University — founded the ACPT at the Marriott in Stamford, Conn., in 1978 when he was just 25.
“There had not been a crossword tournament in the country since the 1930s, so we were starting fresh,” he said.
The first tournament attracted 149 contestants. This year, there are 926 competitors, with a long wait list, and after 48 years at the Stamford Marriott (aside from a few years the tournament was held in Brooklyn), the ACPT has just outgrown the space. The tournament will be held there for the last time in April.
Shortz and his team looked for new venues around the Northeast and settled on the Liberty Ballroom at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, where they can accommodate up to 1,250 contestants.
The tournament will be held there from April 30 to May 2 next year.
“I’m hoping with 1,250 seats we won’t have to turn anyone away next year,” Shortz told me. “My goal is for everyone to come who wants to.”
The ACPT is held over three days and consists of eight rounds of puzzles. All contestants compete in the first seven rounds, which, much to this Luddite’s delight, are still done with pencil and paper.
“I want everyone to compete equally,” Shortz said. “Some people are very fast with their fingers so I wouldn’t want the tournament to depend on your computer literacy.”
Contestants are scored based on accuracy and completion time. There are multiple divisions, with an eighth round of playoffs held for the top three divisions.
From left: Frequent top finishers Tyler Hinman, David Plotkin, and Dan Feyer compete live on stage during a championship round of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Play-by-play announcers even call the games, so competitors must wear noise-canceling headphones.
The A and B division playoffs are held on stage, with top three contestants working on giant crossword puzzle white boards before a live audience (and you thought completing a Saturday Times puzzle by yourself was intimidating!). Play-by-play announcers even call the games, so competitors must wear noise-canceling headphones.
The division A winner gets a $7,500 prize and crossword glory for a year. The last two tournaments were won by Paolo Pasco, a 24-year-old crossword puzzle constructor and seven-time Jeopardy! winner who’s competing in the quiz show’s Tournament of Champions this month.
Aside from the competitive games, there are also informal word games, a puzzle market, and a contestant talent show.
Paolo Pasco, (left), winner of the 2025 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, with tournament director Will Shortz, (center), and puzzle constructor Ryan McCarty.
‘No judgments’
Shortz has never missed a tournament, except for when it was canceled in 2020 due to COVID. Even after suffering a stroke in 2024, he showed up to the tournament, just two months later.
“I was in a subacute rehab center and everyone was advising me not to leave the center, but there was no way I was going to miss the tournament,” he told me. “When I came in a wheelchair, everyone stood up and applauded and that brought tears to my eyes.”
Donald Christensen, who has attended the ACPT since the 1980s and serves as the event photographer, said the contestants are “a microcosm of society.”
“When you attend one of the tournaments, you are among a group of about 1,000 people who make no judgments about you or your abilities, and who are often very willing to share their secrets to successful solving with anyone who is interested,“ he said via email.
Contestants work on solving puzzles at the Stamford Marriott during the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
I enjoy crossword puzzles, but I’m absolutely terrible at them, so much so that I question my college majors (nonfiction writing and communications), my career, and whether I actually speak the English language. But there’s even room for someone like me at the tournament — a noncompetitor option, where you can play but your solutions aren’t scored. Spectator-only tickets are available for the Sunday playoffs, too.
Contestants aren’t allowed outside help, but they’re not required to hand over their cellphones either. Shortz said referees would see any cheating and looking something up on a phone would just slow down a good contestant.
“It’s not a group that would cheat anyway,” Shortz said.
The Sudoku swindler
And that brings me back to the stupefying Sudoku scandal of 2009. For three years beginning in 2007, The Inquirer sponsored the National Sudoku Championship at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, with Shortz serving as host (The Inquirer and Shortz also partnered to host the World Sudoku Championship here in 2010).
Will Shortz explains the rules of the 2010 World Sudoku Championship, which was held in Philadelphia and sponsored by The Inquirer.
During the 2009 competition, a before-unknown player, Eugene Varshavsky of Lawrenceville, N.J., qualified for the finals in lightning time. But when he got on stage with his hoodie up for the championship round, he froze.
“It was a challenging puzzle but not crazy hard and he was utterly unable to finish it,” Shortz said. “It was kind of embarrassing for someone who’d solved the previous puzzle quickly.”
Still, Varshavsky was awarded third place, which came with a $3,000 prize. But puzzlers raised suspicions and the money was frozen while officials conducted an investigation.
Varshavsky was asked to come to The Inquirer to complete additional puzzles to prove his ability.
“We gave him the round-three puzzle he whipped through in the competition, which he was now unable to do,” Shortz recalled.
He was subsequently stripped of his title and the prize money. Shortz said officials believed he was getting help through an earpiece during the competition, though that was never proven. Coincidentally, a man by the same name was suspected of cheating in 2006 at the World Open chess championship in Philadelphia.
United by words
Philadelphia’s puzzle history isn’t all sordid though. We were home to the oldest known Times crossword puzzle contributor, the late Bernice Gordon, who constructed puzzles for decades and was the first centenarian to have a puzzle published in the Times.
And in 2021, Soleil Saint-Cyr, 17, of Moorestown, became the youngest woman to have a puzzle published in the Times.
Cruciverbalist Soleil Saint-Cyr poses at her Moorestown home in 2021.
With all of the talk around AI today, I asked Shortz if humans are still better at crafting crossword puzzles than computers.
“Of course, computers can create crosswords now, but it takes a human mind to create a brilliant crossword,” he said. “Only humans can still come up for a clever idea for a new theme and only a human can write a good, original crossword clue.”
Perhaps there is no better place for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament than right here in Philadelphia, where words birthed our country into existence. We’re still writing the story of our nation and trying to figure out if this puzzle can be solved, but as in Shortz’s tournament, people are still united by words and creating small moments of order amid the chaos.
“We’re faced with so many challenges every day in life and we just muddle through and do the best we can and we don’t know if we have the best solution,” Shortz said. “But when you solve a crossword puzzle … it gives you a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. You put the world in order.”
For more information on the ACPT and how to add your name to the 2027 contact list, visit crosswordtournament.com.
In 2000, Aaron Deede was an 18-year-old Delaware college student who enjoyed acting and had dreams of becoming a playwright.
But a car accident left him paraplegic with a traumatic brain injury that upended his plans.
“It was a little detour,” Deede said.
Now, at 43, he is returning to college along with four other residents of Inglis House, a nursing facility in Philadelphia’s Wynnefield sectionfor people with severe physical disabilities who use wheelchairsand haveconditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, or challenges following strokes.
Deede and three other Inglis residents on Monday started online classes — some may go in person in subsequent semesters — at Community College of Philadelphia, with a fifth student scheduled to start this summer. Inglis pays for the students’ education from a donor-supported fund.
“I love it. I can’t wait,” Deede said Friday during a celebration Inglis held for the new students at its Belmont Avenue complex, giving each of them a backpack to start their journey.
At right is Aaron Deede a resident of Inglis House. He is starting to take classes at Community College of Philadelphia. At left, Jaclyn Monaco, director of Therapeutic Life Enrichment, offers treats during the celebration for students.
Dozens of Inglis residents — who range in age from 18 to their 70s — have taken college classes over the years, and some have earned degrees. Butthis is the largest group to start together since the 1990s, said Jacklyn Monaco, Inglis’ director of therapeutic and life enrichment.
“Things sort of ebb and flow as far as the types of resident who move in and their personal goals,” she said. “Sometimes they’re recreational goals. Sometimes they’re physical goals. Sometimes they’re educational goals. At this point in time we have a lot of younger folks who are really interested in pursuing higher education.”
Nikos Rapach, 21, had been planning to join either the Army or the Coast Guard when he was in a car accident and lost the use of his legs and the mobility of his fingers.
Nikos Rapach, a resident of Inglis House, sets up at his workstation in the computer lab.
“I’m not going to be able to swing a hammer, so I have to start using my brain more,” said Rapach, who is from Hazleton.
He is taking English and trigonometry classes at CCP. He will use the computers at Inglis thathave adaptive technology to assist with note-taking.
“Everything here is a stepping stone for me,” said Rapach, who moved to Inglis in May. “I want to go back home. I want to get a job. I basically want to get my life back on track.”
“Like they say, if you don’t know your history, you are doomed to repeat it,” he said.
Deede, who came to Inglis in 2023, also would like to become a teacher, preferably at the elementary level.
Another resident who is taking classes at CCP aims to become a social worker at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said Jeremy Ault, Inglis’ therapeutic education instructor. Another hopes to become an Urdu-to-English translator.
Stephanie Shea, 59, who is from Maryland and has a genetic neuromuscular condition, is taking liberal arts classes with the goal of getting a degree.
“It’s kind of a bucket-list thing,” said Shea, who recently got married to another resident. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to have.”
Founded in 1877, Inglis House currently serves about 180 residents, nearly 40% of whom are involved in educational activities — not just college. Classes are offered at Inglis in subjects such as history, law, science, poetry, and creative writing, as well as foundational skills like reading and personal finance.
Aaron Deed (right) and Nikos Rapach are starting taking classes at Community College of Philadelphia.
Inglis staff accompanied the students to CCP’s campus to take their placement tests, register for classes, and visit’s CCP’s Center on Disability, the office that helps students with disabilities.
“We suggest accommodations based on their needs,” said Lisa Papurt, coordinator of disability services at the center, which typically serves 400 to 500 students with disabilities per semester.
Those services could include extra time for tests or technology to assist with note-taking or assistance in communicating with professors.
Papurt said she is excited to see the Inglis students start their educational journey.
“I hope to be able to support them through getting degrees, graduating, and moving on to a four-year institution,” she said.
When students entered their surprise celebration Friday, Ault, the therapeutic education instructor, told them it was time for them to celebrate.
“I’m so proud of you guys for doing so well this past year,” he said. “You guys have been such a pleasure to teach and be part of your lives really.”
Ault is helping students prepare for entry into college.
“I’m working on my writing skills and grammar,” Rapach said. “Jeremy has been giving me essay prompts to help me be a better writer so that when I get to college, I’m not trying to relearn everything.”
Any good team is built on trust, and when two teammates have played together as long as Gabby Casey and Aleah Snead have, trust comes naturally at this point.
Snead and Casey played AAU hoops together with the Philadelphia Belles and were members of the Philadelphia Belles Bluestar National Team in 2023. During that 2022-23 season, they also played against each other in high school, Casey at Lansdale Catholic and Snead at Penn Charter.
Then, in the fall of 2023, Snead and Casey set off for their freshman season at St. Joseph’s.
Now as juniors, the pair isn’t just playing together, they’re leading the Hawks together, in the box score and the locker room.
“Trust takes time, and we’ve been together for so long, so now we trust each other on the court to make big plays for each other,” Snead said. “Even to be a leader. I trust Gabby in her opinion on everything.”
Wherever you look on the St. Joe’s stat sheet, you’ll likely find Casey and Snead at or near the top. Casey leads the Hawks in scoring, (15.7 points per game), rebounds (6.9 per game), and steals (35). Snead follows directly behind her in each of the categories, averaging 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, and totaling 23 steals this season. Snead leads the team in minutes played, while Casey is just behind her.
Saint Joseph’s guard Aleah Snead leads the team in minutes this season.
Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said that the duo understands these individual accomplishments don’t come without collective success for the team, which currently is 12-5 (3-3 Atlantic 10). Griffin said Snead and Casey have “taken a lot on their shoulders” offensively and defensively for the Hawks, put in the day-to-day work at practices, and bring the team closer.
After graduating two of its top players in Talya Brugler and Mackenzie Smith, and with a third, Laura Ziegler, transferring to Louisville, Griffin said Snead and Casey knew it was “their time to step up.”
“This is their team,” Griffin said. “They felt like they were putting in the work, putting in the time, and [have] a true understanding of what that looks like. And both have stepped up tremendously.”
Casey had a big jump last season and earned the Big 5’s Most Improved Player award. And as the A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year last year, Snead was no stranger to the “next player up” mentality, so it was only natural for the two to step into the role their teammates needed from them.
With Brugler and Smith as examples, Snead said it was easy to pass on what she learned from them when assuming her leadership role.
“I was a good follower, so becoming a leader myself was easy, and these people, my teammates, are easy people to lead on the court,” Snead said. “I just trusted myself and my ability to be able to support and make big plays for my team.”
It helps to lead alongside Casey, someone she trusts and with whom she is comfortable. Casey said they know how to run the court together and play off each other, which their coach saw even before they were her players.
Griffin’s youngest daughter, Hannah Griffin, played on the Philadelphia Belles with Snead and Casey, which allowed Griffin to get to know both the players and their families before they were Hawks.
“When it was time for summer, you could see the bond between the two of them and just being able to complement one another,” Griffin said. “You can see it on the court. They look for each other, they find each other, they trust each other, and they know that each is going to show up for each other.”
Casey and Snead were MVP of the Catholic League and Inter-Ac League, respectively, during the 2022-23 season, so both knew what it meant to play Philly basketball even before they arrived at St. Joe’s.
“Being home is a fun place and environment to be in, so I kind of am spirited and wear that on my chest,” Snead said. “I’m from Philly, I’m playing in Philly, people are coming to see us, and that’s why I just try to tell my teammates too.”
Gabby Casey (center) left Lansdale Catholic as the program’s all-time scoring leader.
Griffin said with players from the area like Casey and Snead, there is an understanding of the grit and competitiveness that accompanies playing in the city.
Casey experienced this during her time in the PCL, playing against other high school players with Division I aspirations.
“I think that really just helped me with the physicality level and the speed that we were able to play at in high school,” Casey said. “Philly basketball is tough, and it’s competitive, and I think that it really helped me transition into college.”
Now, that grit and competitiveness is helping to fuel the Hawks through the back half of the season, which Griffin said the team is taking one game at a time.
St. Joe’s was picked to finish sixth out of 14 teams in the A-10, and Casey said the Hawks used that as a “spark plug” to help them catch some opponents off guard.
But, ultimately, it comes back to trust, which starts with Casey and Snead.
“We just come out like we have nothing to lose and just give our all every single game, and we just really trust each other on and off the court,” Casey said. “That helps as well, just knowing what we can get done on the floor and ultimately coming out with wins.”
BANGKOK — Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok won’t be able to edit photos to portray real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal, according to a statement posted on X.
The announcement late Wednesday followed a global backlash over sexualized images of women and children, including bans and warnings by some governments.
The pushback included an investigation announced Wednesday by the state of California, the U.S.’s most populous, into the proliferation of nonconsensual sexually explicit material produced using Grok that it said was harassing women and girls.
Initially, media queries about the problem drew only the response, “legacy media lies.”
Musk’s company, xAI, now says it will geoblock content if it violates laws in a particular place.
“We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis, underwear and other revealing attire,” it said.
The rule applies to all users, including paid subscribers, who have access to more features.
xAI also has limited image creation or editing to paid subscribers only “to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable.”
The Associated Press confirmed on Thursday morning that the image editing tool was still available to free users on X using the “Edit image” button, as well as on the standalone Grok website and app. The tool was also able to generate images of people in bikinis on a free account based in California.
Grok’s “spicy mode” had allowed users to create explicit content, leading to a backlash from governments worldwide.
Malaysia and Indonesia took legal action and blocked access to Grok, while authorities in the Philippines said they were working to do the same, possibly within the week. The U.K. and European Union were investigating potential violations of online safety laws.
France and India have also issued warnings, demanding stricter controls. Brazil called for an investigation into Grok’s misuse.
The British government, which has been one of Grok’s most vociferous critics in recent days, has welcomed the change, while the country’s regulator, Ofcom, said it would carry on with its investigation.
“I shall not rest until all social media platforms meet their legal duties and provide a service that is safe and age-appropriate to all users,” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta urged xAI to ensure there is no further harassment of women and girls from Grok’s editing functions.
“We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material,” he said.
California has passed laws to shield minors from AI-generated sexual imagery of children and require AI chatbot platforms to remind users they aren’t interacting with a human.
But Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom also vetoed a law last year that would have restricted children’s access to AI chatbots.
