The high-end, 31-story apartment tower at 210 S. 12th St. has nine penthouses on the top two floors. They have a variety of layouts, including three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartments that range from roughly 1,650 to 1,835 square feet and cost from $12,600 per month to $13,250 per month.
Penthouses for rent have at least one balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer lots of natural light and panoramic views.
“You are literally looking at the Philadelphia skyline from the best view possible,” said listing agent Justyna Goldman with SERHANT.
Tenants can see the City Hall tower from this penthouse at the Center City apartment building.
The Philadelphia metropolitan area has had a growing number of very wealthy renters in recent years. For people who like the renting lifestyle or “if someone wants to live their best life but is only staying for a short time” in Philadelphia, the penthouses at 210 S. 12th could be for them, Goldman said.
“We offer an incredible space and incredible square footage for the price,” she said. “We are looking to make someone a very happy renter.”
Goldman said the building could be attractive to athletes, entrepreneurs, and people working in the medical field, since hospitals are nearby. The building’s Center City location means “you’re surrounded by everything you could possibly need,” she said.
The nine penthouses at 210 S. 12th are on the 30th and 31st floors and all have at least one balcony.
The penthouses include walk-in closets and spacious living areas and kitchens.
Parking spaces are available in an automated underground parking garage with electric vehicle chargers.
An amenity lounge on the 30th floor of 210 South 12th includes a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with Philadelphia skyline views.
Tenants have access to amenities such as an outdoor pool, a fitness center, yoga and wellness studios, a game room, lounges and co-working spaces, outdoor terraces, a pet spa, and a dog park.
The tower includes studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Studios start at $1,968, one-bedroom dens start at $2,300, one-bedroom units start at $2,411, and two-bedroom units start at $3,809.
The building’s website is currently advertising rent deals. The property is offering 2½ to 3 months free for leases longer than a year.
Salon Republic, which offers salon suites for rent, is operating in one of the tower’s retail spaces and more retailers are expected to be announced soon.
The views make the penthouses at 210 S. 12th special, said listing agent Justyna Goldman with SERHANT.
Nikki Bella thought fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night were booing her, but the Philly crowd was actually cheering “Coop” at the WWE Hall of Famer.
Bella, who was in the ring forWWE’s Monday Night Raw, reportedly began casually dating Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean in January, according to TMZ. Neither Bella, 42, nor DeJean, 22, has publicly confirmed they are dating, but Bella’s reaction to the crowd indicates there is some connection between the two.
While the “Coop” cheer has become common at Lincoln Financial Field since the Eagles drafted DeJean out of Iowa in 2024, it caught Bella, an Eagles fan, off guard during Monday night’s show.
Brie Bella: "I actually think they're saying Coop"
“Is that for the Eagles not getting in the Super Bowl, or for us?” Bella quipped while in the ring with her twin sister and tag team partner, Brie Bella.
Brie corrected her sister on what exactly the Philly crowd was shouting.
“I actually think they were saying ‘Coop,’” Brie Bella said.
“Oh,” Nikki Bella replied. “Can you blame a girl for having good taste? I mean, Pro Bowl, baby.”
Rumors emerged that Bella, whose real name is Nikki Garcia, was dating DeJean in December after Bella posted a video of herself at the Linc wearing an Eagles baseball jersey with DeJean’s name on the back.
“It was so magical just to see all the players, to meet everyone,” Bella said on her podcast, The Nikki and Brie Show, in an episode titled “Big Ring Energy” after her visit. “For them, they talked with us like we were family. Everyone wanted to know the story of why we were here.”
Brie interjected, “Well, hopefully one day they are family” with a laugh, before Nikki quickly changed the subject.
Nikki and Brie — with the latter coming out of retirement for Sunday’s Royal Rumble after a four-year absence — have not wrestled as a tag team since October 2018.
The Eagles won’t play a regular-season football game for at least another 225 days, but a handful of Eagles players are slated to compete in a version of football on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
The Pro Bowl Games are back, taking place in the Super Bowl host area, San Francisco, in the lead-up to the title game on Sunday. Four Eagles players are expected to participate in the festivities, which will have a different format than the Pro Bowls hosted in Orlando over the last couple of years.
Here is a breakdown of the event and the contingent of Eagles players participating:
Linebacker Zack Baun (53) and cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) will both be on the scene in San Francisco.
The participants
Originally, five Eagles players were named to the Pro Bowl, including two first-timers in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. Zack Baun, Jalen Carter, and Cam Jurgens, who are each two-time Pro Bowlers, rounded out the rest of the group. Carter was the lone starter at his position.
Players were selected by a consensus vote by fans, players, and coaches. Each group’s vote carried equal weight in determining the players selected to the Pro Bowl.
The Eagles’ five original-ballot Pro Bowlers were tied for second in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Chargers. The Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks had a league-high six players.
However, Mitchell opted out of the event. Nahshon Wright, the 27-year-old Chicago Bears cornerback, was named Mitchell’s replacement on Jan. 26. Additionally, Carter was not listed on the final roster on Saturday, indicating he had opted out, too.
Jalen Hurts was added to the roster on Jan. 30 as a replacement for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, bringing the Eagles’ delegation back up to four members. Hurts was listed as a fifth alternate when the original rosters were announced in December. The 27-year-old quarterback previously earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 and 2023.
Michael Vick (left) and DeSean Jackson were teammates for five seasons with the Eagles, are now competitors in the MEAC, and will serve as opposing offensive coordinators in the Pro Bowl.
The format
The Pro Bowl site is downsizing this year from Camping World Stadium in Orlando to the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event itself is downsizing, too.
In recent years, the Pro Bowl included a flag football game as well as various skills competitions. This time around, the event will consist solely of a flag football game between the NFC and AFC teams. The league, via a press release, framed the event as an opportunity to “preview the elite athleticism and competition of the sport” ahead of its debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Both teams have their own coaching staffs led by San Francisco 49ers greats. Jerry Rice, the Hall of Fame wide receiver, and Steve Young, the Hall of Fame quarterback, will serve as head coaches for the NFC and AFC teams, respectively.
Eagles fans ought to recognize a couple of the Pro Bowl assistant coaches. Former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and quarterback Michael Vick are the offensive coordinators for the NFC and AFC teams, respectively. Jackson, who serves as head coach at Delaware State, and Vick, the head coach of Norfolk State, last coached against each other in October at the Linc.
Torrey Smith, a receiver on the 2017 Eagles team that defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, is the AFC’s “flag adviser,” according to the NFL. Jason Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles, will be on the call for the flag football game for a second straight year on ESPN.
Jalen Hurts at the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown in Orlando on Feb. 1, 2024. Hurts was added to a long list of Eagles Pro Bowlers this season.
The history
This is the first time that Eagles players will have the opportunity to compete in the Pro Bowl since 2024. In 2025, Pro Bowlers Baun, Carter, Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Lane Johnson, and Saquon Barkley were busy preparing for the Super Bowl.
According to Stathead, the Eagles have had a total of 313 Pro Bowl selections since 1938, back when it was known as the NFL All-Star Game. Since 2022, the Eagles have had at least four original-ballot Pro Bowlers per season, including 2023 when they tied a franchise-best eight selections (last accomplished in 1960).
This year’s Pro Bowl will be the first without Johnson listed on the roster since 2021. In his 13 seasons with the Eagles, he has earned six Pro Bowl nods, tied for fifth in franchise history.
San Francisco will host the Pro Bowl for the first time in the event’s history. However, this is not the first time that the Pro Bowl will be part of the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl. In 2010, the Pro Bowl moved to the site of the Super Bowl, Sun Life Stadium in Miami, the Sunday before the big game. The 2015 Pro Bowl also took place at the same venue as the Super Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., earlier that week.
The Pro Bowl was famously held in Hawaii for 35 years, but it departed indefinitely in 2017. The league has made various attempts to tweak the event, as it has been criticized for its lack of quality play and entertainment value. According to Sports Media Watch, last year’s Pro Bowl averaged 4.7 million viewers, which made it the least-watched iteration over the last three years since the introduction of the flag football format.
The defense was a strength for the Eagles for most of the 2025 season, though not so much in their playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Eagles got to 11-6 and won the NFC East in part because of their ability to win low-scoring games. Their defense bailed out the offense in a few marquee victories, like their 10-7 win over Green Bay, their 16-9 victory over Detroit, and when they squeaked by Buffalo, 13-12.
Vic Fangio’s unit lost a few key players from 2024 and dealt with an injured Jalen Carter, but still managed to finish fifth in points allowed per game despite a pretty tough schedule.
What does that mean for 2026, with a handful of key players set to be back? Here’s one compelling advanced stat for each starter, the second in a two-part series that previously analyzed the offense:
Quinyon Mitchell developed into one of the premier corners in the league in his second season.
Quinyon Mitchell
Let’s start with Mitchell, a first-team All-Pro selection in his second NFL season.
Mitchell emerged as one of the best cover corners in the NFL in 2025, as evidenced by his 42.4% catch percentage allowed, according to Next Gen Stats, a mark that led all corners who played a full season. Mitchell is so good it’s worth including another number: He led all NFL corners with an average target separation of 1.8 yards.
If you were ranking the list of spots on the depth chart you were least worried about, CB1 would probably be at the top.
Cooper DeJean dominated the slot during an All-Pro season.
Cooper DeJean
From one All-Pro to another. DeJean was named first-team All-Pro at nickel, and it’s worth noting that because that distinction is a key one. The Eagles like DeJean in the slot, and DeJean said it’s a spot he’d probably like to remain in.
Why? There’s enough data out there now to suggest that it’s his best spot.
After logging just nine snaps at outside corner during his rookie season (1.5% of his total snaps), DeJean, whom the Eagles kept on the field in their base package, aligned outside on 30.1% of his snaps in 2025.
He fared much better in the slot, where he allowed a .574 completion percentage and 5.9 yards per target, according to Next Gen. Both of those numbers ranked well below the league-average marks of .695 and 6.8, respectively. DeJean allowed a similar .588 completion percentage when he lined up outside, but his 10.9 yards per target ranked seventh among defenders to have faced at least 15 such targets. He was susceptible to the deep ball when facing top receivers outside.
We’ll count Jackson as a starter since the Eagles played more nickel than base and needed another outside corner not named DeJean on the field quite often.
It wasn’t always Jackson’s job. The second cornerback spot was a position with a lot of intrigue in training camp and even early in the season. It was Jackson’s job, then it wasn’t, then it was again.
Jackson was targeted at a higher clip (26.5% of his coverage snaps) through the first eight weeks of the season than any other cornerback in the NFL. After that, though, Jackson was targeted on just 16.5% of his coverage snaps while allowing a completion percentage of .585, slightly below the league average. He did not give up a touchdown during his last five games of the regular season or the playoff game.
Jackson, 30, is a free agent, and the Eagles may need a new cornerback opposite Mitchell next season. But Jackson’s play showed that even an aging and average player can be put in that spot, and the defense won’t fall apart, regardless of the preseason narrative about a certain spot on the depth chart.
Zack Baun generally lived up to his rich new contract in 2025.
Zack Baun
Baun proved he wasn’t a one-year wonder in his second season with the Eagles, who plucked him out of free agency last offseason and turned a player who had mostly been an edge rusher and special teamer into one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL.
Baun didn’t earn All-Pro honors like he did in 2024, but he was still really good in 2025. While his tackle total dropped from 151 to 123, his pass deflection number rose from four to seven, and he intercepted two passes in 2025, up from one in 2024. Pro Football Focus ranked Baun as the fifth-best linebacker in the NFL, and the second-best coverage linebacker.
His ability to cover ground may be his best trait. Baun was seventh in the NFL with 17 hustle stops, which Next Gen Stats defines as a tackle during a successful defensive play when a player covers 20-plus yards of distance from snap to tackle.
A quality 2025 season will serve Nakobe Dean well in his next contract.
Nakobe Dean
Has Dean played his last game with the Eagles? And, to that end, can Jihaad Campbell replace Dean’s production?
Because Dean was pretty productive in 2025 after he worked his way back onto the field after surgery to repair a patellar tendon injury, which he suffered in the wild-card round a year ago.
This is what the Eagles could be asking Campbell to replace should Dean not return: Dean’s catch percentage allowed of just 58.3% on targets ranked third among all NFL linebackers who played at least 200 snaps in coverage, according to Next Gen. And Dean was even better as a blitzer: He led all linebackers with a 40.7% pressure rate on his 27 pass rushes and got home for four sacks.
Injuries prevented Jalen Carter from demonstrating his full effectiveness for the NFC East champs.
Jalen Carter
The Eagles will be hoping Carter’s step back is easily explained by the shoulder injuries that limited his production and caused him to miss three games after undergoing procedures on both shoulders in late November.
Carter, according to Next Gen, had a career-low 7.7% pressure rate on the year despite facing fewer double teams (41.7%) than he ever has. Carter generated five pressures against 158 double teams after tallying 12 in 2023 and 15 in 2024. His average time to sack also dropped to 5.32 seconds from 4.85 year over year.
Notably, after Carter returned following his three-game break, he had five pressures and a sack vs. Buffalo and the same output in the playoff loss vs. San Francisco.
Will the shoulder injuries be revisited in the offseason? Will Carter’s slide allow the Eagles to secure him on a long-term deal at a lower price? Lots of intrigue there.
The emergence of Jordan Davis was one of the Eagles’ best stories of the year.
Jordan Davis
Davis was a revelation for the Eagles in 2025, and a big reason that the defense was so successful even as Carter’s play declined a bit.
Davis showed up to camp in much better shape and improved his play in every area. Mainly relied on as a run stopper in the past, Davis showed his pass rushing chops in 2025. Entering the year, Davis had just 3½ sacks on 559 pass rushes through his first three NFL seasons. This season, Davis racked up 4½ sacks on 355 pass rushes.
The run-stopping ability didn’t go away even though he showed up in July a little more svelte. Davis, according to Next Gen, had a career-high 50 run stops (run defenses that result in a negative play for the offense), which was second among all defensive linemen this season.
Davis is in line for an extension, and his play in 2025 earned him a big new deal that will probably come from the Eagles.
Jaelan Phillips played well but was not a sack machine for the Eagles.
Jaelan Phillips
Phillips helped steady the Eagles’ pass rush after he joined the team at the trade deadline, but while he and Jalyx Hunt formed an elite pass-rushing duo — their 61 combined pressures from Week 10 through Week 17 ranked fourth during that span — he had trouble converting his pressures into sacks.
Phillips led the Eagles with 34 pressures after joining the team, but he turned just two of those into a sack. His 5.9% pressure-to-sack conversion rate, according to Next Gen, ranked 10th-lowest among 97 defenders to have generated at least 15 pressures after the trade deadline. Some of that is bad luck. Fangio talks often about the importance of pressures and not getting too hyper-focused on sack numbers.
But the Eagles need a top-end talent at the top of the depth chart to pair with Hunt since Phillips is a free agent. Phillips wants to be back. Is the feeling mutual? We’ll see when free agency arrives.
Jalyx Hunt made an impact as a member of the linebacker rotation in 2025.
Jalyx Hunt
Hunt became the first player in Eagles history to lead the team in sacks (6½) and interceptions (3).
That’s an impressive stat, but this is a compilation of advanced numbers, so let’s point to this one instead: Hunt ranked seventh among all edge rushers who had at least 100 pass rushing snaps with a quarterback pressure rate of 17.3%.
The 2024 third-round pick broke out in a big way in his second NFL season, and the Eagles used his safety background to drop him into coverage with success.
Reed Blankenship was a team leader but the record shows that he struggled at times in coverage.
Reed Blankenship
Blankenship has been a leader on the defense for the last few seasons, but he’s now a free agent and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be back next season.
Blankenship has been solid against the run, but he’s not great in pass coverage when he’s targeted. After a 2024 season in which he ranked fifth-worst among safeties with at least 500 coverage snaps with an 81.3% completion percentage allowed, Blankenship had the eighth-worst passer rating allowed (116.8) in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.
It’s unclear what Blankenship’s market will look like in free agency, but it’s a position the Eagles could probably stand to upgrade.
Drew Mukuba’s return from a broken fibula figures to be a training camp storyline.
Drew Mukuba
Mukuba’s first season in the NFL was incomplete. The second-round pick was lost for the season after suffering a fractured fibula in the waning moments of a Week 12 loss to Dallas.
Mukuba wasn’t targeted often in coverage. Before his injury, he was targeted on just 4.2% of his snaps, according to Next Gen. That ranked fifth-lowest among all defenders in the NFL with a minimum of 150 coverage snaps. But when he was targeted, it was on deep balls. He had the fifth-highest total in yards per target allowed (13.5).
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott celebrates an extra point during the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Eagles' season ended sooner than expected with a loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round. Now the Birds will try to assemble a roster that can help them get back to their Super Bowl standard. Beat writer Jeff McLane makes his picks on what personnel decisions he sees the team making this offseason.
Make your pick for each player by swiping the cards below — right for Stay or left for Go. Yes, just like Tinder. Finding it hard to decide? We'll also show you how other Inquirer readers have voted so far and what we think the team will do.
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Quarterbacks
The biggest question here (for a second straight year) is whether Tanner McKee will stick around as the backup.
#1
Jalen
Hurts
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
223lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
We've seen what he can accomplish with a good coordinator. But he needs help in the drop-back game if he's going to elevate.
#14
Sam
Howell
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
220lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
Tanner McKee's broken hand in camp forced the Eagles to trade for him before the season. He's a free agent and should get a backup opportunity elsewhere.
#19
Kyle
McCord
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
218lb.
Age
23
Inky Says Go
He had a rough first camp, but a full season to watch and learn may help. His return may depend on the new coordinator and scheme.
#16
Tanner
McKee
Crowd says
Height
6'6"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Stay
It's not fair to base an evaluation solely on the finale. But it's unlikely the Eagles will receive attractive enough offers to trade.
A.J. Brown’s long-term future with the Eagles might be the biggest question of the 2026 offseason.
#80
Darius
Cooper
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
210lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The undrafted rookie was used mostly as a run blocker, but he has some receiving upside. He'll be back.
#11
A.J.
Brown
Crowd says
Height
6'1"
Weight
226lb.
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
His future is the question of the offseason. By his standards, he didn't have a good season and may have lost a half-step. He still projects as one of the best. There's also a significant cap charge.
#18
Britain
Covey
Crowd says
Height
5'8"
Weight
173lb.
Age
28
Inky Says Stay
It took too long, but when he was promoted to the active roster the return game was given a boost.
#2
Jahan
Dotson
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
184lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It must have been tough running all those for-the-love-of-the-game routes. He was just too slight to make an impact as the third receiver.
#6
DeVonta
Smith
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
170lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Stay
He was maybe the one guy on offense who met expectations. If A.J. Brown leaves, he should be the bona fide No. 1.
#85
Terrace
Marshall
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
200lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
The Eagles need more young receivers with upside. He doesn't satisfy that need.
#86
Quez
Watkins
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
193lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
After a few post-Eagles years in the NFL wilderness, he returned to the practice squad.
#89
Johnny
Wilson
Crowd says
Height
6'6"
Weight
228lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The Eagles lost their best blocking receiver in training camp. He should return in that role.
Some big names could be moving on here, as Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips appear set to test the market.
#53
Zack
Baun
Pro Bowl
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
225lb.
Age
29
Inky Says Stay
He proved that 2024 wasn't a fluke and his contract guarantees he's here through 2027.
#30
Jihaad
Campbell
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
235lb.
Age
21
Inky Says Stay
He handled his demotion with grace, but the former first-rounder needs to be in the lineup next season. Can he be a hybrid?
#59
Chance
Campbell
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
232lb.
Age
26
Inky Says Stay
He provided good looks on the scout team and should probably get a look-see in training camp. Making the 53-man roster is another thing.
#17
Nakobe
Dean
Crowd says
Height
5'11"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
A few years ago, it would have been a no-brainer to retain him. But the Eagles have Campbell in the wings and their most depth at off-ball linebacker in years.
#58
Jalyx
Hunt
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
252lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
Eagles' scouting deserves accolades for plucking this former safety out of anonymity. He did it all in his second season. The future is bright.
#48
Patrick
Johnson
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
248lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
Practice squad Patrick has been a loyal soldier for five on-and-off years. He wasn't getting call-ups late in the season.
#42
Smael
Mondon Jr.
Rookie
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
224lb.
Age
22
Inky Says Stay
He'll be a depth piece who can play special teams for years, if need be.
#13
Azeez
Ojulari
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
240lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It's hard to see him wanting to be back when it was clear the Eagles slow-played his return from a hamstring injury.
#50
Jaelan
Phillips
Crowd says
Height
6'5"
Weight
266lb.
Age
26
Inky Says Go
He started strong and then leveled out. Vic Fangio likes him, but is he worth the squeeze when others will pay?
#3
Nolan
Smith Jr.
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
238lb.
Age
24
Inky Says Stay
The triceps injury lingered into the season. He plays with great effort, but size and durability remain concerns.
#54
Jeremiah
Trotter Jr.
Crowd says
Height
6'0"
Weight
225lb.
Age
23
Inky Says Stay
He could probably start at middle linebacker for a number of teams, but will likely have to watch for another season.
#0
Joshua
Uche
Crowd says
Height
6'3"
Weight
226lb.
Age
27
Inky Says Go
The trade for Jaelan Phillips and Brandon Graham's unretirement marginalized him. He'll likely want to explore other options.
#43
Ben
VanSumeren
Crowd says
Height
6'2"
Weight
231lb.
Age
25
Inky Says Go
It will be tough to return from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries, but I wouldn't count him out.
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 the days leading up to the Eagles’ Dec. 28 road game at the Buffalo Bills, defensive assistant Jeremiah Washburn, who coaches the Eagles edge rushers, handed out a new accessory to the entire defensive line.
The green bracelet has “Isaiah 6:8″ and the phrase “send me” written in white. In the Bible verse, the prophet Isaiah hears the voice of God ask: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah responds: “Here I am. Send me.”
That, defensive tackle Moro Ojomo said, was the mindset of the entire defensive line. And the entire Eagles’ defense.
“Send us,” Ojomo said as he fiddled with the bracelet on his left wrist. “We want to be the ones to get the job done.”
For most of the 2025 season, especially after the Eagles’ Week 9 bye, the defense answered the call. Vic Fangio’s unit propped up an inconsistent offense. It stifled good offenses and carried the team to victories that maybe it didn’t deserve. The Eagles beat Green Bay 10-7. They beat Detroit 16-9. They won that Bills game, 13-12. They entered the postseason, in what was a wide-open NFL playoffs, with a puncher’s chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions in large part because they had the talent on defense and Fangio, the mastermind, calling the shots.
The season ended in abrupt fashion Sunday for myriad reasons, but the San Francisco 49ers advanced to the NFC’s divisional round in part because the Eagles didn’t have enough answers defensively down the stretch. The 49ers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. They had a 10-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that lasted more than five minutes and ended with less than three minutes on the clock.
The strength of the Eagles defense was its ability to limit explosive plays and clamp down in the red zone.
The 49ers threw the first haymaker. Lincoln Financial Field roared after Will Shipley crunched Brian Robinson on the opening kickoff and then the Eagles stuffed Christian McCaffrey’s first rushing attempt on San Francisco’s first play for a loss of one yard. But then Quinyon Mitchell allowed a 61-yard catch-and-run from Brock Purdy to Demarcus Robinson that set the 49ers up in the red zone at the Eagles’ 16-yard line. Four plays later, Purdy hit Robinson, who beat Mitchell for a 2-yard touchdown and the game’s first points.
“I got to start the game off faster,” Mitchell said. “Maybe that could’ve changed the game in a way.”
Mitchell would eventually atone. The Eagles forced punts on the next two San Francisco drives before allowing a field goal and then later stopping the 49ers as the second quarter ended. Mitchell then picked Purdy off on the 49ers’ first drive of the second half. He had another interception in the fourth quarter, too, but after the 49ers added another score.
San Francisco, which was already banged up and lost star tight end George Kittle to an Achilles injury in the second quarter, dipped into the bag of tricks to open the fourth quarter. Out of the timeout, Kyle Shanahan dialed up a trick play, a reverse that found the ball in the hands of Jauan Jennings, who threw on the move to a streaking and wide-open McCaffrey for a 29-yard score.
“We knew they liked to do some sort of trickery down in the red zone,” safety Reed Blankenship said. “We were just in a different call that allowed him to sneak through.”
The Eagles took the lead back on a Jake Elliott field goal with eight minutes to play. The defense needed to deliver one final stop. Instead, the 49ers moved the ball with ease. The Eagles, who sacked Purdy once on the day, applied pressure at times, but not enough. Purdy felt the pressure and was excellent in escaping it. The 49ers didn’t face a third down on that 10-play, game-winning drive until the play they scored on, a 4-yard pass from Purdy to McCaffrey on third-and-goal. The 49ers converted six of their 11 third-down attempts.
“They just made more plays than we did,” Blankenship said.
Shanahan, Ojomo said, “is a hell of an offensive play-caller.”
“At the end of the day, he kind of had a better plan and we should have executed at a higher level,” Ojomo said. “You got to play complementary football. After our scores, we needed to stop them. When we get turnovers, we need scores. We didn’t do that at a high enough level to win. That’s kind of the result when you’re in the playoffs. You’re playing good teams every week. You can’t have any hiccups.”
Jordan Davis (90) and Moro Ojomo (97) were encouraging pieces of a fine Eagles defense in 2025.
Especially not with an offense that rarely allowed for wiggle room. It was a lot to ask if the Eagles were going to try to repeat. The offense did not permit much in the way of a margin for error. It is a taxing way to play football, and it’s taxing on a defense that got better as the year went on. Ojomo, though, wanted to look only internally.
“You could always get one more stop, one more turnover,” he said. “At the end of the day, we fell short as a defense. They don’t score, they don’t win. We didn’t get the job done.”
The defense will look different next season. Blankenship is one of a few key free agents. The loss, he said, was tough.
“This is one of the toughest things about football and about life,” he said. “You go through the challenges throughout the year, training camp, whatever. You create this relationship and these bonds and it ends so fast. You’re not really prepared for it and it’s tough.”
How will the 2025 defense be remembered? It was the year of Jordan Davis’ breakout. Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, both second-year players, were named first-team All-Pros. Brandon Graham came out of retirement. Ojomo stepped in for a key free agent, Milton Williams, and shined.
“I think everybody will just remember this game,” Blankenship said. “That’s the last game we played in and it wasn’t us.”
You’re only as good as your last, they say.
“You lose in the first round of the playoffs, I don’t think you’re remembered much,” Ojomo said. “That’s effed up. This defense played our tail off all year, young and hungry and filled with a bunch of guys who are selfless.”
Washburn, Ojomo said, handed those bracelets out to provide some perspective. The message, he said, was received. The defense wanted to be the unit that carried the Eagles.
“It’s sad,” Ojomo said. “I loved being on this defense.”
Hard Knocks ushered in the new year on Tuesday, with the HBO documentary series showcasing the Eagles’ preparations for both their Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders and the playoffs.
The sixth episode focused on Nick Sirianni’s field goal superstitions, Jordan Davis’ impact on the team, DeVonta Smith securing another 1,000-yard season, and more.
Here’s what you may have missed from this week’s episode of Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East …
Just like us
Many fans have their game-day traditions, especially when it comes to field goals. If you have ever been mocked for blowing on the screen in an attempt to disrupt an opposing player’s kick, don’t be ashamed — even Sirianni has his rituals.
The Eagles coach revealed that he asked special teams coordinator Michael Clay the same question before Davis’ game-winning field goal block against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 and Jalen Carter’s consequential extra point block against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.
“The last time I was superstitious was during the [expletive] Rams game,” Sirianni said. “I go, ‘Clay, can we block this?’ And that was actually the first time we blocked a kick … because we needed a big play right there. I did it again in the Buffalo game. And that’s why superstitions are stupid, because that had nothing to do with why we blocked the kick.”
Whether or not the question “Can we block this?” joins the pantheon of Eagles’ fans’ game-day superstitions is yet to be seen, but don’t be surprised if you hear them asking one another the same question this weekend.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (left) and safety Reed Blankenship warm up before Sunday’s game against the Commanders, but neither saw the field.
Some rest for the weary
The talk of the town following Sunday’s loss was Sirianni’s decision to rest most of the Eagles’ starters against the Commanders — despite still having a chance to capture the NFC’s second seed by securing a win (thanks to the Chicago Bears’ loss).
While fans were able to see Sirianni’s explanation to the media before the game, Hard Knocks provided a glimpse into how the Eagles coach broke the news to his players. Sirianni said that some players would be fully off — like Jalaen Phillips, who hadn’t yet had a bye week after his in-season trade from the Miami Dolphins — while some might dress and play a little, or dress and be ready just in case. Others, however, would get a chance to shine in their place.
“Some guys are going to have a great opportunity to play more than you have,” Sirianni said. “And make no mistake about it, we are going out there to win this [expletive] game. We are going out there to win this [expletive] game.”
Several resting starters decided to flip to the other side of the ball while not getting their normal first-team reps in practice, including Jordan Mailata and Cooper DeJean, who were shown joining the Eagles’ scout team as a pass rusher and wide receiver, respectively.
“Look at all our guys that are on scout team,” Sirianni said to a smiling Connor Barwin. “It’s helping on defense. Look, the whole defense is in on it. [It’s] a sign of a good team.”
However, without their starters, the Birds lost to the Commanders, 24-17, forfeiting their shot at the No. 2 seed, which would have guaranteed a second home playoff game if they survive their first-round matchup against the Brock Purdy-led San Francisco 49ers.
The episode ends with Davis and right guard Tyler Steen walking off the field together while discussing the team’s next steps.
“We’ve got to make this run now,” Davis said following the game. “Its crunch time now, boy.”
“We would’ve had the two seed,” Steen said.
“As long as we get in and win every single one, that’s all that matters, bro,” Davis said. “Don’t matter if it be home or away.”
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis got in much better shape this offseason.
Davis in the spotlight
Davis has had a stellar year at defensive tackle for the Eagles, ranking fourth in the league in combined tackles by a defensive lineman.
In the latest episode, the 6-foot-6 former Georgia star was open about his difficult first few years in the NFL, specifically his struggles with his weight and attitude.
“I want to genuinely be the best person I can be,” Davis said. “And that’s why I’m going so hard in terms of how my body is changing, and my weightlifting and my conditioning and stuff like that, because I want to do this for me. I want to look sexy. I want to be skinny, selfishly, but, at the same time, the more that I do that, and the more that I see progress and I see results, I’m even more motivated.”
Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt — who in a previous episode referred to Davis as a “big [expletive] Care Bear” — believes the 25-year-old lineman started this path to improvement during the team’s Super Bowl run last year, focusing on his sleep patterns, extra conditioning, including a healthy Peloton habit, and cutting out sweets. Davis went as far as saying that the biggest difference between the player he was two years ago in comparison to now is that he “learned how to say no.”
“You can’t be entitled,” Davis said. “Entitlement is like going through life thinking that you can do no wrong. Not that I was ever entitled, but there are definitely traits that I reflected a little bit and looked upon myself like, ‘Damn, that kind of sounds entitled.’ It’s just little small stuff like that that I want to change.”
Davis also plays an important role off the field for the Eagles, as he believes it’s his role to “keep things light.”
“JD is bigger than life, man,” edge rusher Nolan Smith said. “I call him the giant dancing bear. JD is just amazing. He’s fun, he’s energetic, he always makes you laugh, man. He’s one of those guys that just has a big presence.”
Pun intended or not, Davis’ cultural impact on the team can’t be overstated, from his joyful rendition of Rod Wave’s “Street Runner” during practice to inviting his fellow defensive linemen to South Philly restaurant Aliceto celebrate the new year.
Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (right) made sure to show off photos of his cats during the defensive line’s New Year’s dinner.
During dinner, the players were in high spirits, discussing everything from whether cats have souls to the questionable origins of Phillips’ favorite quote, before Davis officially rang in the new year for his teammates.
”To whom much is given, much is required,” Phillips said.
“Shout out, Uncle Ben,” Jaylx Hunt replied, in reference to the character from Marvel’s Spider-Man.
“Is that the Uncle Ben quote?” Phillips responded. “I thought Jesus said that, [expletive]. I’ve been telling my girl — I swear to God, I thought the bible said that [expletive].”
For those wondering, that is an actual bible quote — Luke 12:48 — and the Uncle Ben quote in question is just a little different, but it sends a similar message: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
“Man, Stan Lee was dropping bombs,” Phillips joked.
On Sunday, there was one major offensive starter still on the field for the Eagles: DeVonta Smith.
Smith, who reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of his previous two seasons with the Birds, entered the regular-season finale 44 yards away from reaching the mark for a third straight year.
The star receiver only needed the first quarter to get his yards, and finished the game with 52 total. Sirianni pulled the former Heisman Trophy winner early to help keep him ready for the playoffs — but not before jokingly criticizing Smith’s on field decision-making.
“You didn’t run out of bounds,” Sirianni said to Smith after being pulled from the game. “You took a hit and didn’t run out of bounds.”
“When?” Smith responded.
“On that first play,” Sirianni said. “You lying son of a …”
The latest episode of Hard Knocks featured Christmas presents for the NFC East, with none bigger than the Eagles’ 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills.
The HBO documentary series, which releases new episodes every Tuesday, took a long look at Cooper DeJean, his relationship with Reed Blankenship, and the Birds’ preparation for their nail-biter win on Sunday.
Here’s everything you may have missed from the latest episode of Hard Knocks:
Jaxson Dart did not mince words about which team he considers the Giants’ biggest rival.
A Giant pain
Fans in Philadelphia might not be aware of it, but the Giants consider the Eagles their biggest rivals.
During a fan holiday meet-and-greet labeled “Dart the Halls,” rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was asked by a young fan which team he considers the Giants’ “most rivalrous team.”
“The Eagles, for sure,” Dart responded to a chorus of oohs and ahhs.
The Birds went 1-1 this season against their competition up north and lost at MetLife Stadium for Dart’s first win against an NFC East opponent on Oct. 9. Dart is a candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Eagles fans can expect to see the former Mississippi star for years to come.
Cooper DeJean’s Pro Bowl citation got some airtime in the latest episode of “Hard Knocks.”
Who cares about the Pro Bowl?
Hard Knocks began in a festive mood, showcasing the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Commanders exchanging gifts and celebrating Pro Bowl nominations — which the teams had extra time to focus on after being eliminated from postseason contention.
The playoff-bound Eagles, however, weren’t shown celebrating their five Pro Bowlers: DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Cam Jurgens, Zack Baun, and Jalen Carter. What was shown was the practice field, with some players congratulating one another in comical fashion.
“Pro Bowler, Cooper DeJawn,” Blankenship said at practice. “Anything you want to say to the people?”
“DeJean … It’s DeJean,” DeJean responded.
Safety Reed Blankenship (left) warming up before the Eagles played the Bears at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 28.
The Secon-dairy
DeJean and his partner-in-crime, Blankenship, took center stage in the episode, with their blossoming bromance on and off the field. From ripping the ball away from each other through WWE-style takedowns to practicing dance routines, the Eagles’ defensive stars appeared inseparable.
“He’s an awesome teammate,” DeJean said. “He’s an awesome person to be around. Really welcomed me in and helped me learn the defense when I got here. It’s fun to watch him play and do his thing. I think our connection and our friendship has helped us play well together on the field.”
Said Blankenship: “I’m so proud of him. We sit beside each other in meetings, and I feel like I’m the older brother. There’s not a lot of people like him. He is the best nickel in the league, and just having that communication allows us to play better.”
The tandem started a podcast called Exciting Mics in June, a reference to the duo’s “Exciting Whites” nickname.
Other nicknames have followed the pair, including “Secon-dairy,” which came after DeJean and Blankenship leaned into a new celebration.
“We do have a milk-the-cow celly,” DeJean admitted.
“We usually do our normal thumbs-down,” Blankenship said. “And I was like, ‘Dude, it’s like udders from a cow …’”
Some observers have confused them for each other on the field — with Fox announcer Kevin Burkhardt and Bills safety Sam Franklin Jr. referring to Blankenship as Coop or DeJean during the game.
“What up, Coop,” Franklin said.
“I’m the other one, bruh,” Blankenship answered.
The Eagles spent time last week addressing Josh Allen’s propensity for running up the middle.
Getting ready
Eagles coaches took great care in preparing the defense for the Bills offense, with Hard Knocks providing a glimpse into each defensive unit ahead of last Sunday.
Bobby King, the Eagles’ inside linebackers coach, showed sumo wrestling clips to inspire his players to play physically, while Jeremiah Washburn, the inside linebackers and defensive line coach, focused on Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s ability to escape up the middle — something the defense effectively prevented on Sunday.
“Lot of middle escapes,” Washburn said. “And he’s tough. But this is where most of his explosive runs come, is up the middle. It takes a group, fellas. It’s going to take a group because he doesn’t hit the ground easy, and so it’s just going to take a collective effort right there, fellas.
“You can see again,” Washburn added, referring to a clip of Allen throwing on the run. “He’s got an arm, that’s what he does right there.”
Defensive backs coach Christian Parker stressed the Bills’ versatility, with Allen leading the charge through the air and James Cook, the league’s leading rusher, dominating on the ground.
“The key is going to be tackling in space,” Parker said. “Weather could be significant, but we’ve got to take great angles and we’ve got to rally to the football all night long.”
As coaches worked to prepare the team, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had a different approach to explaining the matchup when addressing the media.
“You got Josh Allen,” Fangio said. “That’s all you need to say. You got Cook, that’s all you need to say. But once he gets in the open field, he’s got the speed to hit the home run. He’s patient, but once he sees it he hits it, and he’s really good, he’s elusive.”
The Eagles held the reigning MVP without a touchdown and Cook to less than 100 rushing yards, and also recovered an Allen fumble and blocked an extra point in the win.
Jalen Hurts warms up in the rain on Sunday.
Offensive frustration
You rarely hear Jalen Hurts speak vehemently, so when he does, it means more.
When Hard Knocks featured a quick interaction between the reigning Super Bowl MVP and quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, it got viewers’ attention.
“It’s going to rain,” Loeffler said. “Like there’s no if and … it’s going to rain. I don’t give a [expletive] if there’s bad weather or not, we need to get this going.”
“We need to do that [expletive] 1,000%,” Hurts responded.
Hurts, like many fans, seems to have grown frustrated with the production of the offense, which has failed to live up to last year’s standard and leads the league in three-and-out percentage.
The Eagles had a lot to celebrate despite the low-scoring nature of Sunday’s contest.
Highlight central
The game had plenty of impressive plays, despite its low scoring, starting with A.J. Brown’s deep reception, followed by a Dallas Goedert score a few plays later.
“The night is still young,” Hurts said from the sideline.
“Yes sir,” Goedert responded.
Despite the offense’s confidence, the Eagles failed to notch a touchdown for the rest of the game and were shut out in the second half as punter Braden Mann and the defense did the heavy lifting.
DeJean and Blankenship continued to catch the eye of Hard Knocks cameras and were mic’d up throughout the game.
“We’re a married couple, baby,” Blankenship said of himself and DeJean. “We are in a relationship.”
The Eagles left victorious as Allen walked off the field with his head down following a failed two-point conversion. The episode ended with Nick Sirianni’s postgame speech, which pointed out the offense’s ineptitude.
“Going on the road in the NFL and winning a game like this, that is [expletive] hard to do,” Sirianni said. “It’s a good football team. Defense, wow, wow. Offense, really good first half, right, we’ve got to figure out that second half. A lot to be thankful for. Let’s pray.”
Way back in 2022, when Philadelphians gathered on an abandoned pier to watch a man eat a rotisserie chicken, folks on social media began to wonder: “Is Philadelphia a real place?”
Sure, that perception has a lot to do with an unbelievable event that actually happened in the suburbs (Delco never fails to carry its weight), but Philly also saw its fair share of the bizarre this year, too.
As we prepare for what may be one of the most important (and hopefully weirdest!) years in modern Philadelphia history, let’s take some time to look back on the peculiar stories from across the region that punctuated 2025.
Five uh-oh
Kevon Darden was sworn in as a part-time police officer for Collingdale Borough on Jan. 12 and hit the ground running, landing his first arrest just four days later.
The only problem? It was his own.
Pennsylvania State Police charged Darden with terroristic threats and related offenses for an alleged road rage incident in 2023 in which he’s accused of pointing a gun at a driver on the Blue Route in Ridley Township. At the time of the alleged incident Darden was employed as an officer at Cheyney University.
A Pennsylvania State Police vehicle. The agency provided two clean background checks for a Collingdale police officer this year, only to arrest him four days after he started the job.
Here’s the thing — it was state police who provided not one but two clean background checks on Darden to Collingdale officials before he was hired. An agency spokesperson told The Inquirer troopers had to wait on forensic evidence tests and approval from the District Attorney’s Office before filing charges.
Darden subsequently resigned and is scheduled for trial next year in Delaware County Court.
For the Birds
The Eagles’ second Super Bowl win provided a wellspring of wacky — and sometimes dicey — moments on and off the field early this year.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker started the championship run off strong by going viral for misspelling the most popular chant in the city as “E-L-G-S-E-S” during a news conference. Her mistake made the rounds on late night talk shows and was plastered onto T-shirts, beer coozies, and even a license plate. If you think the National Spelling Bee is brutal, you’ve never met Eagles fans.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter of the NFC divisional playoff at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 19. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Los Angeles Rams 28 to 22.
Then there was the snowy NFC divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field; continued drama around the Tush Push (which resulted in Dude Wipes becoming an official sponsor of the team); and Cooper DeJean’s pick-six, a gift to himself and us on his 22nd birthday that helped the Birds trounce the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX.
As soon as the Eagles won with Jalen Hurts as MVP, Philadelphians let loose, flooding the streets like a drunken green tsunami. Fans scaled poles and tore them down; danced on bus shelters, medic units, and trash trucks; partied with Big Foot, Ben Franklin, and Philly Elmo; and set a bonfire in the middle of Market Street.
Eagles fans party on trash trucks in the streets of Center City after the Birds win in Super Bowl LIX against the Chiefs on Feb. 9.
Finally, there was the parade, a Valentine’s Day love letter to the Eagles from Philadelphia. Among the more memorable moments was when Birds general manager Howie Roseman was hit in the head with a can of beer thrown from the crowd. He took his battle scar in pride, proclaiming from the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum: “I bleed for this city.”
As we say around here, love Hurts.
Throngs of Birds fans lined the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Eagles Super Bowl Parade on Feb. 14.
A $40 million goodbye
As far as inanimate objects go, few have experienced more drama in recent Philly history than the SS United States, the 73-year-old, 990-foot luxury liner that was docked for nearly three decades on the Delaware River waterfront.
Supporters spent more than $40 million on rent, insurance, and other measures to keep the ship in Philly with the hopes of returning it to service or at least turning it into a venue. But a rent dispute with the owners of the pier finally led a judge to order the SS United States Conservancy, which owned the vessel, to seek an alternate solution.
Workers on the Walt Whitman Bridge watch from above as the SS United States is pulled by tug boats on the Delaware River.
And so in February, with the help of five tugboats, the ship was hauled out of Philly to prepare it to become the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Okaloosa County, Fla.
If the United States has to end somewhere, Florida feels like an apt place.
The ‘Delco Pooper’
While the Eagles’ Tush Push was deemed legal by NFL owners this year, a Delaware County motorist found that another kind of tush push most definitely is not after she was arrested for rage pooping on the hood of a car during a roadway dispute in April.
Captured on video by a teen who witnessed the rear-ending, the incident quickly went viral and put a stain on Delco that won’t be wiped away anytime soon.
Christina Solometo, who was dubbed the “Delco Pooper” on social media, told Prospect Park Police she got into a dispute with another driver, whom she believed began following her. Solometo claimed when she got out of her car the other driver insulted her and so she decided to dump her frustrations on their hood.
A private security guard holds the door open for alleged “Delco Pooper” Christina Solometo following her preliminary hearing Monday at Prospect Park District Court.
“Solometo said, ‘I wanted to punch her in the face, but I pooped on her car instead and went home,’” according to the affidavit.
I’ve written a lot of stories about Delco in my time, but this may be the most absurd.
Hopefully, she won’t be clogging up the court system anymore.
The Delco pope
Delco is large, it contains multitudes, and never was that more clear than when two weeks after the Delco Pooper case broke, a Delco pope was elected.
OK, so Pope Leo XIV is technically a native of Chicago, but he attended undergrad at Villanova University — which, yes, technically straddles Delco and Montgomery County — but Delco’s had a tough year so I’m gonna give it this one.
This video screen grab shows Pope Leo XIV wearing a Villanova University hat gifted to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group.
Born Robert Prevost, Pope Leo is the first U.S. pope in history and also a citizen of Peru. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Villanova in 1977 and an honorary doctor of humanities from the university in 2014.
Center City Sips, the Wednesday Center City happy hour program, long ago earned a reputation as a rite of passage for 20-somethings who are still figuring out how to limit their intake and want to do so in business casual attire.
Things seemed to calm down after the pandemic, but then Philadelphians took Sips to another level and a whole new place this year — the streets.
Videos showed hundreds of people partying in the streets of Midtown Village on Wednesday nights this summer. Granted, the parties look far more calm than when sports fans take over Philly after a big win, but the nearby bar owners who participate in the Sips program said their places sat empty as people brought their own alcohol to drink.
Jason Evenchik, who owns Time, Vintage, Garage, and other bars, told The Inquirer that “No one is inside, and it’s mayhem outside.”
“Instead, he claimed, people are selling alcohol out of their cars and bringing coolers to make their own cocktails. At one point on June 11,Evenchik said, a Tesla blocked a crosswalk while a man made piña coladas with a pair of blenders hooked up to the car,” my colleague Beatrice Forman wrote.
In no way am I condoning this behavior, but those two sentences above may be my among favorite this year. Who thinks to bring a blender — with a car hookup — to make piña coladas at an unauthorized Center City street party on a Wednesday night?
Philly.
Getting trashed
Philadelphians experienced a major city workers strike this summer when Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and AFSCME District Council 33 couldn’t agree on a new contract for the union’s nearly 9,000 members.
Residents with trash arrive at garbage dump site at Caldera Road and Red Lion Road in northeast Philadelphia during the AFSCME District Council 33 workers strike in July.
As a result, things got weird. Dead bodies piled up at the Medical Examiner’s Office; a striking union member was arrested for allegedly slashing the tires of a PGW vehicle; and for eight days in the July heat, garbage heaped up all across Philadelphia. The city set up temporary trash drop-off sites, which often overflowed into what were nicknamed “Parker piles,” but that also set off a firestorm about whether using the sites constituted crossing a picket line.
Wawa Welcome America July Fourth concert headliners LL Cool J and Jazmine Sullivan even pulled out of the show in support of striking workers, resulting in a fantastic “Labor Loves Cool J” meme.
It was all like something out of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In fact, the gang predicted a trash strike in the 2012 episode “The Gang Recycles Their Trash.”
The real strike lasted eight days before a contract was reached. In true Philly form, AFSCME District Council 33 president Greg Boulware told The Inquirer “nobody’s happy.”
A large pile of trash collects at a city drop-off site during the AFSCME workers strike this summer.
97-year-old gives birth to 16 kids
A local nonagenarian couple became national shellebrities this year for welcoming seven babies in April and nine more in August, proving that age ain’t nothing but a number, as long as you’re a tortoise.
Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise Mommy, and male Abrazzo, left, are shown on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Pa. The hatchlings’ parents, female Mommy and male Abrazzo, are the Zoo’s two oldest animals, each estimated to be around 100 years old.
Mommy and Abrazzo, Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises who reside at the Philadelphia Zoo, made history with their two clutches, becoming the first pair of the critically endangered species in the zoo’s 150-year history to hatch eggs and the first to do so in any accredited zoo since 2019.
Mommy is also the oldest known first-time Galapagos tortoise mom in the world, so it’s safe to say she doesn’t have any time or patience for shenanigans. She’s got 16 heroes in a half shell to raise.
Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise egg hatchling.
Phillies Karen
Taking candy from a baby is one thing — babies don’t need candy anyway — but taking a baseball from a kid at a Phillies game is a deed so foul and off base it’s almost unimaginable.
And yet, that’s exactly what happened at a Phillies-Marlins game in September, when a home run from Harrison Bader landed in the stands and a dad ran from his seat to grab it and give it to his son. A woman who was sitting near where the ball landed marched over to the dad, berated him, and demanded the ball be given her. Taken aback, the father reached into his son’s baseball glove and turned the ball over.
The entire scene was caught on camera and the woman, with her Kate Gosselin-esque hairdo, was immediately dubbed “Phillies Karen” by flabbergasted fans.
While the act technically happened at the Marlins stadium in Miami, Fla., it captured the minds and memes of Philadelphians so much that it deserves inclusion on this list. Phillies Karen has made her way onto T-shirts and coffee mugs, inspired skits at a Savannah Bananas game and the MLB Awards, and she even became a popular Halloween costume.
To this day, “Phillies Karen” remains unidentified, so it’s a safe bet she lives in Florida, where she’ll have better luck with alligators than with people here.
Institutional intrigue
Drama at area institutions this year had Philadelphians sipping tea like we were moms on Christmas morning, and sometimes, left us shaking our fists in the air like we were dads putting up tangled lights.
David Adelman with the Philadelphia 76ers makes a statement at a press conference in the Mayor’s Reception Room in January regarding the Sixers changing directions on the controversial Center City arena. At left is mayor Parker, at right City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Josh Harris, Sixers owner.
It started early in January, when the billionaire owners of the Sixers surprised the entire city by announcing the team would stay at the South Philly sports complex instead of building their own arena on Market East. The decision came after two years of seemingly using the city, its politicians, and its people as pawns in their game.
Workers gathered outside World Cafe Live before a Town Hall meeting with management in July.
In June, workers staged a walkout at World Cafe Live due to what they claimed was “an unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement” from its new owners, including its then-CEO, Joseph Callahan. Callahan — who said the owners inherited $6 million in debt and that he wanted to use virtual reality to bolster its revenue — responded by firing some of the workers and threatening legal action. Today, the future of World Cafe Live remains unclear. Callahan stepped down as CEO in September (but remains chairman of the board), the venue’s liquor license expired, and its landlord, the University of Pennsylvania, wants to evict its tenant, with a trial scheduled for January.
Signage at the east entrance to the Philadelphia Art Museum reflects the rebrand of the institution, which was formerly known as the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Finally, late this year at the Philadelphia Art Museum, things got more surreal than a Salvador Dalí painting, starting with an institutional rebrand that surprised some board members, didn’t land well with the public, and resulted in a lot of PhART jokes. In November, museum CEO Sasha Suda was fired following an investigation by an outside law firm that focused, in part, on increases to her salary, a source told The Inquirer. Suda’s lawyer called it a “a sham investigation” and Suda quickly sued her former employer, claiming that “her efforts to modernize the museum clashed with a small, corrupt, and unethical faction of the board intent on preserving the status quo.”
Nobody knows where all of this will go, but it’s likely to have more drama than a Caravaggio.
