Birch Street will get a new restaurant and cocktail lounge this summer as its makeover in Kennett Square continues.
Opus, a New American upscale restaurant with a second-floor cocktail lounge, will open at 201 Birch St., adjoined to Artelo, a 14-room boutique hotel. Opus is a new initiative for Square Roots Collective, an organization that builds businesses and uses the profits to support nonprofits in southern Chester County.
Opus will boast 125 seats in its 6,000 square-foot building, with outdoor dining and a two-story terrace. During the day, the cocktail bar will serve breakfast to the public and guests of Artelo.
The restaurant, which will be adorned by curated art pieces and a hand-painted ceiling mural, is an extension of Artelo, which Square Roots Collective opened in 2024. The hotel, which replaced the former Birch Inn, offers an immersive art experience, with each room painted by a local or regional artist, creating a living piece of art.
That same principle will follow in Opus, said Luke Zubrod, chief of staff for Square Roots Collective.
“It’s kind of the anchor to Birch Street,” he said. “It’s really kind of setting the tone for the street as a whole — and the tone it’ll set is really an artistic tone. This is a street kind of filled with beauty, and I think that that theme will be more evident over time.”
It’s part of a larger effort to revitalize Birch Street, which has in recent years seen more development, including Square Roots Collective’s beer garden The Creamery, and streetscaping.In the coming years,the street will be resurfaced, and the borough plans to add a trail on one side and sidewalk on the other, along with new streetlights and crosswalks. Square Roots Collective worked with the borough to secure funds for that investment, leaning on grant dollars from the state and county, Zubrod said.
“In addition to the Opus itself, there’s a lot to look forward to,” Zubrod said. “This street is really receiving some public investment that will make it a really vibrant and beautiful place.”
Along with Artelo and The Creamery, 100% of Opus’ funds will go to the organization’s nonprofit, focused on community improvement, he said.
“I think in addition to just being a really exciting restaurant concept, it’s also one people can feel really good about in terms of helping to make the community better,” he said.
Another boutique hotel coming
The Francis, a boutique hotel in central Kennett Square, is slated to open this year. The eight-room hotel will reimagine an 18th century home, and pay homage to the region’s history.
Meanwhile, also coming this year, the collective will open another boutique hotel, at 205 S. Union St. The Francis, an ode to Francis Smith who named Kennett Square for his home back in England, will have eight rooms, each dedicated to the history of the town.
The hotel will reimagine an 18th-century home, and offer single rooms and loft suites with kitchenettes, plus balcony or courtyard access.
One room — “The Watchmaker” — will honor a former resident and watchmaker, Thomas Milhous. Another room, “The Gardener,” will pay homage to the region’s first big harvest: flowers. Others nod to battlegrounds, four generations of a local family, education, plus the region’s history with the Underground Railroad, the Lenni-Lenape tribe and its “rich immigrant history.”
The collective plans on luscious landscaping, with a courtyard serving as “a little bit of an oasis,” said Zubrod.
“There is an appetite to have kind of quaint boutique hotels in the area to meet the needs of people who are coming for Longwood [Gardens] especially,” he said.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Officials believe there’s no threat to the general public, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson said in a statement on Monday.
People who were in the following locations at the following times last Wednesdayshould check their vaccination status and watch for measles symptoms, officials said:
Philadelphia International Airport, Terminal A East, from 7:50 p.m. to 11 p.m.
30th Street Station from 8:15 p.m. to 11:25 p.m.
Amtrak Northeast Regional Train Southbound #175, which traveled from Boston to Washington, D.C., and stopped in Philadelphia at 9:23 p.m. People on the train between 9:23 and 11:30 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus.
After traveling through Philadelphia, the person with measles also may have exposed people on parking shuttles at Baltimore’s airport and Amtrak station, according to Maryland’s state health department.
Measles, which spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze, or talk, can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
People are considered immune to measles if they are born before 1957, have already had measles, or received two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
People with immunity don’t have to do anything if they were exposed in Philadelphia last week, health officials said.
People who are not considered immune and were potentially exposed to the virus last week should talk to their doctor about getting an MMR vaccine as soon as possible.
Among them, children under a year old, pregnant people who are not immune, and people with a weakened immune system should call their doctor as soon as possible.
Health officials said that early measles symptoms include a runny nose, a cough, and puffy, red eyes, followed by a rash. The disease is contagious for about four days before a rash develops, and four days after that.
That means that people without immunity who were exposed to the virus could infect others without knowing it. In such cases, they should wear masks in indoor public spaces and around anyone unvaccinated until three weeks pass from the exposure, health officials said.
Anyone who is not immune and believes they were exposed to the virus should contact a doctor immediately if they develop measles symptoms through Jan. 28.
They should also notify the Philadelphia Department of Public Health at 215-685-6740. Pennsylvania residents outside Philadelphia should call the state health department at 877-724-3258.
Health officials noted that measles can lead to pneumonia, brain infection, and death in serious cases.
Area health officials have identified a handful of measles cases in the city in the last year, and warned travelers of another possible measles exposure in the airport in November.
Raval-Nelson noted that many countries, including popular international travel destinations, are seeing measles outbreaks.
Measles has also been spreading in the United States. The CDC reported 49 outbreaks — a cluster of three or more measles cases — in 2025, with 88% of the 2,144 cases nationwide linked to those outbreaks.
In 2024, the U.S. saw 16 outbreaks and 285 cases of measles, with 69% of those cases linked to outbreaks.
Raval-Nelson urged parents to vaccinate young children. While children under a year old are not routinely vaccinated with MMR, she noted, people who are planning to travel outside the country should get the vaccine for infants as young as 6 months to protect them from the virus.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the age at which a person is considered immune to measles.
Dina Powell McCormick, a former Trump official and former member of Meta’s board, has been hired as the company’s new president and vice chair, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Monday morning.
“Dina has been a valuable member of our board and will be an even more critical player as she joins our management team,“ Zuckerberg wrote on Threads,one of Meta’s platforms alongside Facebook and Instagram. ”She brings deep experience in finance, economic development, and government.“
He also noted that she will be involved in all of Meta’s endeavors, but will particularly focused on ”partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta’s AI and infrastructure.”
Powell McCormick has extensive business leadership and government experience. She spent 16 years in different leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, according to her LinkedIn page. Powell McCormick was most recently the vice chair, president, and head of global client services at BDT & MSD Partners, a banking company.
She worked in the White House and the U.S. Department of State under former President George W. Bush and was deputy national security adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The move also signifies what appears to be Meta’s intention to create stronger tieswith the federal government as it develops artificial intelligence tools. Trump praised Zuckerberg’s decision Monday.
“A great choice by Mark Z!!! She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!” Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform.
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.), Powell McCormick’s husband, has been heavily involved with AI and tech policy. For instance, he convened an AI summit in Pittsburgh in July 2025 where billions of dollars in planned projects for Pennsylvania were announced.
McCormick, in a post on X Monday, said he is “incredibly proud” of his wife.
Asked about how he would mitigatepotential conflicts of interest that arose from Powell McCormick’s position, a spokesperson for the senator said: “As he has from day one, Senator McCormick will continue to comply with all U.S. Senate ethics rules and honorably and enthusiastically serve the great citizens of Pennsylvania.”
Powell McCormick is also the second former Trump official to be hired by Meta in recent weeks, CNBC reported. Earlier this month, Meta said that it had hired Curtis Joseph Mahoney, a former deputy U.S. trade representative, to be its chief legal officer.
A man was killed and a woman was injured Sunday night after two shooters fired into a tow truck parked in Northeast Philadelphia, police said.
The man, 25-year-old Aaron Whitfield, died at the scene of the shooting on the 2100 block of Knorr Street, police said. A 21-year-old woman struck in the leg by a bullet survived.
According to police, Whitfield, who works as a tow-truck driver, and the woman were inside the vehicle when the shooters drove up to the truck’s passenger side and opened fire at 7:52 p.m.
Officers who responded to a report of gunshots found Whitfield inside the tow truck. He’d been shot multiple times in his head and body, police said, and attempts by medics to resuscitate him failed.
The woman, whose name was not released by police, was transported to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. Police said that she was stable.
Investigators collected 17 bullet casings at the scene, police said. Bullets also struck nearby buildings, but no one else was injured, police said.
No arrests had been made in the shooting as of midday Monday. Police said a motive for the killing has not yet been determined, and it’s unknown whether either Whitfield or the woman were intentionally targeted.
The New York-style bagel shop, which currently has locations in West and South Philadelphia, is bringing its fresh bagels, smoked meats, egg sandwiches, and unique schmears to 273 Montgomery Ave.
The Main Line outpost is expected to open this summer.
While the new storefront marks a major expansion for the local bagel shop, it’s also a homecoming for cofounders and brothers Brett and Kyle Frankel, who grew up in Bala Cynwyd.
“We know the area very, very well,” Brett Frankel said.
Brett Frankel, co-owner of Bart’s Bagels, helps customers at Bart’s Bagels on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Bart’s is expanding to Bala Cynwyd later this year.
Brett, 34, and Kyle, 41, both Lower Merion High School graduates, grew up a five-minute walk from their newest location. Brett Frankel says he remembers hanging out at the soon-to-be Bart’s Bagels storefront after middle school, back in the days when it was Bravo Pizza.
Main Line patrons will be able to expect all of the same kettle-boiled bagels and fixins’ that Bart’s is known for, from pumpernickel bagels to pastrami smoked salmon and beet-horseradish cream cheese.
While Bart’s city-based locations are grab-and-go only, there will be a few seats in the new Bala Cynwyd shop.
The unique part of Bart’s, Brett Frankel said, is that patrons can see bagels being made in front of them through the open kitchen.
“You’re kind of immersed in it,” he said.
The Frankels say their love for good bagels was forged through regular trips to New York’s Upper West Side to eat at the famed Zabar’s and H&H Bagels.
Looking to get their fix closer to home, Brett Frankel taught himself how to make bagels while working as a business analyst for a software company. He traveled to Denver, New Jersey, and Detroit to learn the ins and outs of the bagel industry.
Bart’s started as a wholesale operation in late 2019, selling to Di Bruno Bros., Middle Child, Elixr Coffee, White Dog Cafe, and other local restaurants. The Frankels brought chef Ron Silverberg on board, and they opened the first Bart’s in West Philly in January 2020. Their South Philly location opened in July 2024.
Bart’s is not the only new bagel place coming to Lower Merion this year.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Max’s Steaks — the North Philadelphia sandwich shop known for its 2-foot sirloin cheesesteaks, quirky next-door bar advertising “the largest drink in Philly,” and star turn in the Creed movies — is being sold after three decades.
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board records show a recent license transfer application from corporations controlled by longtime bar owner Chuck Weiner to veteran restaurateur Rob LaScala, whose diverse holdings include the fast-growing LaScala’s Fire Italian restaurants as well as numerous steak shops and pizzerias in Philadelphia and South Jersey.
Weiner, who also owns Chuck’s Alibi at the Five Points intersection in Northeast Philadelphia, did not return a message seeking comment that was left with a family member last week.
Rob LaScala of LaScala Restaurant Group.
LaScala, who has been managing Max’s under a contract, said he also was Weiner’s longtime tenant at Chubby’s, his popular Roxborough steak shop. “He’s always been a good landlord to me,” LaScala said Friday. “Max’s is exactly like Chubby’s — right up my alley. I love those kinds of places.”
“We bought it because it’s a staple in the community, and I love high-volume places,” LaScala said. “I want to get it back to the volume it used to have.”
A cheesesteak with onions and peppers at Max’s Steaks in 2018.
LaScala said his company was rebranding Max’s. “We already renovated the place and we’re doing a bigger renovation over the next six months,” he said. “We’re doing brand recognition — shirts, hats, logos. Menu-wise, we’re expanding a little. Before, it was mostly cheesesteaks and hoagies. We added fries, wings, specialty sandwiches, and some bar food since there’s a bar. We’re not changing what it is — we’re just making it better, more efficient, and better quality.”
Weiner told Philly Voice in a 2016 interview that he got the idea for Max’s after watching the crowds at Jim’s South Street circa 1990 while eating across the street at Lickety Split, then a popular restaurant where MilkBoy is now. Max’s — named after Weiner’s son — opened in 1994 at 3653 Germantown Ave. in Nicetown, at the busy Broad Street-Erie Avenue hub. The adjacent Eagle Bar, with its Naugahyde booths, oversized cocktails, and neon signs, is Max’s de facto seating area.
LaScala said he was not involved with the neighboring Clock Bar, also part of Weiner’s holdings.
Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson at Max’s Steaks in “Creed.”
In part because of its location far from tourist hubs, Max’s reputation spread primarily by word of mouth rather than guidebooks.
That changed dramatically in 2015, when Max’s appeared in the Rocky sequel Creed. This is where Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) ate his first Philly cheesesteak under the adoring eye of Bianca Porter (Tessa Thompson) and learned that he would box Viktor Drago. The shop also had a cameo in Creed II, the 2018 sequel.
In 2017, Philadelphia marked Kevin Hart Day with a party at Max’s, located a block from the comedian’s childhood home.
But Zillow’s ranking of the country’s 50 most-populous metros is based on housing market fundamentals that have nothing to do with one-off events. The company examined markets’ home value growth and competitiveness.
“Competition among buyers will be stiff, and sellers will have the upper hand in this year’s hottest markets,” Mischa Fisher, Zillow’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Shoppers will need to tap all the resources they can muster in these fast-moving markets, from their team of experts to tech aids to financial assistance, but successful buyers will quickly gain equity.”
In the Philadelphia area, the number of homes for sale last year was about 40% lower than the average pre-pandemic. And demand is outpacing supply. That has made local housing markets more competitive.
Two in five homes sold for more than the asking price from September 2024 to September 2025. And homes typically spent just 13 days on the market in the year ending in October 2025.
During that same period, 22% of listings had a price cut on Zillow. Among the 50 most-populous metros, this share ranged from 13.5% to 33%.
And Zillow estimates that Philadelphia-area home values grew by 3%. It forecasts that values will grow by another 1.7% over the next year.
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This is Zillow’s second recent recognition of the strength of local housing markets. Last month, the company revealed that Philadelphia was the only large city that made its list of the 20 most popular housing markets of 2025. That analysis included many more markets — not just the largest ones — and the list was dominated by midsize cities in the Midwest.
On Zillow’s list of the predicted hottest major metros of 2026, Hartford, Conn., knocked Buffalo, N.Y., from the No. 1 spot. Zillow had ranked Buffalo as the hottest metro two years in a row.
In Hartford, more than two-thirds of homes sold above the listing price on average between September 2024 and September 2025. That’s the largest share among major metros. The typical home for sale spent about a week on the market. And Zillow expects home values to grow by about 4% from October 2025 to October 2026.
The New York metro area, which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, ranked third-hottest for 2026. Among major metros, it had the lowest share of listings with a price cut: 13.5%.
While the postponement of the Mummers’ string band competition could have put a damper on an otherwise joyous New Year’s Day in Philadelphia, the string bands may have gotten a sweeter prize out of the ordeal.
The annual competition is still open to the public, with tickets available on Ticketmaster for $12 to $25, and will be broadcast on the same channel as the parade, on WFMZ-TV. WFMZ has not announced a time for the television broadcast but said it will be later in the day on Jan. 31.
City officials and parade organizers decided to postpone the competition once extreme wind and unexpected snow damaged several performance props and contributed to a few minor injuries, according to the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association (PMSBA).
Despite the postponement of the competition, string bands continued to perform for paradegoers in full costume and makeup, honoring the parade’s historic milestone of 125 years, said Sam Regalbuto, PMSBA president, in a statement.
How to watch
The Mummers’ rescheduled string band competition can be watched in person, online, or on television.
Free agent Jaelen Phillips hopes to return to Eagles
Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips, left, was acquired by Howie Roseman at the trade deadline.
Like Nakobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips is hitting free agency for the first time.
Unlike with Dean, the Eagles don’t have a clear answer to slot in for Phillips if he were to depart for another team, making Phillips a much more likely candidate to return to the Eagles.
Phillips made an immediate impact after the Eagles acquired him before the trade deadline from Miami for a third-round pick. He tallied 44 pressures and two sacks in nine games, including Sunday’s playoff game, according to Pro Football Focus, while playing 78% of the defensive snaps. That’s a lot of production to try to replace.
Phillips is one of five free-agent edge rushers. The Eagles have just two edge rushers under contract for 2026: Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. The draft will be a place the Eagles likely look to add talent to the room, but they could use a top-end talent like Phillips at the top of the depth chart.
Phillips, 26, said he felt like he fit in well with the defense. He had familiarity with Vic Fangio from their time in Miami together. Phillips is excited for his future, he said, and for his first experience with free agency.
“I would love to have that future be here,” he said. “It’s up to my agent and ultimately up to me, too. This is my first experience with it, so I’m not really sure how it plays out. We’ll see.”
Phillips said he has a child on the way and his family’s future will be a consideration in free agency, but the other things he wants he already has in Philadelphia.
“I want to be on a competitive team and in an environment where I love the guys I’m around and love the organization I’m playing for,” he said. “I feel that here. So we’ll see.”
A.J. Brown hasn’t spoken with reporters in more than a month.
Reporters spent more than an hour inside the Eagles’ locker room at the NovaCare Complex Monday afternoon before the Eagles closed the doors to media for the day.
During that span, A.J. Brown was not seen in the room. His locker hadn’t yet been cleaned out, but Brown was not going to be made available to talk to reporters. He declined to be interviewed after the game on Sunday and left the locker room shortly after it opened to media.
It was an interesting year for Brown with the Eagles. The receiver wasn’t shy about his feelings on the direction of the offense, especially early in the season. He expressed himself both in the forms of cryptic social media posts and post-game interviews, like when he pleaded for the Eagles to “let their killers do their thing” after a Week 3 win over the Rams.
Brown finished the season with 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.
What happens next with Brown will certainly be the subject of much speculation in the coming days and weeks and even months. Brown remains under contract through the 2029 season and has $113 million remaining on his deal. Trading him would be costly for the Eagles, who would be on the hook for $43.5 million in dead cap if they traded him before June 1, according to Spotrac.
Waiting until after June 1 would free up $7 million in cap space. But any trade of Brown would have the Eagles taking on the fourth-largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history, according to Spotrac.
Brown’s relationship with Jalen Hurts also has been the subject of speculation.
“A.J. and I will talk,” Hurts said Monday. “We’re in a good, great place. Maybe y’all can talk to him and ask.”
Jalen Hurts is ready if Eagles change offensive coordinators (again)
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is Jalen Hurts’ fourth offensive coordinator in the last four years.
Jalen Hurts is no stranger to change. He has had six different offensive play-callers in his NFL career, including Doug Pederson, Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Kevin Patullo. In the aftermath of Johnson’s 2024 firing, Hurts said that he longed for continuity at the position.
But he acknowledged on Monday that he has embraced the revolving door of offensive coordinators and translated those changes into postseason appearances. After all, the Eagles won a Super Bowl in Moore’s lone year as the offensive coordinator.
“The changes have not prevented us from having an opportunity to go on championship runs, and so with all the changes and with all the things that have gone and have changed over time, we still found ourselves in the playoffs, and we still found ourselves in positions to be in the tournament and play in the tournament,” Hurts said. “I don’t like the trend of wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl appearance], wild-card [loss], big-time [Super Bowl win], and wild-card [loss]. […] So competitively as a quarterback, as a leader, that’s a big focus of mine, trying to break that.”
Hurts will look to break that cycle next season, when he embarks upon his sixth year as the full-time starting quarterback. Given his track record and his importance to the team, he said he has a degree of influence in important matters concerning the offense.
“I think overall, my line is always open, and so however involved or whatever level inquiry I am, I’ll definitely be available,” Hurts said.
Jordan Mailata expects Lane Johnson to be back next season
Jordan Mailata said he is expecting Lane Johnson, who missed the last eight games with a foot injury, to be back next season. He added, “Whatever happens, happens.”
Mailata shed a little light on what Johnson was like behind the scenes the last couple months:
“Ultimate pro. I think what upsets him the most — I don’t want to put words in his mouth — but he does everything he can to be available. But it’s not even when he’s hurt. It’s just even when he’s starting, his routine is so meticulous. Every minute is planned out, from the moment he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed. And so I think, for him, it irks him a little more, you know?
“He’s just done a fantastic job of being there for us, even when he wasn’t playing, just being supportive of especially me and Fred [Johnson]. … He’s concerned about what Fred and I are doing, the timing of our hands, our set lines, what we’re thinking on first and second down. Are we more aggressive? Or he’ll watch something on film. He was still watching film for us. And he’ll come, like, ‘Hey, I saw that this guy, second step, he likes to do a little shake and bake inside. So that experience that we get from him being a total pro is very invaluable. And I’m gonna thank him for that.”
Eagles safeties Drew Mukuba and Sydney Brown chase down Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
Rookie safety Drew Mukuba was in the locker room Monday sporting a walking boot on his right foot. Mukuba fractured his fibula near the end of the Eagles’ Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon but did not have a firm timeline on the next steps in his recovery. He’s hoping to be ready for spring workouts, but said “late summer” was also a possibility.
“I’m walking, so I can’t complain,” he said.
He had a lot to complain about early after the injury. He couldn’t walk and had trouble getting comfortable, which led to some sleepless nights.
Mukuba said “I wasn’t where I needed to be” when the season first started, but he was more comfortable as the season wore on.
“I feel like I kind of got over the hump after the first time we played the Giants,” Mukuba said. “Once I got over that, I feel like I was just stacking days.
“I hate that [the injury] happened, but that’s the game and I can’t control it.”
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean came on strong after missing the first five games of the season.
Nakobe Dean feels like questions about his durability have been hanging over his head like a “black cloud” since the 2022 NFL draft.
The linebacker out of Georgia, drafted 83rd overall by the Eagles that year, played 39 of a possible 39 college games, but concerns about a pectoral injury he suffered while training helped cause his slide on draft weekend.
“The two injuries didn’t help me, but you got guys going through free agency who didn’t play this year who have had multiple injuries,” Dean said Monday as the Eagles cleaned out their lockers a day after their 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s just a looming thing over me.”
That is what Dean is carrying with him into free agency, a recent injury history that will likely impact his market. A Lisfranc injury that required surgery cut his 2023 season short after five games. Then, Dean suffered a torn left patellar tendon injury in the first round of the playoffs last year. The injury and rehabilitation caused him to miss the first five games of this season.
Dean, to his credit, looked like he didn’t miss a beat. He supplanted rookie Jihaad Campbell in the starting lineup by Week 8 and provided a big boost to the Eagles’ defense. He became one of the most productive blitzing linebackers this season and was solid in coverage. He had four sacks in 10 regular season games after having three sacks in 15 games last season.
But Dean’s future with the Eagles is unclear. Campbell was drafted in the first round last season and played well before Dean returned. The Eagles said they liked Campbell’s versatility to play both linebacker and line up at edge rusher when they drafted him, but he spent most of the season and played his best as an off-ball linebacker. In theory, there would be room to bring Dean back if Campbell was going to transition to the edge full time, but that doesn’t necessarily seem like the most likely path forward, and it remains to be seen what kind of value Dean may be able to find on the open market.
The Eagles, who have more than $20 million in cap space for 2026, have decisions to make.
An Eagles fan hits a golf ball at an image of Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo at The Golf Place in Langhorne.
Immediately following the Eagles’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a somber feeling started to take over The Golf Place. Those gathered at the Bucks County golf simulator facility to watch the Eagles while working on their swings began to pack up and go home, and co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon began to close up shop.
But in a brief moment, an idea was developed to help Birds fans release their anger after a disappointing loss: letting them hit golf balls at offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s face — or at least an image of it.
Earlier in the season, some fans broke the law by egging Patullo’s Moorestown home after the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Bears. The Golf Place’s idea keeps the flying objects far from the real Patullo, and within legal bounds.
“It was a fun way to let off some steam, but also make it fun for everybody involved,” Hepler, 24, said. “And obviously Killian in the video is a diehard Eagles fan, so he was pretty upset. But, everybody in here has gotten a kick out it.”
Andrew Mukuba hopes to be back in time for spring workouts
#Eagles S Andrew Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon after fracturing his fibula. Said he wouldn’t have been ready if the team reached the Super Bowl.
Questions surround the future of wide receiver A.J. Brown.
The most action wide receiver A.J. Brown saw Sunday night was when the broadcast caught Nick Sirianni yelling at him on the sideline.
The receiver recorded just three receptions for 25 yards; he missed a potentially big first-half reception and had a costly third-down drop later in the game. After the loss, Brown didn’t speak to media.
A pair of former NFL pass catchers — tight end Shannon Sharpe and wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson — believe it’s time for the Eagles to move on.
“Me, personally, I think it’s the best if the Eagles just go their separate ways,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast. “He needs to go somewhere where he feels like he’s going to get — he’s looking at it, Ocho, like I need to be getting the Puka Nacua type targets.”
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark also believes Brown won’t be in Philly next season.
“A.J. Brown is getting traded,” Clark said on First Take Monday. “He wants out and they need to want him out. That relationship is over. That relationship is done and part of it is the Philadelphia Eagles, but a lot of it is on A.J. Brown. … A.J. Brown this year was more problems than he was worth.”
Trading Brown away will be tough due to his contract. According to Sportrac, the Eagles would take a $20 million cap hit if they traded Brown ahead of April’s draft and before June 1.
“If the Eagles were to bite the bullet and trade Brown early this offseason, they’d be taking on the 4th largest single season dead cap hit in NFL history (and making a heck of a lot more financial trouble for themselves as well),” Sportrac’s Michael Ginnitti wrote.
Jordan Davis on pending free agent Nakobe Dean: "I know he's going to be a great player for somebody, whether that's here or not." pic.twitter.com/GvZZRDhSNr
Which personnel groups will the Eagles target for upgrades?
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has a lot of work to do this offseason.
Where to begin? The Eagles still have a pretty solid roster, but they do have some flaws and are set to have a few holes.
They have no tight ends. They have no obvious answer yet for a Lane Johnson replacement. How long is Landon Dickerson going to hold up? They went heavy at offensive line toward the end of the draft last season, but they could very soon need top-end talent.
They are in the market for wide receiver help regardless of where the A.J. Brown saga leads them. They need edge rushers. They need cornerbacks. They might need a kicker.
A high-impact edge rusher, like Jaelan Phillips, should be high on the list of most important personnel groups to upgrade the talent level, and it will be interesting to see how the Eagles go about addressing tight end. They will obviously sign a few in free agency and could draft one. Could Dallas Goedert return?
There are a lot of unanswered questions right now. It’s that time of year.
The Johnson replacement is a tricky one, too. He is still very good when he’s on the field, but the clock is ticking. Just like it is for Dickerson, who has had multiple surgeries and has played through plenty of pain.
The one word Eagles players kept repeating after Sunday’s loss
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith walks off after losing to the 49ers Sunday.
The word that the Eagles kept repeating in the locker room after Sunday night’s loss was “execution.” The players should have executed better all season. “If there are multiple players saying that,” Jordan Mailata said, “why don’t you believe us?” Here’s why …
All elite athletes think this way: “It doesn’t matter what the coach calls. It doesn’t matter if my opponent knows what’s coming. If I do exactly what I’m supposed to do exactly when I’m supposed to do it, nothing can stop me, and nothing can stop us.”
Sounds great.
In reality, when everyone in the stadium knows you’re likely to call a particular play in a particular situation, you had better be perfect in every aspect of that sequence. But when you catch an opponent off guard, your execution can be less than ideal, and you’ll still succeed.
Look at the double-wing reverse pass that Kyle Shanahan called on the first play of the 4th quarter. He made the Eagles defense look like a bunch of suckers. Christian McCaffrey didn’t have a defender within 5 yards of him.
ESPN Adam Schefter: Eagles expected to replace Kevin Patullo
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo ahead of Sunday’s wild-card game.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up Monday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter said he expects the Eagles will replace offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo in at attempt to jump start the Birds’ lackluster offense.
“I think we start with the assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball,” Schefter said. “So you’re looking at a new offense coordinator next year, that’s the expectation there across the league.”
“They’re going to go through some changes. I think it starts with the coaching staff on the offensive side,” Schefter added. “Question is how soon those changes will happen. Is it today or is it tomorrow?”
“Maybe Sirianni has built up enough clout to hold off Lurie/Roseman,” McLane wrote. “But precedent suggests the Eagles will move fast, and that they already have possible replacements lined up.”
Eagles have among the easiest strength of schedules in 2026
The long wait until next season begins for Eagles fans.
Despite facing the every team in the NFC West, the Eagles have one of the easiest schedules next season.
The collective winning percentage of the Eagles’ 17 2026 opponents in 2025 was 0.481, the tenth-weakest schedule in the NFL next season. The Chicago Bears have the toughest strength of schedule, facing teams with a 0.550 winning percentage.
That’s on paper, of course. As the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars showed, a lot can change from one season to the next.
The Birds will face a total of eight playoff teams, six of which are still alive in this year’s playoffs: San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears.
Despite finishing in first place in the NFC East, the Eagles’ two first-place opponents next season are teams that barely made the playoffs – the Carolina Panthers (7-9) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7).
The Birds are scheduled to play nine home games next season, which increases the likelihood we’ll see the Eagles in an international game. That could include a return to Brazil or hosting a game in Munich, Mexico City, or London.
Home games: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Away games: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears
Eagles cornerback Quinton Mitchell speaks to reporters at his locker Monday.
Eagles fans will get to see the players one final time before the skip town for the NFL offseason.
Birds players have begun to clear out their lockers and speak to reporters.
The Eagles are also required to hold a season-ending news conference at some point this week, which could include head coach Nick Sirianni, general manager Howie Roseman, or both. The Eagles have yet to announce when that will happen.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman at Sunday’s wild-card game.
The Eagles and their forward-looking fans will learn tonight where the Birds are picking in the draft order.
If the Steelers beat the Texans, the Eagles will pick 22nd. If the Texans beat the Steelers, the Eagles will pick 23rd (the Texans had a better regular season record than the Eagles).
It remains to be seen what position groups make the most sense for the Eagles to target. Free agency happens before the draft, of course. But the Eagles will be in the market for offensive line help as well as at edge rusher and potentially wide receiver (among others).
As of now, here are the Eagles’ picks in the 2026 draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh beginning April 23.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3 (from the New York Jets in the Haason Reddick trade)
According to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Graham said his 37-year-old body “responded well and he felt he was just getting into a groove down the stretch.”
Despite being on the field for just seven defensive plays (12% of the snaps), Graham still made his presence felt Sunday, mostly by trash-talking the entire 49ers team, including former Birds defender Bryce Huff.
Brandon Graham talking trash to all the Niners as they head to the locker room. He REALLY gave Bryce Huff the business. BG and Trent Williams shared a big hug. pic.twitter.com/cf9dDx7Gvl
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is under fire following this season’s offensive struggles.
Kevin Patullo is as good as done. A.J. Brown’s future is murkier.
But whatever happens to the offensive coordinator and the team’s top receiver, some form of significant change is coming to the Eagles offense after a season of frustration ended fittingly with another bipolar performance on Sunday.
Patullo will be the easiest to cut off, not because he was solely responsible for the regression or even for the substandard play calling that doomed the Eagles in their 23-19 loss to the 49ers in the playoffs, just as it had throughout most of the 2025 regular season.
Most players, including tackle Jordan Mailata, publicly supported the first-year coordinator on Sunday. They pointed the finger at themselves and their execution, or lack thereof. But the powers-that-be, as Mailata noted, can’t just wipe out the bulk of the highest-paid offense in the NFL.
“It’s easier to blame somebody who gets paid less than your starting people, right?” Mailata said. “And everybody knows that. Everyone in this [bleeping] locker room — even you [reporters] know that. But the story makes better sense if we’re pointing to somebody else than not the players.”
Brown might seem the logical piece to move considering how his drops against San Francisco seemed indicative of an apathetic season by his standards. General manager Howie Roseman isn’t normally fond of trading Hall of Fame talent, and Brown’s contract may make it difficult to move the 28-year old.
But the Eagles will need to find ways to clear salary cap space with salaries for quarterback Jalen Hurts and others on offense increasing and young homegrown players on defense, including defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, slated for extensions.
Mike McDaniel was fired by the Dolphins after four seasons.
Lots of Eagles fans are calling on the team to replace offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo with recently-fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. But he may have a better job soon.
McDaniel is scheduled to interview with four teams about their head coaching vacancies, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero – the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens.
He’ll also sit down for an interview with the Detroit Lions about their vacant offensive coordinator position,” Pelissero reported.
McDaniel spent the past four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach, and prior to that he was Kyle Shanahan’s offensive coordinator and run game coordinator in San Francisco.
Drake Maye won Sunday night in his playoff debut with the Patriots.
With one wild-card game left to play – tonight’s matchup between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers (8 p.m., ESPN/ABC) – the NFL announced part of next weekend’s divisional round playoff schedule.
While we know which teams will play which days, the NFL is waiting to announce the times and networks. Saturday’s games will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern, while Sunday’s game will happen at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Here’s what we know about the divisional round’s schedule:
Saturday
No. 6 Bills at No. 1 Broncos
No. 6 49ers at No. 1 Seahawks
Sunday
No. 5 Rams at No. 2 Bears
No. 5 Texans or No. 4 Steelers at No. 2 Patriots
Full 2025 NFL playoff schedule
Wild-card round: Saturday, Jan. 10, to Monday, Jan. 12
Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17, to Sunday, Jan. 18
“I just don’t think you can expect everyone to be super balanced and chill,” Brady said. “You’re a warrior, you’re a gladiator down on the field. Emotions are running high every single play.”
Fox NFL analyst and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan had a different perspective on the exchange.
“I don’t understand why Sirianni is running down there yelling at one of his star players,” Strahan said at halftime. “I don’t think that brings out the best in your player… In my opinion as a player, I wouldn’t have taken very well from my coach on the sideline.”
‘Just too basic’: Eagles’ final play draws criticism
In a season where the Eagles’ offense left a lot to be desired, the offense’s final play of the season is drawing criticism.
Facing fourth down and needing 11 yards, Jalen Hurts failed to connect with a triple-covered A.J. Brown, allowing the 49ers to run out the clock. But a second look at the play – dubbed “4 Verticals” – shows it had little chance to succeed, with receivers simply running down the field and the 49ers covering everyone.
Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters the Eagles called a timeout before the final play and took a picture of how the 49ers defense lined up “to give ourselves some information.” Hurts said the 49ers didn’t change what they were doing.
“They played ‘Cover 4 structure’ and I just didn’t make the play,” Hurts told reporters following the game. “I own it. I own it all.”
“On 4th-and-11, we need your best play. All they did was say to the four guys out there, ‘Just run straight down the field,’” said NBC analyst and former Patriots defender Devin McCourty. “The 49ers… banged up and a bunch of guys just thrown in there together, they’re all over that play. Just too basic, and now who knows what the city of Philadelphia is going to do.”
On 94.1 WIP, former Eagles fullback turned sports talker Jon Ritchie said the Eagles ran exactly what the 49ers were expecting, and against that defense Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo had options to convert.
“Against quarters coverage, the flats are open,” Ritchie said. “It’s fourth and eleven. What are you doing?”
Dallas Goedert among Eagles set to become free agents
Dallas Goedert’s contact expires at the end of the season.
Did we just watch Dallas Goedert’s final game with the Eagles?
The Birds’ tight end, who scored two touchdowns in Sunday night’s loss to the San Francisco, is among a handful of players who are set to become free agents.
Here is a list of notable players whose contracts expire following this season:
Offense: WR Jahan Dotson, TE Kylen Granson, RG Matt Pryor, RB A.J. Dillon, RG Fred Johnson, LT Brett Toth, QB Sam Howell, TE Grant Calcaterra, LT Luke Felix-Fualalo
Defense: LB Azeez Ojulari, LB Joshua Uche, CB Adoree Jackson, LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, S Marcus Epps, LB Ben VanSumeren
