What others are saying: “Highs: Compliant ride, upscale furnishings, impressive list of standard tech and safety features. Lows: A bit pokey for the segment, F Sport deserves to be sportier,” says Car and Driver.
What Lexus is saying: “The stylish Lexus luxury crossover.”
Reality: Not just stylish, but quick, fun, and supple. But don’t change songs or set the cruise.
What’s new: The midsize SUV from Lexus now features all-wheel-drive standard. It was last redesigned in 2022.
Up to speed: The F Sport adds a lot of oomph to the NX package. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is turbocharged and creates 275 horsepower.
It roars to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver. That’s actually a little slower than competitors, but it still feels quick. When left to its own devices, the NX 350 F Sport just seems to aim for 70 to 75 mph.
Shifty: The 8-speed automatic does its thing well, so you don’t have to. You can, though; the Prius shifter pattern (up-left for Reverse, down-left for Drive) adds a straight-down pull for Manual mode, and then the paddles take over. Toggle to your heart’s content.
On the road: All-wheel drive and the adaptive suspension combine to make the curves even more fun; the test model rolled through turns and even around corners like a much smaller vehicle. Sport and Sport+ modes are ideal; it can feel a little sluggish in the other modes.
The interior of the 2026 Lexus NX 350 F Sport definitely grabs your attention, and won’t let go.
Driver’s Seat: The NuLuxe seats are delightful, agree Mr. Driver’s Seat and the lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat. They hug, they cuddle, they make you happy like a good Lexus should. (The seats, not the happy couple. Or at least we don’t cuddle you.)
A favorites button on the infotainment screen should help get where you want to go.
If only all the controls were this simple. Read on.
Friends and stuff: People in the corners will be moderately happy, with comfortable seats and plenty of room to stretch out. The center seat is perched and the floor has a hump, so you need the person with the most balance sitting there. But only bring along forgiving friends because they’re going to get mad if they feel the front seats at some point.
Cargo space is 22.7 cubic feet in the back and 46.9 with the seat folded.
In and out: It’s not too big a leg lift to get into the NX.
Play some tunes: Oh, for crying out loud, there has to be someone at Lexus who gets as annoyed at the steering wheel buttons as I do. Every time I want to skip a song or replay a song, I’m left to wonder, “Will it take two stabs? One stab? Several stabs?” It always a mystery, while the hover function waits to recognize my thumbs hovering as intended. Do you really want this? Do other drivers on the road want you to have this?
And that’s not to mention when I want to move several songs forward or back. We’d been having such a good time up till now, but it’s ruined. Just when that dastardly touch pad is gone, too. (Yes, I know it’s been seven years, but it left a mark.)
Sound from the Mark Levinson Premium Audio ($1,020) system is good, probably an A-. Not super clear but pretty close. A volume knob is too small and fussy to be helpful. The touchscreen is large at 14 inches (part of a $2,865 F Sport package) and easy to operate. But those darn steering wheel buttons.
Steady speed: On the other side of the steering wheel, the cruise-control buttons add to the sadness. More confusion, and in this instance it would be impossible to pull over to set it.
Keeping warm and cool: Weird tire-shaped Lexus dials control the temperature, and then the ebony touch pad allows you to heat and cool the seats and adjust the fan or source. But there are all sorts of automatic control adjustments that get way too intricate for someone driving it around for a week, or, more important, trying to adjust things while driving.
Fuel economy: The test vehicle averaged 21.2 miles per gallon and didn’t budge at all while testing.
Where it’s built: Cambridge, Ontario.
How it’s built:Consumer Reports predicts the NX reliability to be a 4 out of 5.
In the end: The NX is a nice vehicle, if you can live with the controls. I don’t think I could.
Among competitors, if I wanted to throw caution to the wind, I’d go for the Stelvio — it’s just so much fun to drive. The GV70 is also nice, especially in full EV form.
For Cheryl and Jesse Jacobs, the three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom twin in Mount Airy had it all: friendly neighbors, good schools, nearby parks, and a short walk to the Sedgwick SEPTA Regional Rail station.
And for Jesse, a finished basement he called “my man cave,” where he played with the couple’s son.
The house had been in their family a long time. Cheryl grew up there. When her father died in 2013, they decided to make major renovations.
The home’s living room. There are working wood-burning fireplaces on the first level and in the basement.
They opened up the kitchen on the lower floor, reworked the primary bathroom to enlarge the shower, installed recessed lighting, and replaced the water heater and home heating system.
Now the Jacobs family — he’s a retired facilities manager for large corporations; she’s a semi-retired HR consultant — are downsizing to a home in South Jersey and planning to winter in Florida with their son.
The Mount Airy house, built in the 1920s, is 2,062 square feet and has a brick-and-stone facade.
The kitchen.
The main level has a large living room with hardwood floors, and the dining room has the original plaster detailing. Arched French doors lead into the kitchen, which has stained glass windows.
There are working wood-burning fireplaces on the first level and in the basement.
The three bedrooms are on the second level.
The basement could serve as a home office, media room, or in-law suite.
One of the home’s bathrooms.
The house has a covered front porch, a two-car garage with extra storage space, two green outdoor areas, and a rear patio.
Mount Airy Playground, Pleasant Playground, and Benjamin L. Johnston Memorial Stadium are all easily accessible.
The house is in the Henry H. Houston School catchment area.
It is listed by Cherise Wynne of Compass Realty for $600,000.
In college, he played the Division II national championship game with a broken hand — and went 4-for-4. He also has a habit of getting hit by pitches, 26 total last year, including four in a single game in triple A to set a Lehigh Valley record.
But even so, Kemp is hoping for a healthier 2026 with the Phillies. He underwent two procedures this winter to address injuries he’d been grinding through last year: a bone fragment removed from his left knee and what he described as a “shoulder cleanup.”
Kemp had been playing with the bone fragment since June, but only missed a single game.
“He’s just so tough. He really is,” said manager Rob Thomson. “He’s just one of those guys that can put all that pain and little dings behind them, and forget about it, and go out and play. Some guys are like that, and he’s one of them. He’s a phenomenal kid.”
Kemp expects to be fully ready for spring training. The Phillies’ first full-squad workout is set for Feb. 16 in Clearwater, Fla.
And it figures to be a big spring training for the 26-year-old. Over the offseason, Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski both emphasized the importance of injecting youth into the Phillies roster in 2026. The Phillies had the second-oldest lineup in baseball last year, with an average age of 30.3 years old.
Otto Kemp (right) worked with coach Paco Figueroa to get acclimated to left field last season.
One name that keeps cropping up? Kemp.
“We like a lot of things about him,” Dombrowski said. “He’s a good hitter, and the ball jumps off his bat. He’s a threat when he comes to the plate. … He’s a tough son of a gun. He’s a championship-type player. I mean, what he played through last year, injury-wise, I don’t think that there’s many people that would have done that.”
Kemp will likely have an opportunity in left field as a right-handed platoon partner for Brandon Marsh. He came up through the Phillies’ system as an infielder but played 63 major league innings last season in left field, logging significant time working with coach Paco Figueroa. Kemp recorded plus-1 defensive runs saved in the outfield in 2025.
But he also acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn about the position.
“Every place that you play at, the dimensions are different, the environment is different,” Kemp said. “So just learning how to play through the elements, and learning what I need to take away from any ballpark that we’re at, and how the ball bounces off the wall, what the dimensions are like. Learning overall feel in the outfield, I think, is just going to be the biggest part moving forward.”
The Phillies are most excited about Kemp’s bat, especially when he’s fully healthy. He had a .234 batting average and .709 OPS in 62 major league games last season, but the potential for more power is there. He hit 16 home runs in 74 triple-A games.
With a big spring on the horizon, Kemp is looking forward to the opportunity to be one of the young players potentially impacting the lineup and clubhouse.
Otto Kemp had a .709 OPS in 62 games with the Phillies last season.
“It’s awesome to be recognized for the work that we’ve been putting in,” Kemp said. “… Really just try and lean into that, and just be gamers, and play the game hard and do things the right way. Just seeing all of that kind of take shape and start to form something has been really cool.”
Kemp could share the outfield with another young player in Justin Crawford, who is the Phillies’ presumptive opening day center fielder. Kemp has teamed up with the 22-year-old at several minor league stops.
“He’s a gamer. He’s a game changer,” Kemp said. “He’s got speed. He’s just raw athletic. He’s just a grindy guy. He’s going to get the job done, and I’m excited to see what he can do at the big league level, because just playing with him over the last three years has been really special.
“Fun to see him in the leadoff spot, just setting the tone, swiping bags, taking extra 90s [bases]. I think it’s all stuff that plays a big factor in winning baseball games, so it’s going to be fun to see him do that on the biggest stage.”
After Kemp’s whirlwind rookie year ended and he started to address the injuries he’d been playing through, he took some time with his wife to reflect on the journey. When he made his major league debut in June, he accomplished something that few other Division II college players and undrafted free agents have.
But he doesn’t want the story to end there.
“You get a lot of ups and downs in this game,” Kemp said. “And there’s people that don’t stick. And hopefully I’m trying to prove to be one of those guys that can get established up here.”
Bruce Springsteen has released an anti-ICE protest song called “Streets of Minneapolis.”
Singing out on behalf of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were shot to death by federal immigration enforcement agents this month, Springsteen’s song is harshly critical of the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security’s occupying force in Minnesota this year.
“King Trump’s private army from the DHS, guns belted to their coats,” Springsteen sings in the slowly building, folk-gospel song’s opening verse. “Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law, or so their story goes.”
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen said on social media on Wednesday. “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors, and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free.”
The second verse continues:
“Against smoke and rubber bullets, in the dawn’s early light / Citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night / And there were bloody footprints, where mercy should have stood / And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
Springsteen campaigned against Trump in 2024, singing at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at the Liacouras Center on the Temple University campus in North Philly in the lead-up to the election.
Last year, while on tour in Europe, Springsteen began his concerts by calling the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous” before performing his patriotic song, “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
President Trump responded by calling Springsteen “Highly Overrated,” “not a talented guy,” and a “dried prune of a rocker.”
“Streets of Minneapolis,” which is Springsteen’s third “Streets” song after “Streets of Fire” and “Streets of Philadelphia,” speaks truth to power not only about Trump, but also Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Referring to claims that ICE agents responded with gunfire because their own lives were at risk, Springsteen sings, as the music swells: “Their claim was self-defense sir, just don’t believe your eyes / It’s our blood and bones and these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.”
The weekend before Pretti’s death, Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the Light of Day benefit concert in Red Bank, N.J., where he dedicated “Promised Land” to Good and said, “If you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president, as the mayor of the city said: ‘ICE should get the f— out of Minneapolis.’ ”
“Streets of Minneapolis” leans into its rage as it progresses, and promises to continue to honor Good and Pretti, as it closes with Springsteen singing:
“We’ll take our stand for this land, and the stranger in our midst / We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis.”
The possibilities are what make a Gladwyne estate for sale on Country Club Road “a significant property,” said listing agent Lisa Yakulis.
It spans 12.76 “very private” acres, said Yakulis, a broker associate at Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s hard to find that size of a property in that area.”
The 9,166-square-foot home sits on about four acres. A future owner could subdivide the lower part of the property to create two roughly four-acre lots. An existing easement would provide access to the additional lots.
The home for sale on Country Club Road in Gladwyne sits on almost 13 acres, which can be broken into separate lots.
Yakulis said she’s seen that on the Main Line in the years since the pandemic, “desirable building lots with that kind of acreage are, No. 1, very hard to find, and No. 2, there’s a fairly large buyer pool out there that’s looking for land in that location to build exactly what they want to build vs. buying a resale home.”
The home on the property was custom built in 1993, and its floor plan is more open than homes of that time. It was designed to host the owners’ family and friends, which it has done for the last three decades.
The house has six bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms. Many large windows provide panoramic views of the property. The home has an elevator, six fireplaces, a library, two laundry rooms, and flexible living spaces.
The front door of the home opens to a chandelier and winding staircase.
The primary suite has two separate bathrooms and large dressing rooms. The main kitchen includes two ovens, a large island with a stove, bar seating, and a refrigerator that can be concealed behind sliding wooden panels.
The property has a total of three guest suites on the lower level, in a private section of the main level, and above one of two oversized two-car garages.
The home’s lower level includes another large kitchen, a sauna, entertainment space, and a walk-in safe.
The main kitchen includes three sinks, two ovens, and a large island with a stove.
The property features stone terraces, a pool, landscaped grounds, and acres of open land. A cottage-like utility building equipped with a half bathroom is where the owners cleaned their dogs. But it also could be used as a gardening shed or workshop.
Potential buyers who have toured the home said they like the privacy, views, and location. The Main Line property is near preserved open space, the Schuylkill Expressway, and Philadelphia Country Club. Yakulis said the home is on a quiet street with plenty of space between neighbors.
The property has attracted people of various ages, including empty nesters who like the elevator and the guest suites that offer spaces for visiting children and grandchildren.
“I get the comment when people come through that it’s a happy house, and it’s true,” Yakulis said. “You walk in there and the light pours in, and you can just tell that it’s a happy house. It has a good vibe.”
The property was listed for sale in October.
A gate opens to the circular driveway in front of the home.
I’ve long been aware that there are other Philadelphias in the world. There’s one in Mississippi, one in South Africa, and one right here in Pennsylvania — New Philadelphia, a rural Schuylkill County borough with a bustling population of 1,008.
Philadelphia is a cool name and it comes with an inherent nickname that’s equally as cool. Who wouldn’t want that for their town? I get it and I’m not even salty about it because when you say Philly, folks know what city you’re referring to, just like when you say “Go Birds,” everybody knows you aren’t talking about the Seahawks.
I always assumed there were places that shared our suburban counties’ names as well, but never in a million Wawa Hoagiefests did I expect there to be another Delco, especially not one that also has its own merch. That’s our weird thing.
But after following up on a tip from my editor — who saw a reference to “Delco, N.Y.” — I found a website for DELCO, “a lifestyle brand celebrating rural culture through fashion, design & authentic content in Upstate NY.”
The company sells shirts and hoodies that read “DELCO NEW YORK,” flags in “John Deer Green” that read the same, and a trucker hat with Calvin (the comic strip character) urinating on the word DELCO.
It’s not clear how this lifestyle brand can produce “authentic content” while soaking in a hot tub full of boiling lies, for there is only one true Delco and it’s here, in Southeastern Pa.
Delco residents haven’t spent years putting the word Delco on everything, receiving national attention for some of the most bizarre crimes imaginable, and staking their giant Delco flags at the Jersey Shore like it was the moon to have some ersatz “Delco” capitalize off their questionably good name.
The Hurley family of Springfield, Pa., flies their Delco flag on the beach in Ventnor in 2024.
“We’ve defined what it means to be Delco,” Rob MacPherson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Visit Delco, told me.
Fran McElwee, marketing strategist for the county tourism agency, agreed.
“We are who we are and we know it,” she said. “We’re the OG.”
Requests for interviews with a representative of DELCO, the New York lifestyle brand, and with the president of the board of supervisors for Delaware County, N.Y., were not returned. Isn’t that interesting.
Rural vs. suburban
There are at least six Delaware Counties in the United States, one each in Indiana, Iowa, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. But ours was the first, having been established in 1789.
While many of those counties also use some form of Delco (DelCo, Del-Co, etc.) for municipal government website URLs or public utilities names, Delaware County, N.Y., appears to be the only one trying to co-opt Delco as a culture.
Our Delco and the one in New York were both named after the Delaware River, which forms the border between the Empire State’s Delaware County in its southern tier and Pennsylvania’s Wayne County, in the far northeast.
Both counties also have municipalities named Middletown, we don’t like New York City folks coming in and mucking stuff up, and we have an affinity for mullets, as evidenced by the models on the DELCO lifestyle brand’s website. But that’s where the similarities end.
Delaware County, N.Y., is rural (which, if you’re from real Delco, would be pronounced so it rhymes with “gurrrl” for emphasis). It’s 1,467 square miles with 29 municipalities and 44,191 residents, so it’s safe to assume there are more deer there than people.
According to the county website, top activities include fishing, snowmobiling, and hiking. Historically, the region was known for its sawmills, dairy farms, and the Western Catskills.
Delco, Pa., on the other hand, is more suburban than a Chevy or a cul-de-sac. It shoves 49 municipalities and 584,882 people into 184 square miles. This county is like a damn clown car. We don’t even know how we all fit in here, we’re just along for the ride.
Eagles fans wave team flags from the top of their van while tailgating near Lincoln Financial Field.
But our greatest asset, what makes us the real Delco, is our culture.
People here are so passionate they’ve made a Delco movie, Delco beer, and Delco-set TV shows. Residents get Delco tattoos, there’s a state-recognized Delco Day, and I once interviewed a guy who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with the sole purpose of waving a Delco flag at the top.
Roddie Cooper’s driving force to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was to get this photograph of the Delco flag at the top.
So whenever “Delco,” N.Y. wants to wave one of its flags in truce, we’ll gladly come take it.
‘A way of life’
“Delco is different, it’s a personality, it’s a way of life, there’s an authenticity about Delco you don’t find in other counties,” McElwee told me.
Zac Beaver, programming and libraries manager for the Delaware County Historical Society, said Delco’s hyperlocal culture sets it apart. It has its own accent, history, and even its own love language.
“A hoagie tray is a meaningful unit of generosity,” Beaver said.
Dave Avicolli (left) and Steve Yancey, co-owners of Ro-Lynn Deli in Brookhaven hold a “meaningful unit of generosity,” a Delco hoagie tray.
There are even unspoken rules for Delco neighborhood bars.
“They don’t have a website, only a Facebook page at most,” MacPherson said. “And no more than two IPAs on tap.”
He theorized that part of the county’s strong identity comes from the fact that there are so many municipalities and many folks attended Catholic schools or school districts like Interboro, which cover several townships.
“So your commonality was your county and not your hometown,” MacPherson said. “I think that’s led to the notion of Delco.”
Delco residents “don’t have very lofty ideas about what it means to be from Delco, like [they would] if they were from New York City or California,” Beaver told me, and they may come across to some as brusque, but that’s just because they’re engaged and “as likely to say something negative as positive to you, whereas in the rest of the country they just won’t talk to you,” Beaver said.
Such hyperlocal culture isn’t true of everywhere, Beaver posited.
Actor Brian Anthony Wilson during the red carpet premiere of “Delco: The Movie” at the Media Theatre last year. Yes, “premier” is spelled wrong on the marquee. Yes, that is very Delco.
“If you live in suburban Iowa you might as well live in suburban Nebraska,” he said. “I think it has to do with the flattening of the American experience. I think everyone else has changed more than we have.”
Philly’s other burbs also have their own culture but don’t exhibit the level of outward pride I see in Delco. I asked Beaver if he had any theories.
“Because they’re rich,” he said. “They’ve been desirable places for a long time. Delco was looked down on for a long time … and that makes people proud of it.”
MacPherson agreed.
“The pride comes from having a little bit of a chip on the shoulder,” he said.
‘By sheer force’
It’s unclear when Delco was first used as a nickname for Delaware County, Pa., but embarrassingly, the first Delco reference I can find in The Inquirer’s archives was for a guest from Delco, N.Y. who checked into a Philadelphia hotel in 1860. (I don’t know why newspapers used to print hotel registries, aside from the act we’ve always been nosy little buggers.)
In 1861, The Inquirer referenced a Del.co that appears to be the one in Pennsylvania, and I found subsequent Del.co references in our archives throughout the late 1800s. It’s only shortly after the turn of the 20th century that Delco seems to have come into regular use when referring to things and people from the suburban county.
“There is the Delco Baseball League founded in 1908 and they still exist,” Beaver said.
Delco is also a brand name. There’s ACDelco automotive parts (a remnant of Delco Electronics), Delco flatware, and Delco Foods, an Italian food distributor in Indiana. So there’s a minute possibility “Delco,” N.Y., could have been inspired to take its name from one of them.
A “Smile You’re in Delco” sign greets the thirsty shoppers at 320 Market Cafe in Swarthmore.
I even found an 1879 reference to a man named Delco in a crime blurb in The Inquirer:
“ … In Cincinnati yesterday two men Jim Dermont, the cook, and Isadore Delco, a server in a Sixth Street restaurant, quarreled over the dignity of their respective positions, and Delco was badly stabbed.”
I didn’t find a follow-up story but I have no doubt Delco survived the fight, because it always does — at least in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
So to this phony flimflam “Delco” — bring it on. We’ve been around longer and we have more people, more pride, and more culture. Plus, as Philly sports fans and Delco residents, we have a chip on our shoulder bigger than a family bag of Herr’s.
“Just by sheer force, we’re winning,” McElwee said.
There were the usual favorites on both sides of the ball — as well as a few new faces — and a grizzled veteran that fans can’t seem to agree on.
Eagles fans want pending free agent linebacker Jaelan Phillips back next season, but they're split over veteran Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement last year.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles have long-since been eliminated from Super Bowl contention, after their wild-card round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. But the conversations around what went wrong with the Birds last year are ongoing, as the team continues to search for a new offensive coordinator and prepares for what’s sure to be a busy offseason.
We asked you, our readers, which Eagles you want to see stay or leave the team for next season. Here’s what we found — and how some of those results compared to what beat writer Jeff McLane expects the team to do …
The Eagles’ All-Pro cornerback duo, Quinyon Mitchell (96.4%) and Cooper DeJean (96.1%), graded out the best of any Birds players. But they weren’t alone. Jordan Davis (96.1%) tied DeJean after a breakout year.
The best defense
It’s not just those two. Overall, 19 Eagles earned over 90% stay votes in this year’s poll, despite the early playoff exit — 12 of those players were on defense or special teams, including Zack Baun (95.8%), Jalyx Hunt (95.3%), and more.
On the offensive
There were fewer on offense — seven in total — who received at least 90% stay, including four offensive linemen: Lane Johnson (91.8%), Jordan Mailata (95.9%), Landon Dickerson (93.6%), and Cam Jurgens (91.2%).
Hurts remains popular
Quarterback Jalen Hurts (85.7%), however, was not one of them. That doesn’t mean he’s unpopular — he finished just a few percentage points shy of his Super Bowl MVP season (89.5%), and is not going anywhere.
Brown takes a hit
That’s nothing compared to the dip A.J. Brown (62.3%) saw. The wide receiver came in at 88.8% stay following last year’s Super Bowl run. But after a season wrought with controversy, where Brown looked like he may have taken a step back, fans have soured a bit on Brown.
Tight ends on the move?
Backup tight end Grant Calcaterra (36.8%) fell over 55 points from last season — down from 92.3% stay after 2024 — but fans still love Dallas Goedert (79.4%). However, Jeff McLane thinks both pending free agents will be wearing different colors next year.
Love ’em or hate ’em
Overall, the results on the offensive side paint an interesting picture, with no one player landing in the middle 20%, between 40-60% stay. Fans know what they want.
Special requests
That includes the team’s specialists. An overwhelming majority want punter Braden Mann (94.2%) back next season. The same can’t be said for veteran kicker Jake Elliott (23.2%), who saw the biggest year-over-year drop. McLane thinks the team will agree.
A difference of opinion
Franchise legend Brandon Graham (40.6%) un-retired midway through the 2025 season, and he said after the season that he felt he still had more in the tank. He was one of the most polarizing players in the poll, with a slight majority voting for him to go.
The kids are all right
Howie Roseman also had a good year, according to fans. The Eagles’ rookie class, headlined by Jihaad Campbell (95.6%) and Drew Mukuba (90.3%), graded out well after its first NFL season.
The new guys
The Birds traded for Jaelan Phillips (81.4%) at the trade deadline. While the move didn’t ultimately lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, the pending free agent quickly became a fan favorite. Running back Tank Bigsby (94.7%) graded even better — and higher than Barkley.
Check out the full results
We’re done breaking it down for you. Let’s put the numbers directly at your fingertips — simply hover over or click on a player on the chart to see not only what percentage of stay votes they received, but also what McLane thinks will happen.
So what does the future hold for these players? The NFL’s new league year begins on March 11 — that’s when teams are permitted to execute trades and begin signing new players. Stay tuned.
“When I did the tour I was just wowed by it,” recalled DiMeo, an attorney at Rosen, Schafer, & DiMeo.
Their corner unit faces southeast, flooding the apartment with natural light through windows that stretch from the floor nearly to the ceiling. The 1,200-square-foot unit features an open-concept floor plan with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
“We love the city feel, seeing the skyline,” said Levari, a court stenographer. She opens the windows each morning, letting in the fresh air and sounds of the city. “I will follow the light around the apartment throughout the day, finding the sunniest spot to enjoy a good book.”
The kitchen, dining area, and living room, where light pours in from the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Replacing the old office windows with floor-to-ceiling glass was a complex work sequence but necessary in order to transform the interiors, bringing in natural light and city views that define the new apartments,” said property manager Jennifer Oyola.
The design pays quiet tribute to its origins, honoring the strength and scale of a classic Center City high-rise while reshaping it for the way people live now, she added.
The couple enjoy dining in front of the wall of windows, watching the activity down below. In the evening, they admire the sights of City Hall, Liberty Place, and other buildings lighting up.
The guest bedroom, with views of the street below.DiMeo says dining in the apartment feels like dinner at a fancy restaurant.
“Frank says he feels like he’s at a fancy restaurant with the view, especially at night,” Levari said.
Both love to cook, and Italian food is their specialty. The kitchen is equipped with Samsung appliances, including a smart oven with phone app features, which is especially helpful to ensure they turned the stove off, Levari said with a laugh. There is plenty of counter space for meal prep and a lot of cabinet space.
The apartment’s construction — windows framed in black, light brown luxury vinyl tile plank floors, and plentiful glass — lends itself to a contemporary design.
Levari chose mostly neutral tones with pops of color to complement the look. She enjoys mixing classic pieces with vintage styles.
The Alanda glass coffee table, made by Italian designer Paolo Piva, complements the apartment’s contemporary style.
The living room features a lush velvet navy blue couch, a comfy spot to curl up on weekend nights and watch TV. The couple bought their Alanda glass coffee table, made by Italian designer Paolo Piva, at B&B Italia in New York.
“It’s one of those designs that never goes out of style,” Levari said.
The guest room/office includes the bedroom furniture she shipped over from Italy, where she lived for many years and taught English. It’s a comfortable reminder of the time she spent there. The only drawback is that the mattress is a European size that would be difficult to replace and it’s hard to find sheets that fit.
“I felt it was worth it for the memories, look, and quality,” Levari said. “It’s hard to find pieces of quality that you love. Therefore, the shipping cost made sense.”
The walnut Renaissance revival style cabinet in the primary bedroom came from a vintage shop outside of Como, Italy.
The kitchen provides ample counter space and cabinet storage, with stainless steel appliances and gold details.
Levari and DiMeo appreciate the building’s amenities, starting with the rooftop, which includes a saltwater pool, sauna, and cold plunge.
“You really get the city vibe there because it’s on the 19th floor and you have all the highest buildings in the city surrounding you,” Levari said.
Other amenities include the fitness center with a turfed area for cross training, pickleball and basketball courts, a yoga studio, and sport simulator. A club-style lounge includes a chef’s prep kitchen, private dining room, and billiards table. For furry friends, there’s a pet spa and park.
Decorations on the dining room table echo the gold details in the kitchen.The apartment is decorated in neutral tones with some pops of color, like this throw pillow on the guest bed.
The couple are embracing life in the city, where they can walk to great restaurants, shows, concerts, and the ballet. But they are also happy to come back home.
“Having our corner apartment with the huge windows makes it feel like I’m on vacation,” said DiMeo.
Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.
The 2025 Eagles season may be over, but the work to retool the roster and position the team for success in 2026 has already begun.
Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, and Nick Sirianni are tasked with making a variety of staffing and personnel decisions over the next several months in an attempt to return the Eagles to Super Bowl contention next season. The offensive coordinator vacancy is generating the most buzz, but it’s far from the only consequential move they will have to make ahead of training camp in late July.
With the coaching carousel spinning and free agency and the draft looming, here’s where the triumvirate could start with their decision-making:
Would the Eagles let a candidate like Matt Nagy cook, and run his own side of the ball the way the team has with Vic Fangio?
Hire the best candidate as offensive coordinator — no matter their expected longevity
The Eagles are well into their interview process as they work to identify their next offensive coordinator. Like Kevin Patullo before he was promoted last offseason, some interviewees have never called plays (including Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion), while others have ample experience (such as former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy).
Play-calling experience shouldn’t be the sole determining factor. The Eagles ought to prioritize the candidate who, in Sirianni’s words, can help “evolve” the offense and make it a more explosive unit than the one that trotted out on the field last year. That candidate ought to put players in positions to work to their strengths while also implementing modern, fresh concepts. That candidate should also have the autonomy to run the offense he envisions.
No, the Eagles shouldn’t necessarily seek out a Vic Fangio-type — a veteran coach with no aspiration to move on to a head coaching job — to fill that role. Who would turn down a candidate who puts them in the best position to field a championship-caliber offense simply because of the threat that he would get poached at the end of the season? The Eagles lost Kellen Moore after the 2024 season but they also won a Super Bowl, an outcome they wouldn’t trade given a do-over. Such is life when the head coach doesn’t call plays.
“It’s a great compliment when guys get head coaching jobs from here because it means we’re having tremendous success,” Roseman said on Jan. 15. “As much as you’d like to have continuity and would like to have guys here for a long period of time, we want to win. We have an urgency to win right now. If that comes with the ramifications that we lose good people because they’ve earned head coaching jobs, we’ll live with that.”
The occasional headaches that come with the A.J. Brown experience don’t outweigh his elite playmaking ability.
Keep A.J. Brown
Will A.J. Brown remain an Eagle in 2026, let alone finish out his contract that runs through 2029?
No one can read Brown’s mind and determine whether he still wants to be in Philadelphia. He hasn’t spoken publicly since Dec. 8 following the Eagles’ overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Earlier in the season, though, he voiced frustration with the listless offense and his role within it, both online and in interviews with the media. His concerns, especially given the state of the offense, were understandable.
But his performance hit some rough patches this season, especially in the wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Brown had three receptions on seven targets for 25 yards, including a couple of drops and a spat on the sideline with Sirianni (the Eagles head coach later said he had been trying to get Brown off the field after the offense went three-and-out).
Roseman didn’t explicitly rule out a trade when asked about Brown’s future at the end of the season. There would be short-term financial ramifications that come with a trade, either before or after June 1, but the Eagles would experience some salary cap relief in future seasons.
Still, the Eagles are often at their best offensively when Brown is thriving. He remains one of the best receivers in the NFL, which ought to be a boost to a team fighting to keep its Super Bowl window open. It should be in the Eagles’ interest to keep him in the fold, especially given the difficulty of replacing WR1. Hire an innovative offensive coordinator, ensure that Brown is still on board with the new scheme, and move forward.
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) comes off a breakout year.
Extend Jordan Davis
In a span of approximately eight months, Jordan Davis showed why Roseman made the right decision by picking up his fifth-year option.
The 6-foot-6, 336-pound defensive tackle ascended into a nearly-every-down role in 2025, his fourth season with the Eagles. He played a career-high 61% of the defensive snaps, and perhaps most importantly, his strong performance was consistent from the outset of the season through its conclusion. Davis finished the year with career highs in run stops (50, according to Next Gen Stats) and sacks (4½).
His rare blend of size and athleticism is just one facet of his importance to the team. Davis stepped into a leadership role and helped set the culture in 2025, too.
“My leadership style … it’s just mainly keeping the guys together and being an example, being a positive influence and being a positive force in the locker room, on the field,” Davis said at locker clean-out on Jan. 12. “That’s not going to stop. That’s how I live life. That’s not going to stop. I’m excited to see where it can go and where it could go and the potential of it all.”
Players like Davis are hard to find. It would behoove Roseman to extend him early, just as he has with other key players in recent years, in an effort to prevent him from testing the open market.
Nolan Smith Jr. (3) and Jalen Carter (98) are approaching option decisions.
Pick up Jalen Carter’s and Nolan Smith’s fifth-year options
Speaking of fifth-year options, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith are eligible to have theirs exercised this offseason. Roseman will have until May 1 to make that decision on his 2023 first-round draft picks.
The Eagles ought to pick up both, even though Carter and Smith saw their 2025 seasons impacted by injury. Roseman may even consider extending Carter as early as this offseason, provided he’s convinced Carter’s shoulder issues won’t be long-term concerns.
Even though Carter finished the season with a career-low 7.7% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats, he played his way into a potential raise in Year 5. Carter was named to his second Pro Bowl on the original ballot this season, which places his fifth-year option in the highest salary tier possible at his position. His fifth-year base salary would be equivalent to the defensive tackle franchise tag value in 2026, which is projected to be $25.6 million, according to Over The Cap.
Smith’s fifth-year option is projected at approximately $15 million, the lowest salary tier among outside linebackers.
Jaelan Phillips (50) and Nakobe Dean (17) are popular in the Eagles locker room, but a tough business decision around both looms.
Let Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips walk
In the creative writing business, this step would be referred to as “killing your darlings.”
The Eagles have 18 pending unrestricted free agents and Roseman can’t keep them all, nor would he want to bring them all back due to poor performance from certain members of that group. But even some of the team’s more talented, beloved players likely won’t stick around, especially Nakobe Dean.
Roseman has displayed a preference in the past to reward his homegrown talent with extensions. In a vacuum, Dean would be a worthy candidate, given he rebounded from a major injury and proved he’s still a starting-caliber talent in 2025. But with Jihaad Campbell waiting in the wings, Roseman may want to let his 2022 third-rounder out of Georgia walk. Campbell and Baun are a strong starting pair and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is a capable backup.
What about Jaelan Phillips, the 26-year-old outside linebacker whom the Eagles acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline? Phillips led the team with 34 pressures after he joined in Week 10, according to Next Gen Stats. But he turned just two of those pressures into sacks, good for a 5.9% pressure-to-sack conversion rate (10th lowest among 97 defenders with at least 15 pressures since the trade deadline).
Unless the Eagles can bring Phillips back on a team-friendly deal, they may have no choice but to allocate money elsewhere. Spotrac projects Phillips’ market value at $17.3 million annually.
Safety Reed Blankenship’s spot on the 2026 roster is far from assured.
Re-sign Reed Blankenship and Braden Mann, barring unreasonable asking prices
Among the pool of pending free agents, a couple of candidates for extensions stand out who might not break the bank — Reed Blankenship and Braden Mann.
Blankenship, the 2022 undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State, was a captain and a key communicator in the Eagles secondary in 2025. He wasn’t flawless, as evidenced by his late holding penalty in the wild-card loss to the 49ers that eventually led to a touchdown.
Still, the 26-year-old safety has a solid body of work over the course of four seasons. His departure would leave a leadership hole in the secondary and a question mark alongside Drew Mukuba, who is still in the process of proving himself as he rebounds from a fractured fibula that ended his up-and-down rookie campaign.
Of course, whether Blankenship returns will depend on his asking price. The Eagles were eager to get C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s contract off the books this time last year, and he was making $9 million per year. Blankenship has a market value of $7.2 million per year, according to Spotrac’s projection.
Mann, the 28-year-old punter, is also set to become a free agent at the start of the new league year. He undoubtedly earned himself a new deal, potentially with the Eagles, as he averaged a franchise-best 49.9 yards per punt in 2025.
The Eagles can’t assume Jake Elliott’s shaky performance in 2025 was an anomaly.
Bring in competition for Jake Elliott
Even though Jake Elliott had a rough stretch of games in 2024, making 19 of 25 field goal attempts in the final 10 games of the season (76%), the Eagles stuck with him as their kicker in 2025.
This offseason could be different. Once again, Elliott had a shaky showing over a 10-week span during the regular season, going 13-for-20 (65%) on his field goal attempts. Elliott also missed a critical extra point while battling the wind in the wild-card loss to the 49ers. His 74.1% field goal percentage on the season was the second-worst rate of his career (73.7% in 2020, although he only attempted a career-low 19 field goals that year).
Elliott may have some equity given his otherwise robust nine-year Eagles career, but it’s fair to wonder if that equity has run out given his struggles in consecutive seasons. It might be time to evaluate other options at kicker in training camp if Elliott’s best days are behind him.
Given Lane Johnson’s age and recent injury history, the Eagles must do some serious scenario planning at right tackle.
Figure out (and potentially enact) the RT succession plan
After a Lisfranc injury in his right foot curtailed his 13th season with the Eagles, does right tackle Lane Johnson still intend to play in 2026?
Johnson, who turns 36 in May, is technically under contract through 2027. But is he healthy enough to continue playing or is he contemplating retirement this offseason?
Regardless of his decision, Roseman must figure out the succession plan at right tackle. He could have an opportunity to find Johnson’s heir apparent through the draft. The Inquirer’s Devin Jackson identified a handful of tackles (some with guard versatility) the Eagles could target with the No. 23 pick in the draft, including Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, Utah’s Caleb Lomu, and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling.
Could Roseman look internally to eventually fill Johnson’s role? The Eagles drafted a pair of tackles last year in Myles Hinton (sixth round out of Michigan) and Cameron Williams (sixth round out of Texas). Both players spent a chunk of the season on injured reserve, and only Williams earned playing time, in the season finale against the Washington Commanders. They weren’t blue-chip prospects, but Jeff Stoutland has a history of developing lesser-known players into starting tackles (i.e. Jordan Mailata).
Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra are both set to become free agents.
Figure out (and most likely enact) the TE succession plan
For a second straight year, Dallas Goedert enters the offseason uncertain about his future with the Eagles.
The 31-year-old tight end is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year, which could mark the end of his eight-year career in Philadelphia. Goedert was a revelation in the red zone in 2025, scoring 10 of his 11 touchdowns during the regular season inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Given his scoring ways, though, he might have earned himself a raise on the open market.
With Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, and Kylen Granson all poised to become free agents, the Eagles will likely have to draft a tight end this year and sign one (or two) in free agency. Given the importance of the ground game in the Eagles offense, it is imperative that the TE1 of the future can run block in addition to his responsibilities as a receiver. Goedert appeared to take a step back in his run-blocking performance in 2025, as did most of the unit that paved the way for Saquon Barkley.
Could some offensive playmakers be in the cards on draft day 2026?
Lean offense in the draft (including a wide receiver and a quarterback) …
Over a span of five years from 2018-22, the Eagles invested loads of premium draft capital into the offensive side of the ball. Roseman hit on a number of early picks, including Goedert (2018), Jalen Hurts (2020), DeVonta Smith (2021), and Landon Dickerson (2021), plus he acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the 2022 No. 18 overall pick.
Aside from Goedert, each of those players have since been rewarded with contracts that will account for at least 3.4% of the salary cap in 2026 and as much as 10.4% in Hurts’ case. Beginning in 2022, Roseman balanced out what would become his expensive players on offense by adding defensive players on rookie deals, drafting Davis (2022), Dean (2022), Carter (2023), Smith (2023), Quinyon Mitchell (2024), Cooper DeJean (2024), and Campbell (2025). Roseman called this the “natural arc” of the team on Jan. 15.
“I think that when you look at our team, we draft a lot of offensive players, we re-signed a lot of offensive players, [and] we drafted a lot of defensive players that were young on rookie contracts,” Roseman said. “There’s natural transition in what we do.”
It’s time for the draft pendulum to swing back in the direction of the offense. With many of those aforementioned defensive draftees becoming eligible for extensions, Roseman is going to replace costly offensive veterans with players on rookie deals over time.
The Eagles already have an immediate need for a WR3, with Jahan Dotson a pending unrestricted free agent. As previously discussed, the team could also be in the market for a tackle, and even upgrades on the interior offensive line. Plus, with Sam Howell set to become a free agent and Kyle McCord signing a futures deal with the Packers, Roseman may want to add to the quarterback factory through the draft, too, although this year’s class lacks depth.
Is there another Jalyx Hunt in this year’s draft who could help the Eagles off the edge?
… but keep drafting edge rushers
Still, the Eagles have needs to address on the defensive side of the ball. Roseman is seemingly always good for one edge defender in every draft class. Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the only 2025 active-roster edge rushers who are under contract next year, so Roseman will need to make additions through the draft and free agency.
The Eagles will also be on the market for a CB2, as Adoree’ Jackson is set to become a free agent. Kelee Ringo has one year remaining on his rookie deal, but given his inability to win the starting role in Year 3, it seems unlikely that he will earn the job in 2026. While the Eagles could attempt to identify their next starting outside cornerback opposite Mitchell through the draft …
The Eagles might look to an Adoree’ Jackson-type veteran to lock down the opposite corner to Quinyon Mitchell.
Sign a stopgap veteran CB2
… the free-agent route worked well enough for them in 2025, and they could go down that path again in 2026. Few NFL teams invest heavily in all three cornerback spots. Given the Eagles’ needs on offense, Roseman could make another Jackson-esque signing (or even re-sign Jackson) to hold them over for another season or two instead of investing premium draft capital at the position again.
That’s what Gloucester County resident Gabby Weiland recalled thinking after she made a wrong turn while Doordashing in Southwest Philly earlier this month. Instead of finding a customer waiting on the curb for her lunch, Weiland found herself outside of Sin City Cabaret Nightclub at 6130 Passyunk Avenue. One 8-foot-tall topiary Care Bear bending over another greeted her.
“Got lost in Philly and pulled over to see where I was … looked up and —,” Weiland captioned a TikTok that pans from the fourth-base bears back to her face, which appears equal parts mortified and confused. The 12-second clip has racked up more than 1.4 million views — and its fair share of jokes.
“What in the bear necessities?” commented one TikTok user. “They…they’re…playing leapfrog…RIGHT???” wrote another. Others assured Weiland not to worry because the bears are clearly in a committed situationship.
Many, however, knew where the bears were. “Oh, you found Sin City,” read a comment that’s been liked more than 8,600 times. According to strip club owner Gus Drakopoulos, that means the topiaries are working.
“If someone does a double take and posts a video or selfie, then the art did it’s job,” said Drakopoulos, 49, who had the topiaries installed in 2021. “I want images of those bears to be synonymous with the brand Sin City.”
Drakopoulos opened the original Sin City in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx in 2002at age of 25 after a securities fraud conviction sidelined his career as a stockbroker. Almost immediately, the club earned a star-studded reputation: Rapper Cardi B was discovered while performing there, and celebs ranging from Mike Tyson to Philly’s own Meek Mill were regulars.
Sin City owner Gus Drakopoulos poses in front of the 8-foot-tall bear topiaries that sit in front of his nightclub. The bears cost $18,000, Drakopoulos said.
Drakopoulos was forced to close the OG Sin City for good in 2018 after the club lost its liquor license. He relocated it to Philly in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The bears came a year later in November 2021, Drakopoulos said, as a way to signal to patrons that Sin City is a more artful, avant-garde gentleman’s club experience.
“The bears are playful and open for interpretation,” he said. “You can say they’re playing football. Go Birds.”
“I fell in love with the idea,” Drakopoulos said. “The bears look so innocent and at the same time, depending on the eye of the beholder, so not.”
Both sets of bears are designed by celebrity topiary artist Joe Kyte, whose 2-acre topiary garden in Tellico Plains, Tenn., has churned out larger-than-life dragons, Formula 1 cars, and semi-realistic bottles of booze for clients ranging from Legoland and Ferrari to Absolut Vodka since 1992.
Kyte got his start working as a subcontractor for Disney parks in the 1980s, he previously told The Wall Street Journal, fashioning hippos and various versions of Mickey Mouse out of materials ranging from ivy to moss. He told The Inquirer that his clients have only gotten raunchier. In 2020, Kyte was commissioned by a Dutch adult magazine to create a photorealistic vagina out of hydrangeas, rosemary, and mullein leaf for a launch party in Holland.
Drakopoulos, Kyte said, was the first strip club owner to ever contact him. It was an immediate yes, he said.
“This is the first time a strip club has paid me. Normally it’s the other way around,” Kyte, 67, joked over the phone.
Drakopoulos paid $18,000 for two bears, which Kyte took two weeks to construct by arranging weather-resistant artificial boxwood atop custom-made metal frames. To finish the job, Kyte and an employee had to drive to 687 miles to Philly to install the bears, at one point getting stuck for hours in standstill traffic on I-81 in Virginia. Bored drivers, Kyte recalled, couldn’t stop taking photos.
“It’s wonderful that the bears are standing the test of time … Wouldn’t you be proud of them?” said Kyte, who is planning another trip to Philly to do maintenance on the Sin City bears later this winter. The sun’s UV rays have bleached parts of the deep-green topiaries.
Another angle of the bear topiaries outside of Sin City Cabaret Nightclub on Passyunk Avenue. “The bears are playful, and open for interpretation,” owner Gus Drakopoulos said.
It’s unclear if the bears have lead to more business for the club, Drakopoulos said, which has a roster of roughly 500 dancers. In 2022, rapper and Super Bowl LIX halftime performer Bad Bunny dropped $50K at Sin City hours before his Made in America performance. It’s not uncommon for some of the Eagles roster to come through, Drakopoulos said, though he declined to name specific players out of respect for their privacy.
Weiland, whose video went viral, was unaware initially that the bears belonged to a strip club. She’s never been to one, though Sin City may wind up being her first.
“Apparently, they have good food,” Weiland said. “And it looked like a very well taken care of place.”
