Less than two years after hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy with a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in a dramatic decline. The team endured a tumultuous 2025 season that ended with a wild-card round loss, and the current campaign has seen them fall to a 2-5 record, putting them on track for their first losing season under head coach Nick Sirianni. Analysts point to five key culprits for the Eagles' sudden collapse.
1. General Manager Howie Roseman
Roseman, a future Hall of Fame executive who built two championship rosters, faces accountability for the team's inability to overcome injuries and adversity. His biggest misses have come on offensive personnel: the lack of a succession plan for Lane Johnson, failure to reduce Saquon Barkley's workload with a complementary running back, and the hiring of inexperienced offensive coordinators. The handling of the receiver position after A.J. Brown's departure — attempting a "Moneyball" approach with multiple players including first-round pick Makai Lemon — has yet to yield results.
2. Head Coach Nick Sirianni
While Sirianni deserves credit for keeping the locker room intact, his decisions to replace Super Bowl-winning coordinator Kellen Moore with first-time coordinators Kevin Patullo and then Sean Mannion have backfired. The offense regressed under Patullo and has only marginally improved under Mannion. Hiring another rookie coordinator after the previous failure is viewed as inexcusable and a primary reason the 2026 season was compromised before injuries mounted.
3. Devastating Injuries
The Eagles have suffered an "outrageous number" of injuries, including the unexpected retirement of Lane Johnson and, most critically, quarterback Jalen Hurts' health issues. Hurts' absence makes winning nearly impossible without an elite backup. Barkley's hamstring injury, which surfaced after signs of slowing down following his 2,000-yard season, raises questions about overuse. The team's initial handling of Hurts' medical situation drew scrutiny, though the NFL will not impose punishment.
4. Victim of Past Success
The NFL's parity-driven structure penalizes sustained success. After their Super Bowl win, the Eagles lost key free agents like pass rusher Josh Sweat and defensive lineman Milton Williams, and took a significant hit on the offensive line. Retaining stars such as DeVonta Smith and Zack Baun limited their ability to be major players in free agency, further depleting roster depth.
5. A.J. Brown's Departure
Brown was instrumental in the Eagles' 2022-24 success, but his acrimonious exit and subsequent trade to New England left a massive offensive void. His cryptic actions during the 2025 season contributed to the failed title defense, and his absence continues to haunt the 2026 offense. New receivers have been unable to replicate his production, and even during the team's 2-0 start with a healthy Hurts, the offense underperformed.
