Philadelphia Eagles fans are flying high right now off the back of their Super Bowl LIX triumph, with celebrations still ongoing across the city almost a fortnight on from the special night in New Orleans.
The Eagles were underdogs heading into the Super Bowl despite a hugely successful season, going 14-3 and scoring 55 points in the NFC Championship game. Many people believed the Kansas City Chiefs would complete the historic three-peat, given that they had come back from losing positions multiple times throughout the season.
However, the NFC East team shocked the world. They were up by 34 points before Patrick Mahomes had even scored a single point and were 40-6 by midway through the fourth quarter.
With players, coaches and fans all riding the high of success, very few will assume that this could go away anytime soon. But the NFL is one league that can change in the blink of an eye, and just a few things going wrong can derail an entire season.
Here, Mirror US Football has detailed all the disastrous scenarios that could happen in 2025 to potentially ruin the Eagles' fun.
Pro-Bowler linebacker leaves for free agency market
Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat will enter the free agency market on March 12 if he doesn't sign a new contract in Philadelphia. The Eagles' leading pass rusher and one of their stand-out performers at Super Bowl LIX restructured his contract in 2024 to stay with the team, but he could leave for absolutely nothing in the coming weeks.
Other teams will be willing to pay Sweat more, as he signed a one-year $10million contract through last season for the Eagles – but there are plenty of other squads with bigger cap space right now.
During the Super Bowl, Swear logged six pressures and 2.5 sacks – both team highs – and at 27 years old, he is still a stellar pick for any team in the defensive department.
When discussing the potential of leaving the Eagles with the Philadelphia Enquirer, Sweat said: "Money's important, sure, but I want to be in the right situation. I don't know what it looks like for me now, but I'm happy."
While the sun is still shining in Philadelphia, fans will hope that the hierarchy will retain some of its best talents with new contracts and other offers – but teams are already sniffing around for Sweat's talents.
One such team is the Arizona Cardinals, who are in a great position to sign up experienced players to their roster. With a projected $71.3m in salary cap space, the NFC West team have required a designated edge rusher for some time – and Sweat could yet be tempted to join up with his former coach in Arizona.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon was Sweat's defensive coordinator during the 2021 and 2022 season, and that connection could work in the Cardinal's favor in 2025.
Losing the athlete to an NFC rival would be a big loss this offseason, considering Sweat had one of the best campaigns of his career in 2024.
Hitting personal highs of 41 tackles, eight sacks, nine tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hits throughout the regular season, taking Sweat away from this No. 1-ranked defense would weaken it significantly heading into 2025.
Super Bowl stand-out stars secure trade deals
Josh Sweat isn't the only Eagles star who could leave the Super Bowl champions this offseason. According to Sportrac, the NFC East team are set to have 18 free agents in 2025 that will enter the market in March if they don't extend their current contracts.
These players include linebacker Zack Baun, who was one of two Eagles stars to intercept Chiefs QB Mahomes during the Super Bowl. Baun has been with the squad for just one season and has been a standout defensive star since he joined from the New Orleans Saints, coming fifth in the race for Defensive Player of the Year across the entire NFL.
Other free agents include Brandon Graham, Oren Burks, Isaiah Rodgers, Fred Johnson, Nick Gates and Milton Williams.
While the Eagles will be happy to decongest some of their roster to make room for new arrivals, losing the likes of Williams, Burks or Graham – all of whom participated in the Super Bowl – could weaken them for the upcoming season.
NFL Draft picks go horribly wrong
The NFL Draft is a massive part of every team's offseason, as it can make or break how their next campaign will line up with new stars joining the ranks. Thanks to their Super Bowl LIX win, the Eagles are the final pick in the first round of the Draft, with selections also in the second, third and fourth round – and three picks alone in the fifth round.
With seven selections at their disposal, the recruitment staff and head coach Nick Sirianni will have to work diligently to ensure that the players they select are of the highest calibre possible for their 2025 season to be successful.
In terms of their needs, a potential few replacements could be needed on defense if Sweat and Baun leave in free agency. There was a lot of responsibility placed on running back Saquon Barkley in 2024, so the Eagles may opt to strengthen their roster in that regard.
Or, they could head the opposite way and field some wide receivers in the Draft – but protection will be required at offensive line to do so – with linemen Mekhi Becton, Le'Raven Clark and Jack Driscoll all headed for the free agency market in 2025.
So in order to select the right skills players during the Draft, the Eagles will also have to secure the right protection for them in either pass protection or skilled blockers for the run – and it is difficult to do both.
Should the Draft not work out like Sirianni may hope, the Eagles could be left with plenty of weapons but not enough men in the trenches – and other NFL teams have proven in the past that this could be the downfall of a season.
