For a team that is as stacked as the Philadelphia Eagles and coming off a dominant Super Bowl win, you’ll try and find motivation anywhere you can.
In that case, the Eagles should send ESPN’s Ben Solak some sort of gift package or floral arrangement for calling them the NFL’s “Least Improved Team” in 2025.
Solak’s declaration came 100 days from when the Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys to open the NFL regular season on September 4 in Philadelphia.
It’s also important to point out that Solak might not be wrong and the Eagles can still Super Bowl contenders. Consider, on the most basic level, that if the Eagles haven’t improved at all and they’re exactly same team from last year … then by that logic they could win another Super Bowl.
“It’s not particularly revolutionary to claim that the Super Bowl champion is going to have a hangover, but boy howdy did the Eagles lose a lot of talent,” Solak wrote on May 27. “In fact, 4,114 defensive snaps from 2024 are out the door with defensive linemen Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham and defensive backs C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers … The Eagles start with the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams, Bucs and Broncos — five potential playoff teams. Things could get squirrelly.”
Other Teams Paid Big Money for Eagles Free Agents
Part of winning a Super Bowl is your players become ones other teams covet — and will pay exorbitant amounts of money to in order to try to bring that winning experience to their rosters.
In the case of the 2024 Eagles, there were some dudes that got super-duper paid.
Sweat, Philadelphia’s sacks leader, played on a 1-year, $10 million contract in 2024 and turned that into a 4-year, $76.4 million free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals and former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who became Arizona’s head coach before the 2023 season.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed the Cardinals signing Sweat as one of the smartest offseason decisions any NFL team made in 2025.
From Next Gen Stats: “Josh Sweat generated a team-high six pressures on 34 pass rushes in Super Bowl LIX, including a career-high 2.5 sacks. Sweat registered four of his six pressures on early downs including every one of his sacks.”
Slay signed a 1-year, $10 million contract from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rodgers signed a 2-year, $11 million contract from the Minnesota Vikings.
Williams Cashed in With Epic Deal in AFC East
No one on the Eagles — or in the NFL for that matter — cashed in to the extreme levels Williams did when he signed a staggering 4-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots that included $63 million in guaranteed money.
In his first 4 seasons with the Eagles, Williams tallied just $6.89 million in career earnings. Williams got his 9-figure deal after just 24 tackles, 5.0 sacks and 10 QB hits in 2024 followed by a bravura postseason run, including 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
From ESPN: “Milton Williams agreed to a new deal with the New England Patriots, but the Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Pats were all negotiating with him this afternoon. One source says Williams’ deal with the Patriots will average $26 million per season.”
