September 09, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
All eyes are on Jalen Hurts, as usual, as the Eagles begin another season with another new offensive play caller.
The start of the Eagles' new season is almost here.
The anticipation will end Sunday when they take the field against the Washington Commanders before a fired-up Lincoln Financial Field crowd for a 4:25 p.m. kickoff.
The 2026 offseason was one of major change for the Birds: Kevin Patullo was fired. A.J. Brown was traded. Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship left in free agency. Christian Parker swapped sides of the Philly-Dallas rivalry. Brandon Graham retired, again.
But there were also some new additions, including Riq Woolen, Makai Lemon and Dontayion Wicks, all of which were intended to make the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders again.
Here are the top 10 storylines for the Eagles entering 2026:
If you didn't know the Eagles were introducing a new offense, please let me know the area code of the rock you've been living under. The Eagles are taking a major gamble in going with yet another first-time offensive play caller after their last two didn't pan out.
But this offense under Sean Mannion promises to be different, with pre-snap motion, under center formations and heavy motion – all of which were on display at training camp. How well Jalen Hurts functions in the offense will go a long way in determining if Mannion will fare better than his predecessors.
Last year's offensive pitfalls can largely be attributed to injuries to three-fifths of an offensive line typically considered among the best in the sport. Left guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens, each coming off surgeries at this time last year, both sought stem cell therapy and other wellness treatment in Colombia this offseason after nightmarish 2025 seasons, while mainstay right tackle Lane Johnson pondered retirement after a failed comeback last season from the Lisfranc sprain in his right foot that cost him the final eight games, including the postseason. Johnson has said 2026 – his 14th season – will likely be his last.
The Eagles appeared to have improved their o-line depth this offseason, but most of their backups are unproven and inexperienced. They need the starting five to be healthy and dominant for the offense to thrive again.
Sticking with the offense, phenom running back Saquon Barkley felt the sting of those offensive line issues and from a passing game that didn't threaten defenses. Coming off his record-setting 2024, Barkley got smothered early and often last season and registered the lowest EPA per run among RBs who finished top 10 in rushing.
But the bigger concern is the tread on the 29-year-old's tires. Barkley has accrued 828 total touches in his two seasons with the Eagles, just a massive workload for someone who had already dealt with numerous injuries with the Giants before coming over to Philly. Can he handle another 300-400 touches in 2026?
Buckle up and get ready. DeVonta Smith not only becomes WR1 after the team traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots but also the unquestioned centerpiece of the passing attack. That should mean a monstrous number of targets for Smith, who has averaged about 7 targets per game in his five seasons with the Eagles, a number that could nearly double in 2026.
Like with Barkley, workload could be an issue for the 170-pound wideout who plays big despite the slight frame and is known for contested catches and some intense, acrobatic landings. The Eagles can't afford to lose Smith to any injuries this season.
DeVonta Smith #6 of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a catch during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 13, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
The Eagles are fairly deep at several positions, especially on defense. They don't need rookies to be superstars, but they will need some contributions from first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon, and probably some others.
Lemon, drafted 20th overall, is hoping to be the second target behind Smith in the pass game but missed much of OTAs and training camp with hamstring injuries. The Eagles need his slot expertise in three-receiver formations. Second-round tight end Eli Stowers probably won't contribute right away, but he showed downfield explosion in college, which the Eagles will eventually need this year.
Third-round OT Markel Bell could be called on if Lane Johnson has another injury-plagued season, while fifth-round QB Cole Payton – who drew Taysom Hill comps during the pre-draft cycle – should be a redshirt unless the Eagles have some other non-QB role planned for him.
We will not save special teams for last. Jake Elliott's upcoming season is surely among the top storylines.
Elliott was one of the NFL's best – and most clutch – kickers from 2017 to 2023. He has kicked in three Super Bowls and is one of just three people walking the planet who have been a part of both Eagles Super Bowl-winning teams.
But in 2024 he made just 77.8 percent of his kicks, then fell to 74.1 last year. His missed PAT in last year's first-round NFC playoff game factored greatly into the team's 23-19 loss to the Niners.
Elliott accepted a pay cut this season, but the Eagles didn't bring in anyone else to challenge him. He kicked well in training camp but needs to carry that over, or the Eagles could be in trouble.
The Eagles scored a major upgrade when they signed Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen in free agency to replace Adoree' Jackson at the cornerback spot opposite All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell. Woolen has some tremendous athletic traits, including a 6-foot-4 frame, a near 79-inch wingspan, and 4.26 speed.
Woolen and Mitchell have the potential to comprise the NFL's best outside corner tandem. Woolen enjoyed a terrific rookie season in Seattle but gradually declined and by his fourth season became the subject of trade discussions for the Seahawks, who also limited him to sub packages.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has already said Woolen will be an every-down cornerback. If Woolen can play like a top-level corner, the Eagles defense could go from very good to the NFL's very best. He could be the difference between a postseason exit and another Super Bowl ring for both.
In his second season, will Jihaad Campbell become a breakout player for the Eagles?
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Now, it's Jihaad Campbell's turn. Last year's first-round pick started the first eight games of his rookie season at inside linebacker while veteran Nakobe Dean rehabbed from patellar tendon surgery. Campbell looked the part, but the defense took a major step forward when Dean returned and Campbell went to the bench.
With Dean bolting in free agency for the Raiders, Campbell steps back into the spot alongside All-Pro Zack Baun. Campbell offers more athleticism and range than Dean did, but Dean's instincts and ability to get downhill quickly in run defense and in the blitz were a force multiplier in Vic Fangio's scheme. Campbell has some big cleats to fill.
One of the bigger offseason losses for the Eagles was DBs coach Christian Parker's fence-jump to rival Dallas to become Cowboys defensive coordinator.
Parker, who rejoined Vic Fangio's staff in Philadelphia in 2024, presided over the development of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into All-Pros and Super Bowl champs as rookies, over undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship's ascent into a starting safety on a Super Bowl defense, and over a pretty good rookie season from second-round safety Andrew Mukuba before a fractured ankle ended it prematurely.
More worrisome is that he's now developing talent and designing defensive schemes for the Eagles' rivals, bringing that Fangio flavor to a Cowboys team that has an elite offense and just needs to improve its other side of scrimmage.
The Eagles won the NFC East last year over Dallas by 4.0 games in the win column, a massive margin by NFL standards. If Parker flourishes in his new role, the race between Philly and Dallas could get much tighter.
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