Several Eagles could play their final game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday
Sunday’s Week 16 game could get emotional as the Eagles battle for a playoff spot and several ‘Birds’ could be playing their final game at Lincoln Financial Field.
There are two things that we all both love and hate about the NFL season. One is its’ length. Playing only 16 regular season games makes for a short season seemingly, but it also means the games matter more. Then, there’s roster turnover. It’s exciting to get new guys who make your team better, but you say goodbye to a ton of guys you love too. Take the Philadelphia Eagles for instance.
Sunday, they take on the Houston Texans in hopes of keeping their postseason dreams alive. This could also be the final time we see several familiar faces running around on the turf at Lincoln Financial Field.
It’s so hard to say goodbye…
We all knew that 2018’s regular season, for Darren Sproles, would be his last. Then, there’s Jason Peters, Jordan Hicks, Brandon Graham, and Nick Foles. What might Philly do with them?
We won’t even brought up the guys who are at the end of their deals who won’t be playing, guys like Ronald Darby, Jay Ajayi, and Chris Maragos. Could this be the end of the line for them as well?
Let’s talk about the guys who will be playing.
Old narratives resurface.
It seems like we have this conversation every year about Peters. Will he take a pay cut? Will Philly say goodbye to their longtime left tackle, a guy who’s played for three coaches? ‘The Bodyguard’ has remained relatively healthy all season, but he’s also getting a little ‘long in the tooth’.
Saying goodbye would save Philly roughly $8 million. That’s a nice piece of change the Eagles may want to use to lock up some of their younger talent.
Hicks has been out for a while but returns Sunday, and in that statement alone, we’ve said a lot about what we know about him. He’s a huge talent, but is he worth the long-term investment if he can’t play 16 games?
The same could be said for an oft-injured Ajayi, who plays the NFL’s most punishing position.
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Graham has proven his worth, and most would hope he isn’t a cap casualty, but that, very well, may be the case. Then, there’s Nick Foles. ‘Saint Nick’ has proven, twice now, to the Eagles fan base that there is value in having a good backup quarterback.
Last season’s Super Bowl MVP proved his mettle again in a must-win game versus the Los Angeles Rams, but with so many needs to fill, just like last season, there will be talk about ‘The Birds’ shopping him for a trade.
They may never get more for him than they could get for him right now.
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Regardless of what happens, all of the guys mentioned are Eagles forever. It’s been fun cheering for them. Many will have to fight back tears when they leave the field after what may be Philly’s final home game in 2018.
Hey, again, it’s a part of what we both love and hate about our favorite game. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.