If a team wins the Super Bowl, it means that they went through three -- or four -- high-profile playoff games, including the Big Game, and came out on top in all of them.
Those playoff games provide an enormous platform for players to perform, as they're watched by, well, everyone. Players that play well throughout a playoff run tend to be sought after in free agency, as outside organizations were able to see how a player performed when the lights were the brightest and they hope that success can be replicated. They want a little piece of the Super Bowl magic, if you will.
As a result, outside organizations are often willing to pay more for Super Bowl free agents than the incumbent organization is able to. Teams simply can't afford to match the highest-avaible offer for every contributing player that hits the market.
That's why repeat champions are so rare in the NFL. It's hard to keep the band together once the confetti falls. The Philadelphia Eagles are learning that the hard way this offseason.
The Eagles have lost a bunch of key contributors from their Super Bowl team, but it comes with the territory
Fresh off of their dominant victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, the Eagles have already lost a plethora of key contriburtors that helped them hoist the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Darius Slay signed with the Steelers. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Texans. That's two secondary starters right there. Josh Sweat landed with the Arizona Cardinals, and the New England Patriots made Milton Williams the highest-paid player in team history after he made 19 total starts during his four seasons in Philly. Mekhi Becton is now a Charger, and Kenny Gainwell will join Slay in Pittsburgh.
None of those loses are insurmountable individually, but losing all of those guys in the same offseason hurts. There's no way around it, and it only happened because Philadelphia's success provided a platform for them to show just how impactful they could be.
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The Patriots probably wouldn't have felt comfortable throwing over $100 million at Williams if he were a part-time starter on a 5-12 team. But seeing him record two sacks and recover a fumble on the biggest possible stage probably assuaged any concerns in New England's front office.
But, that's the price of success in the NFL, and the Eagles are happy to pay it. Doing so means they reached the mountaintop. No one said staying at the summit would be easy.
If you ask any Eagles fan, there isn't one who would trade in the joy and exuberance that the Super Bowl run brought for complete continuity when it comes to the roster. If anything, there's an excitement about building another championship contender with some new pieces.
And they won't all be new, of course. The exploisive offensive core of Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley is still in tact, with Barkley even getting a shiny new extension over the offseason. Plus, outside of Becton, the offensive line is still in tact, as are the dominant defensive duos of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis up front and Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the secondary.
Plus, the Eagles were able to retain arguably their most important free agent, as they locked linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Zack Baun up on a new three-year deal. Baun was a revelation for Philly last season, and keeping him in Midnight Green was a priority for the organization.
Also, given their recent track record when it comes to nailing picks and immediately turning them into productive players, there should be some serious optimism that the Eagles will be able to add to the roster in a meaningful way in next month's NFL draft.
Listen, losing players is tough, especially after they helped you reach the ultimate goal as an organization. Fans become attached to them, and seeing them sign elsewhere can be a tough pill to swallow. But, it comes with the territory when you're a champion, and that's exactly what the Eagles are -- the reigning NFL champs.
Departures will never be able to take away from what the Eagles accomplished as a team in 2024. Fans and players alike will never forget the ride, but things change. That's the reality of life, and football. Sometimes the best course of action is to embrace the change, rather than rail against it.
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