January 16, 2025
The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles have a decent chance of winning the Super Bowl. How do they compare to the 2022 team that went to the Super Bowl, and the 2017 team that won it all? Let's go position-by-position.
2017: Carson Wentz and Nick Foles
2022: Jalen Hurts
2024: Jalen Hurts
Wentz likely would have been the league MVP if he hadn't torn an ACL late in the season. Foles subbed in and played poorly to close the regular season, and the Eagles went from overwhelming favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl to underdogs in every playoff game. Foles was shaky in the Eagles' Divisional Round win over the Falcons, but turned into a superstar against the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game and against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Hurts finished second in MVP voting to Patrick Mahomes in 2022, and in my opinion he was the best player in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. Unfortunately for those Eagles, Andy Reid ate Jonathan Gannon's lunch, and Hurts' heroics weren't enough.
2024 Hurts has thrown just 1 INT in the last 13 games and none in his last 7 games, but he also hasn't made many plays of his own, as the Eagles have relied on their high-powered rushing attack and No. 1 defense to win games.
2022 Hurts is obviously better than 2024 Hurts. The question is whether 2022 Hurts was better than the combo of Wentz and Foles. I'll lean Wentz/Foles, since Wentz got the Eagles the 1 seed, and Foles brought it home.
🥇 2017: Carson Wentz and Nick Foles
🥈 2022: Jalen Hurts
🥉 2024: Jalen Hurts
2017: LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement
2022: Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell
2024: Saquon Barkley and Kenny Gainwell
Blount, Ajayi, and Clement were a very effective three-headed monster who all had their moments during the Eagles' Super Bowl run.
Sanders made the Pro Bowl in 2022, but it often felt like he left meat on the bone, and he played poorly in the Super Bowl.
Barkley has been otherworldly for the 2024 Eagles, and is almost certain to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
It's Barkley by a mile (duh).
🥇 2024: Saquon Barkley and Kenny Gainwell
🥈 2017: LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement
🥉 2022: Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell
2017: Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor
2022: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Quez Watkins
2024: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson
Jeffery and Smith made big plays during the Eagles' Super Bowl run, but neither player was as talented as either Brown or Smith. The 2017 team had the best WR3 of this group in Agholor, who had a career year that season.
Brown and Smith are comfortably a top 5 NFL WR duo, perhaps top 3. In 2022, their stats were much better, but they were also healthy that season, whereas both receivers have battled injuries in 2024. I'll take 2022. On a side note, I'll give Dotson the WR3 nod over Watkins, because the Eagles don't even bother running plays for Dotson, but they did with Watkins, typically with bad results.
The 2017 receivers were deeper, but Brown and Smith are star players.
🥇 2022: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Quez Watkins
🥈 2024: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson
🥉 2017: Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, and Nelson Agholor
2017: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, and Trey Burton
2022: Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll
2024: Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra
When the Eagles absolutely had to move the chains in 2017, they went to Ertz. And, you know, Ertz had kind of a huge Super Bowl.
Goedert is a well-rounded tight end who does everything well, but has had durability issues. 2022 Goedert was a fresher player who had 55 catches for 702 yards despite missing 5 games.
🥇 2017: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, and Trey Burton
🥈 2022: Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll
🥉 2024: Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra
Let's lay out the offensive lines in chart form:
| Year | LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| 2017 | Jason Peters / Halapoulivaati Vaitai | Stefen Wisniewski | Jason Kelce | Brandon Brooks | Lane Johnson |
| 2022 | Jordan Mailata | Landon Dickerson | Jason Kelce | Isaac Seumalo | Lane Johnson |
| 2024 | Jordan Mailata | Landon Dickerson | Cam Jurgens | Mekhi Becton | Lane Johnson |
By the time the 2017 playoffs had rolled around, the Eagles were starting two offensive linemen who were backups to start the season, in Vaitai and Wisniewski. Vaitai took over for an injured Peters, and Wisniewski took over for an ineffective Seumalo. Kelce and Johnson were at the tops of their games, and Brooks was an outstanding RG.
The 2022 and 2024 Eagles offensive lines were/are arguably the best in the NFL. Here's how I would break down each position:
LT: 2022 Mailata was a good starter. 2024 Mailata is a star.
LG: Dickerson has continued to get better each year in the league.
C: Kelce is in the conversation for best center ever, though Jurgens immediately made a Pro Bowl in his first year as the starting center.
RG: Seumalo and Becton are very different players, but both are very good. I'd call this something close to a draw.
RT: Johnson has continued to play at an elite level.
Even with the loss of Kelce, I would take the Eagles' 2024 line over 2022 based on Mailata's development into an elite LT.
🥇 2024: Mailata, Dickerson, Jurgens, Becton, and Johnson
🥈 2022: Mailata, Dickerson, Kelce, Seumalo, and Johnson
🥉 2017: Vaitai, Wisniewski, Kelce, Brooks, and Johnson
2017: Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett
2022: Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham
2024: Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt
The 2017 group was deep, but didn't have that one star rusher. Long made a monster play in the NFC Championship Game and Graham made one of the biggest plays in Eagles history in the Super Bowl.
In 2022, Reddick, Sweat, and Graham each had double-digit sacks, and combined for 38 sacks.
In 2024, Sweat has quietly had a nice season, and Smith is developing into a good starter, while Hunt has leapfrogged the disappointing Bryce Huff in the rotation. Graham's injury against the Rams in November really hurt this group.
This one is 2022 by a mile.
🥇 2022: Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham
🥈 2017: Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett
🥉 2024: Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt
2017: Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, and Beau Allen
2022: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh, Milton Williams, and Jordan Davis
2024: Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo
Cox was at the top of his game in 2017, and arguably the second-best DT in the NFL at the time behind Aaron Donald. Jernigan had talent, but ran hot and cold.
The 2022 unit was stacked with talent and depth. Hargrave had 11 sacks. Cox was still a good starter, though no longer elite.
In 2024, Carter has been a beast, while Williams and Ojomo have generated pressure on the interior pass rush. Davis is a good run defender, but he doesn't get many snaps.
Again, the 2022 group is clearly the winner here. It's close between 2024 and 2017 for second place. Cox and Carter are close to equals, in my opinion, but I think I like the 2024 supporting cast a little more.
🥇 2022: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh, Milton Williams, and Jordan Davis
🥈 2024: Jalen Carter, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo
🥉 2017: Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, and Beau Allen
2017: Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks
2022: T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White
2024: Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean (some combination of Jeremiah Trotter and Oren Burks)
Bradham was the top linebacker in the 2017 group, with Kendricks playing a smaller role.
Edwards and White were a good tandem for most of the season, but they got exposed a bit in the Super Bowl.
Baun and Dean were the best linebacker duo in recent team history, with Baun earning First-Team All-Pro honors. To be determined what roles Trotter and Burks will play with Dean's season now over.
🥇 2024: Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean (some combination of Jeremiah Trotter and Oren Burks)
🥈 2022: T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White
🥉 2017: Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks
2017: Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, and Patrick Robinson
2022: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox
2024: Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean
Mills and Darby were an average outside corner duo. Robinson was one of the best slot corners in the NFL that season, and he made a game-changing play in the NFC Championship Game.
Bradberry's Eagles tenure was tainted by a bad 2023 season, but he was excellent in 2022, earning an All-Pro nod. Slay also made the Pro Bowl that season, and the Eagles had the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL. Maddox was still a good player at the time, but he couldn't stay on the field.
The 2024 group still has Slay, who has played well, and a couple of immediately good rookies in Mitchell and DeJean.
🥇 2022: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox
🥈 2024: Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean
🥉 2017: Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, and Patrick Robinson
2017: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, and Corey Graham
2022: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps
2024: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship
Jenkins was a team leader, and a fantastic player. He has become an underrated figure in that the Super Bowl winning team, in my opinion, and should have legendary status in Philly. There's Brian Dawkins, who is on his own level as far as Eagles safeties go, and then there's Malcolm Jenkins. He was such a versatile, tough player. McLeod was also a good player for the Eagles who just retired at the end of the 2024 season.
As for 2022 vs. 2024, CJGJ is more or less the same player, but I'll take Blankenship over Epps.
🥇 2017: Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, and Corey Graham
🥈 2024: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship
🥉 2022: C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps
2017: Jake Elliott
2022: Jake Elliott
2024: Jake Elliott
Elliott made some monster kicks in 2017, but he developed into a better kicker overall by 2022. In 2024, Elliott has struggled and has to be considered a real concern the rest of these playoffs.
🥇 2022: Jake Elliott
🥈 2017: Jake Elliott
🥉 2024: Jake Elliott
2017: Donnie Jones
2022: Aaron Siposs
2024: Braden Mann
Jones is the 🐐, Siposs was terrible, and Mann has been pretty good for the Eagles this season (as a punter, not as a kickoff guy).
🥇 2017: Donnie Jones
🥈 2024: Braden Mann
🥉 2022: Aaron Siposs
2017: Doug Pederson, Frank Reich, and Jim Schwartz
2022: Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, and Jonathan Gannon
2024: Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore, and Vic Fangio
Pederson made the NFL completely re-think fourth-down "go for it" situations after his extreme (extreme at the time, that is) aggressiveness during the 2017 season. He and Reich also regularly out-schemed opposing defenses, and he successfully oversaw a locker room with immaculate vibes. Schwartz was a very good defensive coordinator for the Eagles, even if fans nitpicked some of his tendencies.
The 2022 team is marred by Gannon, who had an atrocious showing in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, and it was later revealed that he was improperly interviewing for the open Cardinals head coaching job instead of putting his full focus into winning a Super Bowl.
The Eagles' 2024 passing game has been vanilla and underwhelming, despite star talent at wide receiver. Fangio has been a savior of sorts on the defensive side of the ball.
We should also probably mention here that one of the constants across all three of these teams is offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who has played a major role in the success of all of these teams.
🥇 2017: Doug Pederson, Frank Reich, and Jim Schwartz
🥈 2024: Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore, and Vic Fangio
🥉 2022: Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, and Jonathan Gannon
The 2017 team had special comradery. Those guys all loved each other, and the players themselves have attributed their success to the strong, fun locker room they built that season.
The 2022 team basically didn't face any adversity whatsoever. It was just a joy ride from Week 1 all the way through until the Super Bowl, with the only real blip being a two-game losing streak after Hurts injured his shoulder.
The 2024 team had to recover from the epic collapse of the 2023 season, and they have. This team has a strong locker room. I mean, they're 15-3. Winning will do that. But it doesn't have the extreme feel-good vibes that were palpable in 2022, and especially 2017.
🥇 2017
🥈 2022
🥉 2024
In my opinion, the 2022 and 2024 Eagles rosters were more talented than the 2017 team, but the 2017 team just had so many intangibles working in its favor. As for 2022 vs. 2024, I'd give the nod to 2022 because Hurts was playing a much higher level, and that team had an elite pass rush.
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