The Philadelphia Eagles are kicking off the 2025 NFL season in style, and it’s not just because they’re raising a new Super Bowl banner. After a dominant 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles have returned with nearly their entire championship core intact. That means talented players like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are all back and ready to go, and head coach Nick Sirianni is challenging the team to stay right in the present rather than get caught up in past glories or future expectations.
Sirianni puts it simply: repeat or recapture is the wrong mindset. He wants his team focused on the daily grind and mental toughness it takes to win again. And his players are echoing that focus. A.J. Brown put it even more plainly: “The Lombardi she’s not loyal,” meaning the trophy doesn’t come easily, and they’ve got to earn it all over again.
A closer look at why the Eagles look like real contenders again gives us a fuller picture. For one, their roster is absolutely stacked. They bring back elite talent on both sides of the ball—including up to nine players ranked in the NFL’s top 100 list—plus offensive versatility that blends Barkley’s dynamic ground game and Hurts’ playmaking with a lethal passing attack led by Brown, Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.
Hurts himself is coming into this season feeling more confident and mentally relaxed, after earning Super Bowl MVP and carrying the team through big moments. His chemistry with Barkley and the offensive line is giving analysts plenty to be optimistic about. Meanwhile Vic Fangio, the veteran defensive coordinator, has transformed the Eagles into one of the league’s toughest defensive units.
Make no mistake, the expectations are sky high. The Eagles have slimmed down talk of a “repeat,” but power rankings and pundits still have them pegged at the top. ESPN’s Rich Eisen recently highlighted how rare it is to win back-to-back Super Bowls, and said the Eagles have the team to pull it off. Pre-Week 1 rankings still place them at number one ahead of the Chiefs and Bills.
They open Week 1 at home on Thursday, September 4, against their longtime rivals the Dallas Cowboys—an NFC East showdown that’s always loaded with stakes and narratives.
But there’s more to this season than just one game. The NFL is also expanding globally in a big way. This year features a record seven games played outside the U.S.—with matchups in Sao Paulo, Dublin, London, Berlin and Madrid among the destinations bringing the league to new international markets. It’s part of a massive strategy to grow the sport worldwide, and the Eagles are launching their title defense amid a global push unlike any before.
On the field and off, the pieces are in place. The Eagles look primed for another stellar campaign. With their elite roster, confident quarterback, top-notch coaching, and a global stage, they’re not just defending a title—they’re ready to prove why they deserve it again.
