The Philadelphia Eagles' playoff matchup is set with the franchise hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Eagles will have a clear health advantage over a 49ers team that cannot seem to keep its stars on the field. Still, San Francisco is an incredibly well-coached team, and it isn't as if Philadelphia has shown recent capability to blow out teams as they did a season ago.
With this in mind, it is hard not to look ahead and consider who could be potentially playing their final game in an Eagles uniform if this weekend ends in a loss.
1. Dallas Goedert, TE
Already, the Eagles are paying Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith when it comes to their star playmakers. Dallas Goedert is slated to hit free agency and is coming off a great season where he totaled 11 touchdowns on a career-high 60 catches. In what appears to be a thin tight end market in 2026 free agency, it is easy to argue that Goedert is going to be at the top of the list for any team with needs at the position.
For the Eagles, re-signing Goedert might be an uphill battle. There's a good chance that he'll be leaving town, regardless of how the playoff ends, especially if tight-end-needy teams are willing to pay more than Philadelphia. After all, Spotrac is projecting that general manager Howie Roseman will only have about $22.1 million in cap space to use, along with 17 unrestricted free agents totake care of.
Goedert re-worked his current contract to make it far more team-friendly help the franchise create needed cap space. The pass catcher has already sacrificed and, at 31, is unlikely to get another chance to cash in on free agency, making it likely that a Philly loss would be the end of Goedert's time with the Eagles.
2. Jake Elliott, K
Jake Elliott was given a surprising endorsement from head coach Nick Sirianni despite a clear lack of trust from the head coach at the end of the season. This included going for two against the Washington Commanders in Week 17 when the game was well within hand. It appeared that Sirianni didn't want to put his kicker on the field and risk the game ending with a miss. This speaks to where Elliott is in his career after an abysmal a 74.1% field goal rate this season.
If Philly's season ends on Sunday and Elliott doesn't have a redemptive game, there is a great chance the two sides part ways. As many incredible moments as Elliott has had in seasons past, he needs a strong postseason run to convince fans and, more importantly, the Philadelphia coaching staff that he remains the right answer.
Losing in the first round sets up a very real possibility that the Eagles look to find a more consistent answer at the position and part ways with Elliott. He's signed through 2028; however, Philadelphia can save over $2.2 million in cap room if they trade or cut him after June 1, per Spotrac.
No question, Elliott needs Philadelphia to stick around in the playoffs and have a chance to prove that this past season was an outlier.
3. Brandon Graham, DE
Already, Brandon Graham was talked out of retirement to join the 2025 pass rush. With that in mind, it's easy to see why he might hang up the cleats again if the Eagles are one-and-done in the postseason.
Winning back-to-back Super Bowls would introduce the possibility of a return, with Graham having the chance to chase history with Philadelphia as the first team to win three straight. At the same time, he might not be willing to grind through an NFL offseason if the Eagles' chances to make history are squashed.
Graham has been productive in a limited role, offering three sacks and a surprise presence on the inside when the Eagles badly needed help when Jalen Carter was out. This proves that even at this late stage of Graham's career, there is more to contribute than his respected leadership. Still, he'll also be 38 years old when the next season starts, meaning he doesn't have much runway left in his career, if he has any remaining at all.
Graham already has two Super Bowl rings and an incredibly accomplished career, being Philly's third all-time leading sack artist behind only Trent Cole and Reggie White. Unless the Eagles prove they are a dynasty, there is no reason for such an accomplished player to return for the 2026 campaign.