On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) suffered one of the most stunning losses of the season, losing handily to the New York Giants (2-4).
New York doubled up Philadelphia on the scoreboard, 34-17, and rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo had big games. Meanwhile, the Eagles' numerous problems that appeared through the first five weeks continued to haunt them, with the offense remaining out of sync under first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
Defensively, Philadelphia couldn't generate consistent pressure on Dart or stop the run. It also allowed chunk yardage on pass plays, looking like a shell of its stout 2024 form.
Looking back, Philadelphia's decision not to bring back cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract (worth a maximum of $15M) with the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason, is looking worse with each passing week.
Free Agency Mistake Is Taking Toll On Underwhelming Defense
While second-year pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have been even better than advertised coming out of college, the Eagles' lack of depth at corner has been exploited. Dart targeted wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey against third-year defensive back Kelee Ringo on New York's opening drive, and the 2019 undrafted free agent picked up 34 yards on the completion, with Ringo never establishing a strong defensive position, backpedaling and getting beat at the point of catch.
Ringo also displayed poor awareness when allowing a 26-yard completion to receiver Wan'Dale Robinson later in the first quarter, giving up on the play with Robinson on the ground despite never being touched, and the wideout got up and gained five extra yards.
Former first-round pick Adoree' Jackson had his share of lowlights, too, perhaps none lower than a pathetic tackle attempt at the goal line against Skattebo on a 1-yard touchdown that gave New York a 27-17 third-quarter lead.
It's easy to wonder what could have been had the Eagles been more aggressive in re-signing Rodgers, who returned from a 2023 suspension for violating the league's gambling policy last year and was excellent in 15 games (three starts) for the Eagles' top-ranked pass defense.
Per Pro Football Reference's data, Rodgers allowed 13 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 28 targets a season ago. The fifth-year cornerback has been even better in Minnesota, memorably scoring two defensive touchdowns in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. In five 2025 starts, quarterbacks are completing 50 percent of their attempts when targeting Rodgers for 112 yards (4.3 yards per target) and an interception while posting an awful 45.7 passer rating.
Had the Vikings handed Rodgers a larger contract the Eagles would have had no chance to match, allowing the decision to let him leave become much more understandable. But Minnesota didn't break the bank to sign Rodgers, and Philadelphia, who has $11.6M in salary cap space per Over The Cap and would have been able to make the numbers work in an extension.
Instead of having arguably the league's best three-corner rotation, the Eagles have a massive hole in their secondary they must address before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Whether Philly can fill that void or not could determine how serious a threat it is to repeat as Super Bowl champions.