The Philadelphia Eagles are getting ready for another season, and fans can rest comfortably knowing that most of their favorites will be back for another year. With Jalen Hurts at quarterback, Saquon Barkley in the backfield, and A.J. Brown with DeVonta Smith at receiver, the Eagles have most of their offense back in place to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy this season.
When it comes to the defense, there are a few questions. The Eagles let Darius Slay walk in free agency and traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Slay’s departure in particular opened the door for a fan favorite to take a starting job. But as camp has progressed, the odds of him winning that job have taken a hit.
Kelee Ringo is Likely Staying on the Eagles Bench in 2025
Eagles fans have been excited about Kelee Ringo since he arrived in Philadelphia. A projected first-round talent in the 2023 draft, the Georgia product slid all the way to the fourth round, making Eagles faithful believe that their team got a steal.
After two seasons in a backup role, Ringo made 36 total tackles, a sack, an interception, and three pass defenses. Pro Football Focus gave Ringo respectable overall grades of 64.7 in 2023 and 65.5 in 2024, and he’s allowed nine catches for 125 yards and a touchdown with an interception and two pass breakups on 16 targets.
Those numbers made it feel like it was a formality for Ringo to win a starting job despite the addition of Adoree’ Jackson. Ringo also drew praise from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during training camp for his tackling but his grip on the starting job has loosened.
The Eagles have given more reps to Jackson as camp has progressed, and rookie Mac McWilliams has also earned first-team reps along the way. Philadelphia also spoke volumes with their actions, adding Jakorian Bennett to the room after a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders this week.
“I think both of those guys have done an outstanding job and I know Vic [Fangio] talked about that yesterday. That’s a battle,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said this week. “You love having battles and I think you can look out there and see Adoree’ make a play and you see Kelee make a play, and you guys have seen it. They’re doing a really nice job and [we’re] excited about how they worked and how they worked all offseason, how they worked all summer and came in here ready to compete.”
Even if it’s back and forth, the trade for Bennett adds another candidate for that starting role. While Ringo may not sweat his job, he could wind up being a surprising trade candidate if he can’t win the starting job during the preseason.
That should have Eagles fans worried about a player they have high hopes for, and could put a premature end to his time in Philadelphia.