Eagles Rookie Needs More Playing Time in the Super Bowl

The Philadelphia Eagles are just days away from taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 in the Big Easy. The last time the Eagles played the Chiefs in the big game, Kansas City walked away with a 38-35 win in Super Bowl 57.

The Eagles want to be on the right side of the scoreboard this time, but it will not be easy. The Chiefs are on the cusp of making history. Kansas City is looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three consecutive titles, so the Eagles have that working against them.

However, for the Eagles to deny the Chiefs the chance at history, they will need the offense to continue to run the ball with star running back Saquon Barkley, and the defense to get pressure on Patrick Mahomes.

When the Eagles played the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, Philadelphia could not put much pressure on Mahomes. It’s hard to see the same thing happening with this year’s Eagles’ d-line as they are younger and more explosive.

Second-year defensive lineman Jalen Carter gets most of the attention. He can wreck a game from the interior, leaving Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith Jr. with one-on-one opportunities on the edge.

Philly needs Sweat and Smith Jr., who have been outstanding this season to win their 1-on-1 battles throughout the game. However, the Eagles cannot lean on those three games to do all the heavy lifting.

Therefore, the Eagles must find a way to get rookie pass rusher Jalyx Hunt on the field more on Sunday, who has gotten better throughout the season. The Eagles took Hunt in the third round, likely with the expectation he’ll play a little bit this season behind the likes of Sweat, Smith Jr., Brandon Graham, and Bryce Huff.

However, Huff's struggles in his first year with the Eagles and Graham's torn triceps injury in Week 12 opened up more opportunities for the rookie. 

Hunt hasn’t looked back as he had 21 combined tackles, five quarterback pressures, three QB hits, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and a tackle for loss in 16 games. Most fans might scoff at those numbers, but for a guy, who was a safety to start his collegiate career at Cornell, he’s just scratching the surface of what he could be.

Hunt has made his presence felt in the playoffs, especially in the NFC divisional round and title game. The rookie EDGE recorded his first career postseason sack on a crucial third and goal in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams. Hunt showcased his motor and athleticism, not giving up on the play to bring down Matthew Stafford.

Then in the NFC Championship game against the Commanders, Hunt bulldozed left tackle Brandon Coleman. 

Hunt played his most defensive snaps this season in the NFC title game (42), which was a blowout. In the Eagles’ first two playoff games, the rookie only played 21 and 17 defensive snaps against the Packers and Commanders.

Before the NFC title game, the most defensive snaps Hunt saw in a game was 38 against the Carolina Panthers in Week 14. Nonetheless, the rookie defender only has eight combined tackles, two QB hits, two QB pressures, a sack, and a tackle for loss in the playoffs. 

Even if he doesn’t get a sack in the Super Bowl, the Eagles will need Hunt to keep Mahomes from escaping out of the pocket as the battle in the trenches will be key on Sunday.

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