Ok, now what Philadelphia Eagles?
What will the Eagles' No. 1 ranked defense do after the Super Bowl champs just lost their top sacks leader and two of their most productive quarterback hunters?
Oh, you can also forget the pipe dream of a potential Myles Garrett trade.
Josh Sweat Joins Former Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon in Arizona
After a career-defining performance in Super Bowl LIX, Josh Sweat has agreed to sign a lucrative deal with the Arizona Cardinals, reuniting with former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Sweat had the best year of his career under Gannon in 2022, with 11 sacks.
Sweat was a dominant force in Super Bowl LIX, racking up 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hits on Patrick Mahomes after leading the Eagles during the regular season with eight sacks. Sweat has solidified himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers.
The Cardinals, eager to bolster their defense under Gannon, agreed to sign Sweat to a massive four-year, $76.4 million contract, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Milton Williams Heads to New England for a Big Payday
Defensive tackle Milton Williams is also on the move, agreeing to a massive four-year, $104 million lucrative contract that is a $26 million per year deal with the New England Patriots, per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. After a breakout 2024 season in which he recorded seven sacks, including two in the playoffs, Williams gets a big payday.
Williams, originally a third-round pick in 2021, far outperformed his rookie deal and was due for a major raise. The Eagles valued him highly, but given their cap constraints and focus on other areas of the roster, they were unable to match New England’s offer.
No Myles Garrett Trade for Philadelphia
You can also cross off the Myles Garrett blockbuster trade pipe dream, as the Browns gave their star edge rusher a massive contract extension. Cleveland has agreed to terms on a four-year extension with Garrett that runs through the 2030 season, officially taking one of the league’s top defenders off the market.
The Eagles recorded 41 sacks in the regular season, with a combined 13 coming from Sweat and Williams. Losing two key defensive linemen presents a challenge for general manager Howie Roseman, whose team has long been built around dominance in the trenches.
What Will the Eagles Do Now?
The Eagles will need to look elsewhere, and internally could very well be the answer. It should be at least part of the answer!
The Eagles had multiple young players rise to the occasion, taking a giant leap during their Super Bowl-winning season, including Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. While Smith had an Eagles-record four sacks in the playoffs after 6.5 sacks in the regular season, Hunt had a great postseason as a rookie with 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, and 10 combined tackles in the playoffs. Not bad for a third-rounder in his first postseason.
Also, don’t completely rule out Eagles' legendary defensive end, Brandon Graham, giving it one more season in a reduced role. Yes, he has a fairytale ending set up, with a shot to retire as a Super Bowl champ again, but he has left the door open to a potential extra year. While Graham’s role was more limited in 2024 after tearing his triceps, he returned for Super Bowl LIX, and his leadership remains invaluable. If he decides to return for one more season, he could provide much-needed depth and experience to a retooled defensive line.
If Graham does indeed retire, Philadelphia may need to add a veteran presence in free agency. There is a healthy list of free-agent defensive linemen, especially in a cap-friendly range as free agency kicks off.
As far as on the outside, beyond free-agency, the 2025 NFL Draft is believed to have strong defensive line talent on Days 2 and 3, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. The Eagles may look to reload through the draft rather than make another splash in free agency.
"Defensive line prospects, there is a ton of them,” says Jeremiah. “It is as deep of a defensive tackle draft as I can ever remember.”
Among potential day 2 and 3 interior defensive linemen, his list includes Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell, Omarr Norman-Lott from Tennessee, Ty Hamilton from Ohio State, and Jordan Phillips from Maryland, to name a few.
As far as edge rushers, James Pierce out of Tennessee is believed to be a potential top-15 talent that could slip, according to Jeremiah.
“He's going to be an interesting one. He could go in the top 15. He could go bottom of one. He could go top of 2,” Jeremiah said. “There's a wide range on him. He's a lean, skinny rusher, but he has got a ton of juice and explosiveness.”
Eagles GM Howie Roseman believes in building through the trenches, so there’s no question that the Eagles will look to target the defensive line in the draft next month, regardless of how free agency shapes out.