The Philadelphia Eagles will not repeat as Super Bowl champions after Sunday's 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Despite all the talent on the field for Philadelphia and the fact that most of its roster was still intact from that Super Bowl triumph, the Eagles were sent packing in the wild-card round.
The Eagles brought in veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith, only for him to abruptly retire on Oct. 13, leaving a huge void to fill at the edge position. Not only that, but the Eagles also acquired cornerback Jaire Alexander, who stepped away after appearing in just two games to focus on his mental and physical health.
As STT Sports Network's Phil Stiefel made clear, he still wants truthful answers to why Smith and Alexander both upped and dipped on the Eagles after being "excited" with "lots left in the tank" when they got to Philadelphia, which begs the question of whether there is more to this than meets the eye. Considering the expectations that were placed on the Eagles entering their Super Bowl defense and the acquisitions of Smith and Alexander to bolster their defensive unit, the sudden departures from both definitely sting even more after the early playoff exit.
Za'Darius Smith's Exit May Highlight Bigger Issue for Eagles
While the sudden decision from Alexander to step away was noteworthy as well, injuries and character issues overshadowed who was once one of the top corners in the league. Smith's retirement announcement, meanwhile, left a much bigger hole to fill and definitely raises some questions about the current culture that is in place in Philadelphia.
The Eagles were one of the best defenses in the league for most of the season, and Smith appeared to be a key component on their front. In just five games with the team, Smith registered 10 total tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 10 total pressures. He was also ranked 31st or better (out of 170 qualified edge defenders) in overall grade (23rd), pass rush grade (21st), and run defense grade (31st), per Pro Football Focus, which speaks to a player who was contributing a lot for this Eagles defense, only to retire in the middle of the season.
Looking at this long-term, the Eagles are likely going to lose several key players defensively during the offseason. The Eagles only signed Smith to a one-year deal, but his solid play early on suggests he would have almost certainly put up numbers worthy of a new deal following the season if he stayed at that pace and played the entire season. Of course, there is no guarantee he would have been that effective all season and that the Eagles would even be in the same position they are currently in or a different one altogether.
Given the offensive struggles and the inability of this Eagles team to put everything together, it is fair to wonder what Smith could have done if he were around the entire season, especially in a tightly-contested wild-card game. As someone with 70.5 career sacks and a lot of experience, that could have come in handy for an Eagles team that only sacked 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy once in the wild-card round.
Now it's back to the drawing board for Philadelphia after squandering what should have been another Super Bowl-contending season with the talent on this roster. Instead, the 2025 season featured a lackluster offense and off-field drama in multiple ways, including the shocking departures of Smith and Alexander.