2025 Super Bowl: How four days in offseason set the stage for Eagles’ championship run, rematch with Chiefs – CBS Sports
If not listed, please contact your TV provider.PHILADELPHIA — Going to two Super Bowls in three years is no easy task, which is what the Philadelphia Eagles accomplished this season after winning the NFC Championship. This set the stage for the rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, making head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts the first head coach and quarterback (respectively) to lead the franchise to multiple Super Bowls.The Eagles were a franchise that had a lot of questions heading into this season, thanks to an epic collapse in 2023 that saw the team start 10-1 before losing six of seven to close out the season and fall in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Philadelphia had to retool the roster in order to get back to the top of the NFC, a process that isn’t easy without making major salary dumps in the offseason.General manager Howie Roseman did little of that, keeping the majority of his core group of players intact while adding talent with calculated free agent signings and extensions that transformed the Eagles from an 11-win team to a 14-win team and conference champion once again.The story of the 2024 Eagles season can be explained through these four days last March, which set the stage for Philadelphia’s championship run. The Eagles had a franchise cornerstone on their offensive line in Dickerson, a 2021 second-round draft pick from Alabama. Already a two-time Pro Bowl left guard in his first three seasons, Dickerson was heading into the final year of his rookie four-year contract.Dickerson didn’t have to wait for an extension, as Roseman and the front office took care of business with a four-year, $84 million extension for their Pro Bowl left guard — making him the highest-paid left guard in the NFL. Dickerson had another Pro Bowl appearance, allowing five sacks and 25 pressures this season. Dickerson is a massive reason why the Eagles rushed for 179.3 yards per game in the regular season and 227.7 yards per game this postseason, along with the “tush push” being such a success in short-yardage situations. The biggest impact on the offensive side of the ball was the Eagles playing a premier running back one of the largest contracts in the NFL at his position, as the front office steered away from paying running backs for multiple years and big money. Roseman made an exception for Barkley, giving him a three-year, $37.5 million deal when the New York Giants decided to let Barkley walk in free agency. Wanting to stay close to home and the Eagles having the best offensive line in football, the fit was perfect for Barkley. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in the regular season, the ninth player to have 2,000 rushing yards ina season. In the postseason, Barkley has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns — averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Barkley is just 30 yards away from passing Terrell Davis for most rushing yards in a season (including postseason) and has an NFL record seven touchdown runs of 60+ yards this season. A First Team All-Pro and MVP finalist, Barkley may go down as the best free agent signing in NFL history. On the same day the Eagles officially signed Barkley, a minor move was made (or what seemed minor at the time). The Eagles signed Baun to a one-year, $4 million deal and initially had him as a situational pass rusher. That all changed when Vic Fangio decided to play Baun at off-ball linebacker, a move that transformed the Eagles defense in 2024. Baun was a star from the get-go, finishing with 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and four passes defensed in 16 games — earning First Team All-Pro honors and being a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. In the postseason, Baun has 26 tackles, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two passes defensed — as Philadelphia had the No. 1 defense in 2024.Not only has Baun been an All-Pro, but he’s been a leader in the locker room. This is arguably the Eagles’ best signing of the offseason, and that includes Barkley. Elliott has been a reliable kicker for the Eagles for seven seasons, becoming the first rookie kicker to make two 40+ yard field goals in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl in Super Bowl LII. The Eagles rewarded Elliott with a four-year, $24 million extension — tying him with Justin Tucker as the highest-paid kickers in NFL history. While Elliott has been reliable in the past, he’s actually struggled in 2024. Elliott hit just 77.8% of his field goals this season, his lowest since 2020, and was just 1 of 7 on field goals from 50+ yards (has the most 50 + yard kicks in Eagles history). While Elliott was 47 of 48 on extra points in the regular season, he was 9 of 12 in the postseason. He’s attempted one 50+ yard kick and missed it, a major problem for the Eagles heading into the Super Bowl. Elliott has been reliable throughout his career and earned his contract extension, and can turn things around with one kick in the Super Bowl. The Eagles made the mistake of allowing Grader-Johnson to walk in free agency after their first Super Bowl run in the Hurts-Sirianni era. They weren’t going to make that mistake again with Gardner-Johnson available in free agency.Philadelphia signed Gardner-Johnson to a three-year, $27 million deal with the Eagles (can go up to $33 million). Not only did the Eagles get a playmaker back in the secondary, but the swagger back to the defense that unit lacked in 2023.Gardner-Johnson had 59 tackles, six interceptions, and 12 passes defensed in the regular season — a difference-maker in the secondary to help young cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Opposing quarterbacks had just a 64.1 passer rating targeting Gardner-Johnson this season, as he was part of the Eagles having the No. 1 pass defense in 2024.The Eagles pass defense immediately improved when Gardner-Johnson returned. © 2004-2025 CBS Interactive. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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