Tag: Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman praises A.J. Brown amid uncertain future

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With A.J. Brown’s future in Philadelphia uncertain, Eagles GM Howie Roseman made it seem at least somewhat unlikely that the team would move on from the mercurial but effective wide receiver.

“It’s hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J.’s a great player,” Roseman said on Thursday when asked if he’d consider trading Brown this offseason. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency, in the draft, just trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy.”

Brown, a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by Tennessee whom Philadelphia acquired in a trade ahead of the 2022 season, posted his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season for the Eagles in 2025 with 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 catches.

However, he had three catches for 25 yards and a pair of critical drops in Sunday’s 23-19 wild-card loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers.

Brown has also stirred up quite a bit of attention over the last few years with cryptic social media posts and public complaints about his role within the offense.

During the 49ers loss, Brown and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni were seen on the broadcast engaged in an intense sideline argument. Brown left before talking to reporters, but Sirianni said after the game it was related to getting Brown off the field for a punt and spoke of his love for Brown despite their occasional differences.

“I love A.J. I think he knows how I feel about him,” Sirianni said. “I have a special relationship with him. We’ve probably (gone) through every emotion you can possibly have together. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, we’ve yelled at each other. We’re both emotional.

“I was trying to get him off the field, and that happens in this game. That happens in this game, but I love him.”

Brown signed a three-year extension with Philadelphia ahead of the 2024 season which locked him into a contract through 2029 and paid him $84 million guaranteed, a then-record for a wide receiver.

–Field Level Media

Kevin Patullo out as Eagles’ offensive coordinator

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Eagles are moving on from Kevin Patullo at offensive coordinator after the defending Super Bowl champions fell out of the playoffs in the wild-card round.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that he “decided to make a change” — meaning he’ll be searching for his sixth play-caller in as many seasons.

The statement did not specify whether Patullo was outright fired from the organization. Patullo has worked on Sirianni’s offensive coaching staff in multiple roles since 2021, and he could be retained in a different role.

“I met with Kevin today to discuss the difficult decision, as he is a great coach who has my utmost respect,” Sirianni said in a statement. “He has been integral to this team’s success over the last five years, not only to the on-field product but behind the scenes as a valued leader for our players and organization. I have no doubt he will continue to have a successful coaching career.

“Ultimately, when we fall short of our goals that responsibility lies on my shoulders.”

The Eagles finished 24th in the NFL in total offense (311.2 yards per game), 23rd in passing offense (194.3 per game) and 19th in scoring offense (22.3 ppg), a low point in Sirianni’s five-year tenure.

They were held to 19 points and 307 total yards in a home loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the wild-card round, intensifying fans’ focus on Patullo’s job.

Patullo, 44, was the Eagles’ pass game coordinator in 2021-24 and was given the title of associate head coach for 2023-24.

He was promoted to offensive coordinator after Kellen Moore’s lone season as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator resulted in a Super Bowl LIX title and a new gig as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

–Field Level Media

49ers battle past defending champ Eagles in wild-card showdown

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Brock Purdy threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey with 2:54 left and the San Francisco 49ers ended the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles’ season with a 23-19 win in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game in Philadelphia.

The 49ers will visit the Seattle Seahawks in next weekend’s NFC divisional round and the Chicago Bears will host the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles had been 5-0 at home in the playoffs under head coach Nick Sirianni.

Purdy passed for 262 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and McCaffrey finished with 114 yards from scrimmage and two TD catches. Demarcus Robinson caught six passes for 111 yards and a score and San Francisco improved to 8-2 on the road this season.

Jalen Hurts threw for 168 yards and a touchdown and Saquon Barkley ran for 106 yards for the Eagles. Dallas Goedert became the first tight end in NFL playoff history to rush for a touchdown and also caught a TD.

There were three lead changes in the final quarter.

The 49ers pulled ahead with a trick play on the first snap of the fourth quarter, with Jauan Jennings throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey. Eddy Pineiro’s extra point made it 17-16.

After Quinyon Mitchell’s second interception of Purdy, the Eagles went ahead 19-17 on Jake Elliott’s 33-yard field goal with eight minutes to play.

Purdy responded with the 10-play, 66-yard drive capped by the TD toss to McCaffrey. Pineiro missed the extra point.

The Eagles crossed midfield before the two-minute warning and had a first down at the 49ers’ 20 before stalling. On fourth-and-11 with 43 seconds left, Hurts’ pass to Goedert was broken up by Eric Kendricks.

San Francisco struck first thanks to Robinson’s weaving, 61-yard catch-and-run on the second snap of the game. Four plays later, Purdy hit Robinson with a 2-yard pass for a 7-0 lead.

Philadelphia answered with a TD on its first drive on a 1-yard sweep by Goedert. Elliott’s extra-point try hit the left upright on a windy day, and it was 7-6 midway through the first quarter.

The Eagles converted two fourth downs on a 16-play, 94-yard drive to take a 13-7 lead in the second quarter. Hurts picked up a fourth-and-1 at his own 43 with a “tush push” and fired a 9-yard TD to Goedert on fourth-and-2.

It was 13-10 after Pineiro booted a 36-yard field goal for the 49ers with 2:50 left in the half. It was a costly drive for San Francisco as star tight end George Kittle was carted off with an Achilles injury.

The second half was scoreless until Elliott’s 41-yard field goal put Philadelphia up 16-10 with 2:11 left in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

49ers TE George Kittle carted off vs. Eagles with Achilles injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was carted off the field with an Achilles injury and will not return to Sunday’s NFC wild-card game in Philadelphia, the team announced.

Kittle caught a 6-yard pass with 5:58 left in the second quarter and his right leg appeared to buckle as he was being tackled by Marcus Epps.

The cart came out and took the seven-time Pro Bowler to the locker room with the 49ers trailing the Eagles, 13-7. San Francisco ruled him out for the remainder of the game not long after.

It was the first catch of the game for Kittle, who had 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 starts during the regular season.

Kittle, 32, is in his ninth season with the 49ers, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2017. He has 595 career catches for 8,008 yards and 52 touchdowns in 124 games. He has four 1,000-yard seasons.

–Field Level Media

49ers LT Trent Williams questionable, but ‘confident’ he’ll face Eagles

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San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams is tracking toward playing, but the 12-time Pro Bowl selection will be a game-time decision for Sunday’s wild-card matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Definitely more confident,” Williams said when asked about his chances of playing. “Honestly, I’m kind of pushing the limits on how much (time) is required for it. So it will probably be in the back of my mind for a little bit. But once I get out there and get the juices flowing and the adrenaline going, I don’t think it should be a big problem.”

Williams practiced on a limited basis both Thursday and Friday and said he feels good enough to suit up, even as he acknowledged he’s accelerating the timeline on a hamstring strain suffered Dec. 28 while chasing down a Chicago Bears defender on the first snap.

His availability looms large: since 2020, the 49ers are 61-32 with Williams and 4-13 when he’s out.

Wideout Ricky Pearsall is a tougher call. He didn’t practice this week after aggravating a knee injury against the Bears and sitting out Week 18. Pearsall has battled ailments all season, appearing in nine games with 36 catches for 528 yards. He’s listed as questionable.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan left the door open for Pearsall despite the missed practice time, noting the second-year receiver did some side work Thursday before being held out Friday.

Five other 49ers are listed as questionable: linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps), defensive lineman Keion White (groin/hamstring), receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) and CB Renardo Green (ankle).

–Field Level Media

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts puts perfect home playoff record on line vs. 49ers

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts puts his 5-0 home record in the playoffs on the line Sunday against the visiting San Francisco 49ers.

Both wild-card teams lost in Week 18 and took significant drops in the NFC playoff seeding. The 49ers (12-5) fell to No. 6 after losing a battle with Seattle for No. 1, while the third-seeded Eagles (11-6) opted to rest their starters and squandered a chance to leapfrog Chicago for the No. 2 slot.

Before last weekend’s setbacks, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles had won three straight while Brock Purdy and the 49ers had won six in a row.

Philadelphia is making its fifth consecutive playoff appearance under fifth-year coach Nick Sirianni. San Francisco is in the playoffs for the fifth time under ninth-year head coach Kyle Shanahan. Both coaches have been to two Super Bowls, where Shanahan is 0-2 and Sirianni is 1-1.

Sirianni won their only previous meeting in the playoffs, a 31-7 victory in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023 in Philadelphia. Purdy suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow in the first quarter of that contest.

The Eagles alternated wild-card losses with Super Bowl runs in their first four postseasons with Sirianni, a pattern that could continue if Philadelphia can’t stop Purdy and Christian McCaffrey and Co.

“I have so much respect for this football team,” Sirianni said of the 49ers on Wednesday. “They’ve had sustained success. Kyle’s done an unbelievable job there. A ton of respect for him and their players. …

“You can see how well-coached they are. You can see how talented their players are. You see how hard they play. Physical, fundamentally sound. I can’t say enough about this team and we’ve got to do the things that we know we need to do to be able to go in there and have success.”

Sirianni has stood by his decision to rest multiple starters on both sides of the ball in last Sunday’s 24-17 home loss to the Washington Commanders.

“Any time they get some time off, that definitely helps. That’s why we decided to do what we did. It’s a long season, a marathon of a season,” he said. ” … These guys are warriors. They battle through things throughout the entire year.”

San Francisco likely would have rested key players as well if the top seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage — up to and including Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium — hadn’t been at stake in last weekend’s 13-3 home loss against the Seahawks.

Instead, the banged-up 49ers make the cross-country trek to Philadelphia. The 49ers are 7-2 on the road this season and won their most recent game at Lincoln Financial Field, a 42-19 romp in Week 13 of 2023 behind Purdy’s four touchdown passes and McCaffrey’s 133 yards from scrimmage.

That was the season before Vic Fangio became the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and before they drafted defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and signed linebacker Zack Baun — all Pro Bowl selections this year, along with third-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

“Vic, schematically, he’s always been the best to me, as good as anyone there is,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “… He’s very good at getting a bead on what you’re trying to do and making you adjust.”

Shanahan knows handing Hurts his first home playoff loss won’t be easy.

“He’s got a big-time arm. With those wideouts he has and stuff, he’s capable of making any throw … so you’ve got to honor the entire field with him,” Shanahan said. “Any time you have a quarterback who’s capable of doing that who is also a threat on every single play throughout an entire game with his legs, it’s an issue.”

Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) practiced Wednesday for the first time since his Nov. 16 injury. The only players who missed the week’s first practice were tight end Grant Calcaterra (ankle) and offensive lineman Brett Toth (concussion).

Left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) did not practice Wednesday for the 49ers. Neither did LB Dee Winters (ankle) or DE Keion White (groin/hamstring), while tight end George Kittle (ankle), DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and LB Luke Gifford (quad) were limited.

–Field Level Media

Eagles RT Lane Johnson (foot) returns to practice

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday.

It’s a positive sign considering the six-time Pro Bowl selection has missed the Eagles’ last seven games with a Lisfranc injury.

The Eagles (11-6) would love nothing more than having Johnson return to the lineup on Sunday against the visiting San Francisco 49ers (12-5) in an NFC wild-card game.

“Obviously, Lane’s a big difference maker,” Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni said. “I know he’s working like crazy to get himself back. We’ll see where that is this week. But he’s a difference-maker. He’s one of the best who’s ever done it.”

Fred Johnson, 28, has played in place of Lane Johnson over the last seven games.

Lane Johnson, 35, last suited up for a game on Nov. 16, however he played only 14 snaps before being ruled out against the Detroit Lions.

It has been a painful year for the two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time first-team All-Pro, who is in his 13th season with Philadelphia. He previously dealt with neck, shoulder and ankle injuries but has started all 10 games for the Eagles.

Lane Johnson has started 168 regular-season games and 15 playoff contests since Philadelphia drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2013.

–Field Level Media

Josh Johnson earns rare victory as Commanders nip Eagles

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Josh Johnson earned his first NFL win since 2018 and the visiting Washington Commanders rallied to beat the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles 24-17 in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

The NFC East champion Eagles (11-6) rested many of their starters, including Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert on offense and Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell on defense.

Philadelphia had a three-game winning streak snapped and will begin its Super Bowl defense as the NFC’s No. 3 seed, hosting the San Francisco 49ers in a wild-card playoff game next weekend.

Johnson, 39, collected just his second win since entering the league as a 2008 fifth-round draft pick. The previous victory was a 16-13 win over Jacksonville on Dec. 16, 2018.

The Commanders (5-12) won for just the second time in their last 12 games.

Down 17-10 in the fourth quarter, Johnson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to John Bates with 9:35 left and rushed for a 1-yard score with 2:32 to play to seize the lead.

The Eagles had nine penalties for 123 yards, including costly pass-interference flags on both of Washington’s fourth-quarter scoring drives.

Tanner McKee, making his second career start for Philadelphia, passed for 241 yards with a TD and an interception. Tank Bigsby had 106 yards from scrimmage with a TD and Jalyx Hunt had an interception and a fumble recovery.

A 27-yard catch by Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith on the final play of the scoreless first quarter pushed him over 1,000 yards (1,008). Four plays later, McKee fired a 15-yard TD strike to Grant Calcaterra for a 7-0 lead.

After a pass-interference penalty in the end zone gave Washington first-and-goal at the 1, Chris Rodriguez punched in the tying score with 9:03 left in the first half.

Jeremy Reaves’ goal-line interception of McKee led to a 56-yard field goal by Jake Moody on the final play of the first half, putting the Commanders up 10-7.

The Eagles regained the lead at 14-10 on Bigsby’s 2-yard run midway through the third quarter. Jake Elliott’s 39-yard field goal extended the lead to 17-10 with 30 seconds left in the third.

–Field Level Media

Billy Ray Barnes, champ with 1960 Eagles, dies at 90

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Billy Ray Barnes, a member of the 1960 NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles, died at age 90.

The team announced his passing, which occurred Wednesday in Landis, N.C.

Barnes was selected in second round of the 1957 NFL Draft after his college career at Wake Forest. He spent five seasons with the Eagles, three times named to the Pro Bowl.

In his rookie season, the halfback led the team in both rushing and receiving. With the Eagles, he appeared in 60 games (56 starts), and ran for 2,391 yards and 20 touchdowns. He caught 120 passes for 1,275 yards and added eight scores.

He later played two seasons each with the Washington and Minnesota franchises, and he retired with a total of 5,207 yards from scrimmage and 38 TDs in 98 games (74 starts).

His daughter, Billi Barnes Akins, told the team website that being part of the 1960 championship team was a career highlight.

“One of the things that he loved about the Eagles is in that championship game; they were the underdogs,” Akins said. “Dad always liked being the underdog. He said it made him tougher, made him stronger, made him play harder.”

She added, “He said the only thing that allowed them to win was their team. They were a team that was really tight and believed in each other.”

The Eagles defeated the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers 17-13 in that championship game.

–Field Level Media

Contending for the NFC’s No. 2 seed, Eagles seek familiar sweep of Commanders

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The NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles will attempt to sweep the visiting Washington Commanders for the sixth time in nine seasons on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles (11-5) won both meetings with Washington (4-12) in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023 and registered a 29-18 victory two weeks ago in Landover, Md.

The rematch features a familiar Week 18 NFL storyline with both teams wrestling with whether to play their starters.

The Eagles still have a chance to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC — if they beat the Commanders and Chicago loses to Detroit — but reportedly are planning to rest their regulars for the wild-card round. At worst, they will have the No. 3 seed.

The Commanders have lost 10 of their last 11 games and have little to play for — other than the proverbial pride and a few potential personal payouts — and may decide to give younger players a chance to audition for 2026.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Wednesday that the Eagles will sit quarterback Jalen Hurts and several starters. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters Wednesday he still needed to speak with the team.

“We have a team meeting coming up. I haven’t communicated that with our players, so I’ll always talk to our players before,” Sirianni said. “… (I’ll) discuss it with them before I discuss it (with you).”

Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick in 2023, would be in line to make his second NFL start if Hurts rests. He also started in Week 18 last year, throwing for 269 yards and two TDs in a 20-13 win over the New York Giants. This season, McKee has completed 3 of 3 passes for 33 yards in three cameo appearances.

“He’s really good about knowing where to go with the football, seeing the defense and being able to deliver things accurately,” Sirianni said. “… He’s able to sit in that meeting room with Jalen for hours upon hours a day just learning from him, and that’s a big deal.”

With Marcus Mariota (quad) considered a “long shot,” in the words of head coach Dan Quinn, to return this week, Washington likely will give 39-year-old journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson his second straight start.

Johnson, who has only one win in 10 career starts since he was drafted in 2008, took over after Mariota sustained hand and quad injuries in the Week 16 loss to the Eagles. Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in a 30-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas.

With Jayden Daniels shut down for the season, Washington’s other options under center are veteran Jeff Driskel, who hasn’t thrown a pass in two years, and untested Sam Hartman.

Even though the season has been a disappointment, Quinn said he loved seeing “the number of guys that are really hungry for this opportunity and chance to compete together” on Sunday.

“Obviously this game doesn’t have the magnitude we hoped it would have when the schedule came out, but at the same time, we also recognize it’s a really important opportunity for a lot on our roster, and so we don’t take that lightly,” Quinn said Wednesday.

At least a couple of veteran Commanders will be clamoring to play. Linebacker Von Miller needs one sack to trigger a $1 million bonus for reaching nine sacks. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel needs 93 receiving yards to claim a $450,000 bonus for 800 yards and two touchdowns to collect a $250,000 bonus for eight touchdowns.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley needs 87 all-purpose yards to reach 1,500 and earn a $250,000 bonus.

Washington put center Tyler Biadasz (knee/ankle) on injured reserve Wednesday. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (oblique) did not practice Wednesday and is doubtful to play Sunday. Also missing practice were running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (illness) and linebacker Bobby Wagner (knee/rest).

Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson (foot), linebackers Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Jaelan Phillips (ankle) and tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Goedert leads the team with 11 TD receptions.

–Field Level Media