Well, that sucked. The Eagles had plenty of opportunities to beat the Saints in New Orleans, but didn’t capitalize and wound up fizzling out after the first quarter. I was really trying to enjoy the ride while it was still going on, but now that the season is over there are a few harsh realities that Eagles fans need to face.
The futures of several key players from the past few seasons are up in the air as of now. Specifically:
–Carson Wentz/Nick Foles. The Eagles have a big decision to make when it comes to their quarterback of the future. They can go with Wentz, who has played at an MVP level when healthy, or Foles, who guided the team to its only Super Bowl championship and seems to provide a spark to the whole team when he starts. If you ask me, the team should stick with Wentz. While I’m eternally grateful to Foles for leading the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl, I don’t think he’s the Eagles’ long-term answer.
–Darren Sproles. There were reports that Sproles wanted to retire after last season, but he made the decision to return after missing most of the year with a torn ACL and broken arm. This year, he again missed a big chunk of the season due to injury, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll return or not.
–Brandon Graham. Graham’s contract is up, and it’s widely assumed that he’ll be too expensive on the free agent market for the Eagles to resign him. This is a big blow for the Eagles’ defensive line, as Graham was a key contributor to both last year’s run to the Super Bowl and this year’s furious late-season rally.
–Chris Long. Long is also a free agent after this season. There have been rumors that he’s considering retirement, but if he decides to keep playing, I don’t think his price tag would be too much for the Eagles to pay.
–Jason Kelce. Stories came out last week that Kelce would retire after this season. After Sunday’s game, Kelce said he was “season to season” and would make a decision regarding his future this offseason. Kelce is one of the best centers in the NFL, so if he decides to step away from football, it would be a huge blow to the Eagles.
–Jason Peters. Peters is another key contributor on the offensive line that is heavily mulling retirement. Although he still performs at a high level, Peters is coming up on his age-37 season and there have been rumors that he was considering retirement after the past few seasons.
–Golden Tate. Tate was a mid-season acquisition this year and is widely considered to be a rental player. He will probably be too expensive for the Eagles to resign in free agency.
–Brandon Brooks. During yesterday’s loss, Brooks went down with a lower leg injury that Ian Rapaport reported was serious and season-ending. Brooks confirmed that report after the game when he tweeted that he tore his Achilles. Achilles injuries typically take at least six months to heal, so hopefully Brooks can recover in time for next year and continue to perform at a high level.
I would love to see any/all of these guys back in midnight green next year, but the truth is that all of their futures are in the air. There’s nothing to do now except sit back and wait (and tweet at all of these players and beg them to come back).
ReJoyce 