Flying High
With the Eagles winning their second Super Bowl title, there is great optimism that the team is poised for success for years to come.
by Peter Proko

Seven years ago when the Philadelphia Eagles captured their first-ever Super Bowl title, fans were thrown into a frenzy. So many of us diehards waited decades for the chance to celebrate a championship only to see our beloved team fall short of the goal, in some cases in agonizing fashion (the last game at Veterans Stadium still stings). We cried tears of joy watching our Birds finally climb that mountain, many thinking of their lost loved ones who never got the opportunity to scream “E-A-G-L-E-S” during a parade down Broad Street.
 
While nothing can ever replace the pure adulation that came with the team’s first Super Bowl victory, there’s no denying things were just as sweet the second time around. And to win in such convincing fashion, against that opponent and our former head coach, made things even more impressive. In a town that has always embraced the underdog role, what is more fitting than having slayed two giants like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, not to mention two Hall of Fame coaches in Bill Belichick and Andy Reid?
 
The excitement felt is sure to carry over through the entire offseason and once again reach a fever pitch when the team returns to the field in September. Those who bleed green have always stuck by the team, through the ups and downs, which makes these victories that much more rewarding. And with a talented team on both sides of the field, a top-notch front office and ownership, there is great hope that the Eagles can remain in the upper echelon of the NFL for years to come. It’s scary for fans who have been hurt so many times to fully commit to the thought that our team could become the next dynasty, but with the right pieces in place there is reason to believe.
 
To look back one last time on this magical season, we spoke to some of the folks who cover the team to get their thoughts on the Super Bowl run and what it could mean for the franchise moving forward.
 
Now that there’s been a little time to reflect back, what are your reactions to watching what this Eagles team was able to accomplish this season?
“This is the best team I’ve been around, and I think we could say that they are the best Eagles team in modern history. I won’t go back to ’49 or ’60, but in modern Eagles history this is the best team I’ve seen. They were so complete in every area.”
—Merrill Reese, Eagles play-by-play announcer, NFL Hall of Famer
 
“Like everyone else, I was elated to see the Eagles win, especially in such impressive fashion. When the Eagles won it in 1960 (I was there), the game went down to the final play. It was the same thing when they won Super Bowl LII. We had to sweat out that final Hail Mary. This time, the game was over at halftime so we could start the celebration early. It was a totally different experience and not what anyone expected, but it was great fun. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the experts and pundits—who overwhelmingly picked the Chiefs—try to explain the Eagles utter dominance. I thought the Eagles would win, but I didn’t expect them to blow away the defending champs but they did.”
—Ray Didinger, NFL Hall of Fame writer, author of The Eagles Encyclopedia
 
“To see how far this Eagles team has come since we started watching the team come together in OTAs during the Summer was truly impressive. Two new coordinators, a new defensive scheme, young players, egos to manage ... we had so many questions of how this was all going to work with the amount of star power on the roster. I give a ton of credit to Head Coach Nick Sirianni on how he was able to balance all of this and get the best out of his players. The early bye week during week five was the turning point of the season, Sirianni listened to his players and it paid off. Now the Eagles have the talent on the roster to repeat, and then some.”
—Ashlyn Sullivan, NBC Sports Philadelphia host/reporter
 
“I distinctly remember thinking during the Super Bowl that I was witnessing the finest performance by the best Eagles team of my lifetime, which is saying something. Having grown up a huge fan of the team, even though I never ended up playing for them, there was part of me that was wishing they had been this dominant when I was a child. They pretty clearly had the best roster in the league thanks to Howie Roseman and the sheer number of offseason moves that worked out well for them this year with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun and Mehki Becton, is truly unique and impressive.”
—Ross Tucker, Eagles preseason TV analyst and host of the Ross Tucker Football Podcast
 
While everyone had high hopes after first Super Bowl victory, the “new normal” was ultimately not sustainable. Do you feel differently this time around? Do you see this team as having the chance to compete for Super Bowls in the years to come? 
“Frankly, I’d be surprised if they don’t. They’ve had the most talented roster in at least two of the last three years and most of their best and most important players are in their prime and under contract for years to come. They have an incredible window here to continue doing special things.”
—Ross Tucker
 
“Absolutely—you can just look at the average age of this Eagles roster vs. the one in 2018. The 2025 Eagles are incredibly young, and most of the talent comes from guys who are rookies or in just their second or third year playing. The future is bright.”
—Devan Kaney, Eagles sideline reporter/host for 94WIP
 
“This year puts a stamp that this is one of the greatest organizations in the NFL. This will be a destination for players who are ring chasing. A lot of that has to do with the ownership and the culture that Nick [Sirianni] has created. He believes in his players and that they can go out and make it happen. … It will only get better now that they’ve tasted it for the second time. [Owner Jeffrey] Lurie is going to want it more, he’s not going to be content with just two.”
—Barrett Brooks, former Eagle, NBC Sports Philadelphia host
 
“They are going to gain people, they are going to lose people to free agency. There will be a draft. There will be the coaching staff going through some changes. It won’t ever be the same team. But when you look at this team, they are very young and very talented. And they’ve got a great organization and excellent coaches behind them. However, I’ve learned through experience that you can never count on anything. You could take a team that could be14-3 and with the wrong three or four injuries at the wrong time during the season and that team could wind up 9-8, you just never know.”
—Merrill Reese
 
“Yes, I think the Eagles are in a much stronger position than they were after Super Bowl LII. I don’t think anyone really thought they were the best team in the NFL in 2017. They were the underdogs and prided themselves in that. The defense had a lot of holes, especially in the secondary (remember, Tom Brady threw for more than 500 yards in the Super Bowl) and there was the question of Carson Wentz coming back from a serious knee injury. This is a different scenario. There is no doubt the Eagles have the NFL’s best roster. Their defense, which was No. 1 in the NFL this season, is also the youngest. The O-line is the best in the game. They have playmakers everywhere. Washington will be a threat moving forward but I fully expect the Eagles to repeat as NFC East champs and be the odds-on favorite to return to the Super Bowl."
—Ray Didinger
 
The win certainly came with a lot of validation for Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni, and certainly the front office continues to be lauded. But how significant is it for such a proud franchise to now be able to call itself two-time Super Bowl champions?
“Things were bad for a long time. All the teams along the I-95 corridor had multiple Super Bowls, and now we have two. That is huge. It’s hard to make the argument that this team is the ‘gold standard’ of the league without those Super Bowls. … Mr. Lurie is such a great owner. He spares no expense and he loves this organization, his team and his players. They are going to be great—not good, but great—for a long time.”
—Barrett Brooks
 
“It felt like this celebration was even bigger than the last one. The parade was bigger, the reaction in the city seemed greater. At least that’s how it felt to me. Maybe it was because this time—for the first time—Philly knew the Eagles were the best team in the NFL. The fans loved the underdog winners in ’60 and ’17—the city does identify itself as an underdog city, the Rocky city—and that’s how it felt with Nick Foles and Doug Pederson and the Philly Special. But there was something new and exciting about watching this Super Bowl and watching the Eagles demolish the Chiefs, who were going for history with a third-straight Lombardi Trophy, and know that this was the real thing. This team was that good and they weren’t just a cute story but a team that was truly built to last. We never had that in Philly before and it made the party that much better.”
—Ray Didinger
 
“Years ago Jeffrey Lurie talked about the fact that he wanted the Eagles to be the ‘gold standard’ and now they really are. They are an elite team and an elite organization, they have achieved that. They put the right people in the right positions, both in the front office and on the field, and it’s all reached fruition.”
—Merrill Reese
 
“The fact that the Eagles—Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni in particular—were not just able to beat the reigning champion Chiefs, but demolish them after facing criticism and doubt week after week is one of the most satisfying feelings I’ve ever felt and I’m not even on the team! I am so happy and proud of this team for ignoring the outside noise and staying focused throughout the season and Super Bowl week.”
—Devan Kaney
 
“Well it certainly puts them in a different category, that’s for sure. They are no longer a team that went on a great run with a backup quarterback and won a Super Bowl. They now should rightfully be looked at as one of the best organizations in the sport. Two Super Bowl victories and three appearances in eight years, including with different head coaches and quarterbacks, proves that Jeffrey Lurie is doing something right. Actually, a lot of things right.”
—Ross Tucker
 
Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, March 2025.