Matt Lombardo is on vacation, and he reached out to several current and former NFL players, Reporters, and Analysts to tell their stories and lend their insights while he’s away.

In this final guest column, Joe Staszak, Between The Hashmarks editor as well as Lombardo’s former radio partner on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia and former FOX 29 sports anchor, tackles the relentless expectations in Philadelphia, with strong thoughts from a pair of Eagles legends.

The Philadelphia Eagles won 11 games last season.

They captured another NFC East championship. They reached the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year and remained one of the NFL’s most successful franchises over that span. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have won more games in the last five NFL campaigns.

Under normal circumstances, those accomplishments would be viewed as evidence of an extremely healthy organization moving in the right direction.

But nothing about Philadelphia is normal anymore.

The Eagles have spent the better part of the last decade raising expectations to a level few franchises ever experience.

Philadelphia’s expectation of winning is so high at One Eagles Way, it would make more mere mortals uncomfortable. 

Winning games has become the norm.

Winning the division is expected.

Reaching the postseason is one of the lower bars.

The standard established by Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni, and Jalen Hurts is far greater than that.

That is why the Eagles enter 2026 facing enormous pressure despite coming off an 11-win season. The pressure has nothing to do with their regular season success and everything to do with how the year ended.

Philadelphia entered last postseason believing it had another championship-caliber roster and exited much earlier than expected.

Still, former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner does not buy the idea that the head coach or the quarterback are sitting on the hot seat.

“I don’t think it’s a prove it year for either one,” Joyner told Between The Hashmarks. “Nick Sirianni is in the top two or three coaches for wins. The one thing the guy has done is that he’s won games. How can you even begin to have that conversation given how hard it is to find a capable coach that can win games damn near at a 70, 75 percent clip?”

Joyner’s point is not only fair, but it’s also ridiculous to think otherwise.

Including the playoffs, Nick Sirianni has compiled a 65-30 record through his first five seasons as an NFL head coach.

Here’s the breakdown:

In terms of total wins through a coach’s first five seasons, Sirianni is tied for 3rd in NFL history:

A few other accomplishments make Sirianni’s first five years even more impressive:

I reached out to former Eagle LeSean McCoy as well for his thoughts on the  Birds’ “Prove it narrative” that has generated momentum over the last few months. 

While he was slightly less loquacious than Joyner, his words carry the same message.

“Nick is the man.  All he does is win”, McCoy said.

Sirianni has won at a rate most organizations would celebrate.

His quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has been to two Super Bowls, won one, and has remained one of the NFL’s most accomplished quarterbacks since becoming the Eagles’ starter.

Yet the scrutiny remains because Philadelphia does not measure itself against ordinary standards.

The most glaring change to the 2026 Birds’ roster is the departure of A.J. Brown.

For four seasons, Brown served as the emotional heartbeat and most dangerous weapon in Philadelphia’s passing attack.

Defensive coordinators built entire game plans around stopping him. Safeties shaded coverage toward his side of the field. Cornerbacks routinely received help over the top.

His presence created opportunities for DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and everyone else in the offense.

Replacing a player of that magnitude is not as simple as plugging another receiver into the lineup.

Joyner made it clear he still views Brown as a great player.

However, he also believes the Eagles may benefit from moving forward without the tension Brown created.

“You don’t benefit from losing great players,” Joyner said. “But I think they will benefit from the better chemistry. I believe Jalen Hurts will bounce back this year because he can distribute the ball wherever it needs to go without having to worry about number 11 chewing his ear off, having a bad attitude, and moping and pouting on the sidelines.”

Joyner was even more direct when discussing Brown’s frustration last season.

“When you’re on a team, especially when you’ve got the “C” on your chest, you’ve got to be all things to everybody,” Joyner said. “What is the example that you’re setting for the young guys watching you as a leader?”

The Eagles believe first-round pick Makai Lemon has star potential.

They would not have invested such valuable draft capital if they felt otherwise.

However, there is a tremendous difference between possessing potential and replacing one of the NFL’s elite receivers.

Brown entered every game as a proven commodity. Lemon enters his rookie season carrying expectations that would be difficult for any first year player to satisfy.

Philadelphia is essentially betting that Lemon’s arrival, combined with larger roles for Smith, Goedert, and Saquon Barkley, can offset the loss of one of the league’s most productive playmakers.

The changes extend far beyond personnel.

The Eagles also handed the offense over to new coordinator Shawn Mannion, whose arrival signals a philosophical shift.

Mannion is expected to implement a significantly different offensive approach than the one Philadelphia operated under in recent years.

The goal is to create more answers against pressure looks, generate more explosive plays through scheme, and place greater stress on defenses through formation diversity and play design.

While those objectives sound appealing on paper, every new offense comes with challenges.

Quarterbacks must master new terminology. Receivers must learn new route adjustments. Offensive linemen must adapt to new protections. Timing, communication, and trust all have to be rebuilt.

Joyner believes last year’s offense became far too predictable.

“When you become predictable and basic, everything allows the defensive coordinator to dominate you,” Joyner said. “When you can’t give your players an out, that’s problematic.”

Joyner also said the Eagles became too cautious with Hurts.

“When you’re harping on turnovers all the time, I think you put your quarterback in a little bit of a straitjacket,” Joyner said. “You make him very apprehensive. There are passes that I’ve seen Jalen Hurts make that I see Jalen Hurts not even try because in the recesses of his mind, all he hears is, don’t turn it over.”

That reality places Hurts squarely under the microscope.

Hurts enters the season facing perhaps the most scrutiny of any player on the roster. During the offseason, reports surfaced suggesting there had been friction regarding certain offensive concepts and coaching preferences last year.

Whether those reports were exaggerated or entirely accurate is almost beside the point. Once the story entered the public domain, it became part of Hurts’ narrative.

Now he has an opportunity to answer every question with his play.

Joyner believes the criticism has gone way past bedtime.

“That’s why I am miffed at this narrative that Jalen Hurts is on the hot seat,” Joyner said. “(Eagles’ owner) Jeffrey Lurie gave him a ringing endorsement. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Hurts must prove he can thrive in a completely new offensive system.

He must prove he can continue winning at an elite level without Brown lining up outside.

He must prove he can elevate younger players and maximize the talents of a rookie receiver expected to assume a significant role immediately.

Most importantly, he must prove that the Eagles remain legitimate championship contenders despite all the changes around him.

Hurts is not alone.

Saquon Barkley enters a prove-it season of his own.

A 2024 Offensive Player of the Year campaign reminded everyone why he remains one of the most gifted running backs in football. Yet, history — and last season’s regression— shows that repeating extraordinary seasons is often more difficult than producing them in the first place.

Defenses will focus on him even more heavily now that Brown is gone.

Opponents will dare Philadelphia’s young receivers to beat them.

The Eagles need Barkley to demonstrate that last season was not outlier, and the 2026 season is the continuation of an elite stage of his career.

Joyner believes the Eagles’ ground game remains the key to everything.

“The greatest weapon that a quarterback can have is a running game,” Joyner said. “When he’s got a running game, it opens up anything and everything that the play caller wants to run.”

That is why the offensive line matters so much.

Joyner said the Eagles’ issues last season started up front.

“You can’t sit here and say the game is won in the trenches, and then turn around and look at how awful the offensive line played and how beat up and banged up they were and think any other part of your offense could work,” Joyner said.

The pressure extends throughout the organization.

Lemon must prove he is ready sooner than most rookie receivers.

Mannion must prove his offensive vision works at the NFL level. Sirianni must prove that another round of major changes can produce championship results.

Roseman must prove the roster remains strong enough to compete with the league’s elite despite losing one of its most important offensive players.

Collectively, the Eagles must prove that last season represented a temporary setback rather than the beginning of a decline.

The roster still contains championship-caliber talent.

The offensive line remains among the best in football when healthy.

The defense continues to feature difference makers at every level.

The quarterback has won more games than almost anyone in the league since becoming a starter.

The talent remains.

Now the Eagles must demonstrate that the formula still works.

That is why 2026 is not simply a bounce-back year. The Eagles are not trying to recover from failure. They are trying to prove that the championship foundation they built remains strong enough to survive major roster changes, coaching turnover, heightened expectations, and the loss of one of the most impactful players in franchise history.

The defense may be the unit that gives them the best chance to do it.

Joyner remains extremely high on Vic Fangio.

“As long as Vic Fangio is the defensive coordinator and Howie is willing to give him the pieces that are necessary, they’re going to continue to be a top-flight defense,” Joyner said. “The one consistent thing that we know is that Vic Fangio can coach his ass off.”

Joyner believes Fangio could be even better this season because of the talent in the secondary.

“This might be Vic Fangio’s best year,” Joyner said. “He can call whatever defenses he wants. You’ve got two guys outside, Cooper DeJean in the middle. Who the hell are you afraid of?”

Joyner went even further.

“If they can stay healthy, they’re going to be a top-three defense, in my opinion,” Joyner said.

That defense will need to be elite because the challenge facing the Eagles becomes even greater when you examine what happened around the division.

Philadelphia is attempting to replace Brown, install Mannion’s offense, integrate Lemon, and answer questions about Hurts’ fit in a new system. At the same time, the rest of the NFC East spent the offseason aggressively improving its rosters.

The Giants may have had the most impactful draft in the division.

Armed with two top-ten selections, New York landed Arvell Reese at No. 5 and Francis Mauigoa at No. 10.

Reese gives John Harbaugh a dynamic front-seven defender capable of transforming the speed and athleticism of the defense. Mauigoa immediately addresses one of the Giants’ biggest weaknesses along the offensive line and could become a cornerstone player for the next decade.

New York followed those selections by adding cornerback Colton Hood and wide receiver Malachi Fields, two players many evaluators believed were selected later than their talent suggested.

The Giants are no longer simply rebuilding. They are building around quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers, edge rushers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Reese, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and now an influx of young talent that fits Harbaugh’s vision for a more physical football team.

Washington attacked its roster differently.

The Commanders used the seventh overall pick on Sonny Styles, one of the most versatile defensive players in the entire draft.

Styles gives Washington a player who can impact the game as a linebacker, coverage defender, blitzer, and defensive signal caller.

The Commanders also added wide receiver Antonio Williams and continued building around Jayden Daniels, who enters another critical stage of his development after an injury-shortened 2025 season.

Washington believes Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Brian Robinson, and an improving defense can make it a legitimate contender for the division crown.

Dallas remains dangerous as well.

The Cowboys have spent the last year reconstructing their defense following the Micah Parsons trade.

This offseason, they acquired Rashan Gary to strengthen the pass rush and then attacked the draft with a defensive focus.

Dallas moved aggressively to select safety Caleb Downs, widely regarded as one of the premier defensive prospects in the class. The Cowboys also added edge rusher Malachi Lawrence and linebacker Jaishawn Barham, injecting more speed and athleticism into a defense that needed an overhaul.

Offensively, Dak Prescott still has CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, giving Dallas one of the more explosive receiving duos in football. Regardless of how Eagles fans feel about the Cowboys, that offense is capable of putting points on the board against anyone.

That is what makes 2026 such a fascinating season for Philadelphia.

The Eagles lost Brown.

They lost one of the NFL’s most dominant receivers and one of the most influential personalities in their locker room.

They are asking Lemon to help fill that void.

They are asking Mannion to successfully install an entirely new offense.

They are asking Hurts to prove he can thrive within that system while answering lingering questions created by reports of offensive disagreements last season.

Meanwhile, the Giants have upgraded their trenches and added elite young talent. Washington has invested heavily around Daniels and upgraded its defense. Dallas has rebuilt significant portions of its roster while adding blue-chip defenders and maintaining one of the league’s most explosive passing attacks.

The Eagles are not simply trying to prove they remain a championship contender.

They are trying to prove they can remain on top of a division that is improving around them.

Joyner believes Eagles fans should remember how rare this era has been.

“We’ve kind of gotten spoiled,” Joyner said. “We’re a little ungrateful for this run of great football. Two Super Bowls in eight years. Five straight years in the playoffs. Come on, man.”

That is the tension surrounding the 2026 Eagles. They have accomplished enough to deserve respect. They have changed enough to invite doubt.

They say “where there is doubt, there is no doubt.”  Proving their foundation is still strong beyond a reasonable doubt may be the biggest challenge of all in South Philadelphia next season.

Matt Lombardo returns Tuesday with the top-five players in the AFC North, a Football Friday Mailbag, and 4 Downs resumes its regularly scheduled programming next Monday!

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