It’s incredibly rare for a team to lose in a Super Bowl one season and then not just return the next year but then win it all. That’s the challenge facing the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles. Are they up for it? We break down Jalen Hurts & Co.

A Closer Look at the Philadelphia Eagles 2023 NFL Season

Eagles have activated WR Devon Allen from active/NFI, signed WR Johnny King, and have released T Chim Okorafor and T Trevor Reid. pic.twitter.com/IyBXE1YEZT

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 8, 2023

• NFL Week 1: at New England Patriots — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 7:15 p.m. ET (ABC)
• NFL Week 4: vs. Washington Commanders — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 5: at Los Angeles Rams– 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 6: at New York Jets — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 7: vs. Miami Dolphins — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 8: at Washington Commanders — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 10: BYE
• NFL Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
• NFL Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 16: vs. New York Giants — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals — 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 18: at New York Giants — TBD (TBD)

Hurts Wants to Bring the Pain

It seems rather laughable now, but entering the 2022 season the Eagles were not sure if Jalen Hurts was their franchise quarterback. Then all he did was lead Philly to the NFC East title and conference’s top seed despite missing two games injured. The Eagles easily dispatched the New York Giants in the Divisional Round and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game.

Hurts put on a show in the Super Bowl by throwing for 304 yards and a TD and rushing for 70 yards and three scores, but the Eagles lost a thriller to Kansas City 38-35. Hurts would have won Super Bowl MVP had the Eagles held on. He would finish second for regular-season MVP to Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Hurts ranked third in the NFL with a 101.5 passer rating, eighth in completion percentage, fourth in interception ratio and second in yards per completion.

He also finished second in the NFL with 13 rushing TDs and ran for 760 yards. Hurts became the third quarterback in history with 750 rushing yards and a 100 passer rating, joining Robert Griffin III in 2012 and Lamar Jackson in 2019. Hurts’ 35 total touchdowns (22 passing, 13 rushing) tied Randall Cunningham’s franchise record from 1990.

For a brief time this offseason, Hurts was the highest-paid player in the NFL thanks to a five-year, $255 million contract extension, but he has since been passed again. Hurts, who became the first Eagles player with a no-trade clause, joins a long list of core players on the roster who have long-term deals as the Eagles continue to build for sustained, championship-level success.

Roster Shake-Up

Philadelphia lost leading rusher Miles Sanders to Carolina, but is deep at the position with new additions in D’Andre Swift from Detroit and Rashaad Penny from Seattle. In short stints, Penny has been one of the best backs in football, averaging over 6 yards per carry but Penny has played just 42 games in five years. His injury history includes a torn ACL in 2019 and a broken fibula in 2022.

It’s a homecoming for Swift, who is from Philadelphia and attended high school at St. Joseph’s Prep, less than 10 miles from Lincoln Financial Field. Swift, 24, rushed for 542 yards and five touchdowns on 99 carries (5.5 YPC) over 14 games last season and added 48 catches for 389 yards and three scores. He dealt with ankle and shoulder injuries and missed three regular-season games in 2022.

Hurts has maybe the best 1-2 punch in the NFC at receiver in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. After being traded from the Titans last season, Brown profoundly impacted Smith’s game, propelling him to new heights. With Brown’s presence on the team, Smith flourished, showcasing his talents by hauling in 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns. Brown himself had 88 receptions for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Only five teams in NFL history have had three 1000-yard receivers in the same season. The last one was the 2008 Cardinals with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. The Eagles think they have a shot with those two and tight end Dallas Goedert. He missed five games in 2022, but still had 702 yards.

Over the weekend, the Eagles boosted their defense in signing linebackers Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham on one-year deals. Linebacker was one of the only thin positions on the team behind Nakobe Dean, Nicholas Morrow and Christian Elliss.

Philly lost both of its starting safeties in free agency, including C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who finished tied for the NFL lead in interceptions last season (6) despite missing five games. Second-year player Reed Blankenship and former Pittsburgh Steelers Terrell Edmunds have been getting the most reps with the first team early in camp.

A Look into 2023

The Eagles have the toughest schedule in the NFL this year as their opponents combined for a .566 winning percentage last year (161-123-4). The Eagles are -5 for Week 1 at New England. Under coach Nick Sirianni the Eagles have bolted out of the gate with offensive outbursts on the road the last two seasons. In 2021 they routed the Falcons in Atlanta, 32-6, and last season set the stage for an 8-0 start by beating the Lions in Detroit, 38-35.

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READ MORE: Philadelphia Eagles 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide