Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Eagles Game-Breaker Called Free Agency 'Priority'

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 11:06 AM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles are in somewhat of a tricky spot right now.

Philadelphia is still looking to fill its open offensive coordinator job after moving on from Kevin Patullo. The Eagles went 11-6 in 2025 and won the NFC East for the second straight season, but were knocked out in the Wild Card Round by an injury-filled San Francisco 49ers team. Now, the team has to decide who will be back. AJ Brown has already dominated headlines as some have wondered whether he could be a trade candidate this offseason. The Eagles arguably shouldn't move him. Howie Roseman spoke about Brown and noted that it's hard to find "great players" and Brown is someone who fits that description.

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This isn't even close to all the Eagles need to think about this offseason. Right now, Over The Cap has Philadelphia projected to have just over $10 million in salary cap space. That could obviously increase based on moving on from guys or restructuring deals. But there are financial decisions to make based on the guys on the roster. For example, Jalen Carter is someone who will be eligible for an extension this offseason. Also, what about free agency? Jaelan Phillips is the guy to watch for Philadelphia. He's not the team's only pending free agent by a wide margin, but he is someone who the team doesn't have a clear replacement for if he were to leave.

The Eagles have decisions to make

If you're an Eagles fan hoping that Phillips will be back, one thing that should give you a bit of solace is the fact that Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice noted that he believes Phillips will be a "priority" in free agency.

"He brings a bit of a power element to the Eagles' edge rush, whereas [Jalyx Hunt] and [Nolan Smith] rely more on their speed," Kempski wrote. "If Phillips leaves in free agency, the Eagles won't really have anyone long-term with decent size on the edge.

"Add in that Phillips called his trade to the Eagles the best day of his life, and that the Eagles gave up a third-round pick to get him, and it feels like he will be a priority re-signing for the Eagles this offseason."

If Phillips hits the open market, there surely will be competition for his services, though. Spotrac currently has his projected market value at just over $52 million over three years. There are few edge rushers better than him heading to free agency this offseason, which should help his case for a lucrative deal. He's just 26 years old and not only had five sacks and 53 total tackles in 2025 with the Eagles and Miami Dolphins, but fit Vic Fangio's system perfectly.

Bringing him back should be a priority and the team should try to do so as fast as possible. The longer they wait, the more likely the price is going to rise as other teams can enter the mix when free agency actually opens up.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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