Eagles Jordan Davis Has Conditioning Figured Out: 'I Didn't Practice It'

Jordan Davis’s conditioning is discussed every year, and more than just once or twice. It’s always a topic for the Eagles’ Triple-X defensive tackle, who entered the league at 6-6 and close to 350 pounds, which is probably about 15 to 20 pounds more than he should weigh.

It was a discussion that was, once again, on the table during the team’s OTA on Tuesday. Davis said last year he was taking his conditioning seriously. Except, he really didn’t "understand" it until the midpoint of the season, when his game took off.

"I think last year, coming into the offseason – I understood it, but I didn't practice it," he said. "ust being consistent at it. My word of the year for 2025 was discipline, and discipline is just having a strength to do it, even when you don't feel like doing it. … just becoming a better pro. I say that a lot, but really understanding what it is.”

Vic Fangio opened up a Pandora’s box when he offered this about Davis when asked about the Eagles’ picking up his fifth-year option for 2026.

“I think he's in the best shape that he's ever been in, which he kind of got into late in the season last year and he's carried it over, so I think he's going to do very well for us this year,” said the defensive coordinator.

And why did it take until late in the season before the conditioning kicked in?

“We could be here a long time for that,” Fangio responded. “For some guys it takes time, but I'm ducking that question.”

Davis didn’t.

“I fell in love with Peloton later, in the later half in the season,” he said. “I felt that was completely necessary for me to reach that next level, reach that next step. Just putting in a little sweat equity, a little extra things, and when I did that and I was consistent with it, the trajectory for how I was playing, definitely took off and I was very proud of myself."

Truth be told, Davis looked a lot slimmer standing outside the locker room following practice talking to reporters.

“I know there’s a lot of mention about his weight, stuff like that, but if he knows about it, he’s gonna face it,” said teammate Jalen Carter. “It’s not like he’s, ‘oh, I’m overweight,’ and gets down on himself. You see him do treadmill, extra running, box drills, all that is getting him in shape.”

Davis understands that he is now the “senior citizen” of the defensive tackle room, at what he called, “the ripe age of 25.”

What led to his understanding of conditioning in order to better execute it?

“I wanted to look sexy,” joked Davis. “I felt like my face was getting a little fat and you know, I wanted to look good.”

Kidding aside, Davis added, “Knowing the team is relying on me, knowing that the team has a lot of trust in me, and they expect me to be there in the big moments, I felt like any time that we have a chance to be on the field, I should be at my best. That's just something I have to continue to keep doing, and I have to be ready. I have to stay ready.”