ESPN's wild floor for Eagles' 2025 season overshadows potential elite ceiling

ESPN released what they believe to be the best and worst possible records for all 32 NFL teams.

While there were some hilarious claims (such as implying there is a world where the Saints have a winning record this year), for the most part, they gave the Eagles a fair shake. So let's look at the arguments that one would have to make to convince oneself that the bird will end up in either situation.

How good can the Eagles can be, and how badly can things go off the railings?

The Eagles were given a ceiling of 13-4 which feels like the type of season you would expect from the defending Super Bowl champs. If that's the type of season you expect from the Eagles, then I'd label you an optimist, but let's walk through the argument you would make.

The Eagles didn't lose much from a Super Bowl season. C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay feel like the biggest of those losses, but Howie Roseman drafted to fix that problem, taking Andrew Mukuba in the second round. Given how well Howie's draft picks in the secondary worked out last year, there's no reason to doubt that he would make another good one. Additionally, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is the ideal leader for this exceptionally talented and young defense.

Add to that the fact that the only change to the highly potent offense was the loss of Mekhi Becton (who will be replaced with Tyler Steen), and there's no reason to believe that the Eagles can't be as dominant as they were last year. Sure, Saquon Barkley likely won't be a 2,000-yard rusher again, but this team has more than enough talent to make up the difference.

The Floor that ESPN set was 8-9, and if you think the Eagles will finish here, then you are genuinely a naysayer or the biggest pessimist of all time. However, there is a world where this happens, despite being unlikely.

Now, the way this comes to pass is injuries, namely to the receivers or the secondary, as those positions do feel like they lack depth. That, combined with a schedule that includes 11 games against teams that made the playoffs last year, creates a path to the dreadful possibility, however unlikely it may seem.

In reality, the likelihood that the Eagles don't reach 10 wins is very low, given how much of the Super Bowl roster remains intact (plus first-round draft pick Jihaad Campbell impressing in camp). However, a first-place schedule is strict, and road games against the Chiefs, Bucs, Vikings, Packers, Chargers, and Bills are not necessarily the recipe for a 13-4 year either. The Eagles' focus should be on winning as many games as possible and securing the division title.

Lists like these popping up on ESPN remind us that no matter how tantalizingly close the season may seem, we are still in the offseason, and we have to wait a few more weeks to be done with "predictions" and "ceilings and floors" and actually watch some football. For what it's worth, I think the Eagles could go undefeated, but I say that every year and it's yet to pan out.