The Philadelphia Eagles face a tough 2025 season with a brutal schedule and injuries to Jihaad Campbell & Nolan Smith. Can the champs overcome these hurdles?
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, the Philadelphia Eagles should be enjoying a quiet June. Instead, the narrative for the 2025 season is already taking shape, defined by two formidable obstacles: a punishing schedule and a growing list of injury concerns for key players. The path to a repeat is never easy, and for the Birds, the hurdles are appearing before training camp even begins.
The Eagles enter 2025 with the NFL's #1 ranked defense, but a lopsided offense that pairs the #2 rushing attack with the #30 passing attack.
Winning the Super Bowl paints a massive target on your back, and the NFL's schedule makers did the Eagles no favors. Their 2025 slate is a murderer's row, featuring matchups against the entire AFC West and NFC North—two divisions loaded with 10+ win teams from last season. Compounded by a first-place schedule, which pits them against other division winners, the Birds will be tested week in and week out. There are no easy Sundays on this calendar.
While the schedule is daunting, a more immediate concern is the health of the roster. Several key contributors are starting the summer on the mend. First-round pick Jihaad Campbell (shoulder) and linebacker Nolan Smith (triceps) have their training camp status in doubt. On the offensive line, both guard Landon Dickerson (knee surgery) and center Cam Jurgens (back) are rehabbing. The team showed its faith in Jurgens with a massive four-year, $68 million extension, but his availability, along with the others, will be the top story heading into late July.
Offensively, the Eagles have a clear identity, but it's a lopsided one. Their rushing attack is elite, ranking 2nd in the NFL with a staggering 179.3 yards per game. The passing game, however, was a different story, finishing a lowly 30th at just 206.9 yards per game. For the Eagles to successfully navigate their brutal schedule, they cannot be one-dimensional. Developing a more potent and consistent passing attack will be the primary focus for the offensive coaching staff this summer.
With a dominant defense that ranked #1 overall last season (allowing just 278.4 yards per game), the front office is making a calculated bet. Instead of trading for a proven star like Myles Garrett or T.J. Watt, the Eagles are entrusting their pass rush to young, homegrown talent like the recovering Nolan Smith and rookie Jaylex Hunt. This move is also about shrewd financial planning, as Howie Roseman keeps the salary cap flexible for looming extensions for safety Reed Blankenship and defensive tackle Jalen Carter. It's a high-risk, high-reward strategy that will define the defense's ceiling.
While June 23rd was a quiet day on the transaction wire, the storylines for the Eagles' title defense are crystal clear. Health, navigating a brutal schedule, and finding offensive balance are the pillars of the 2025 season. The real work begins when the team reports for training camp, with the first preseason test set for August 7th against the Bengals. All eyes will be on the injury report and the development of the team's young pass rushers as the quest for another Lombardi Trophy begins in earnest.
