Will this be Jordan Davis’ year? The opportunity is there for the Eagles DT.

Vic Fangio said earlier this month that Jordan Davis is in the best shape he’s ever been in, having carried it over from late last season.

Fangio may be known for his bluntness — even when he’s asked about players in a public setting — but the Eagles defensive coordinator dodged the question when I asked why it took until late last season for Davis to get in the shape he needed to be in to perform as a pass rusher.

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

It doesn’t take an expert in Fangio-ese to understand his sidestep here. He didn’t want to be critical of Davis, who hasn’t shaken concerns about his conditioning. But even though the 6-foot-6, 340-ish-pound defensive tackle did show some improvement down the stretch late last season, the Eagles weren’t 100% committed to picking up his fifth-year option heading into the offseason.

They wanted to see Davis follow through on getting in the necessary shape before they guaranteed him nearly $13 million for the 2026 season.

Davis said they waited until the last moment. General manager Howie Roseman didn’t tell him the news until the day before it was announced.

“He has a lot of faith in me, even when I didn’t see it at first,” Davis said of Roseman. “When they brought up that fifth-year option, I knew that they wanted me here for a reason, and they were excited. And, you know, they have a little trust in me, so why not give them a return on investment and work hard?”

» READ MORE: Q&A: Eagles’ Jordan Davis on his ‘DJ Oreo’ nickname and viral dance moves

Fangio was asked how he factored into the decision to pick up the option for 2026.

“I didn’t have anything to do with that decision,” he said. “That’s Howie’s. But Jordan last year, I would say the last seven or eight games including the playoffs, played very well down the stretch. I think that’s carried over into this offseason and I anticipate it carrying over into the season.”

I think Fangio was just being literal when he said he kept himself out of it. Roseman has final say, although it’s likely he took Fangio’s opinion into account. But it is noteworthy that Fangio put that information out there.

Davis’ playing time decreased dramatically under Fangio, especially after the first four games of last season. He played 50% of the snaps before the bye, and only 32% after. And in the playoffs, it was even less at 21% despite apparently being in better shape.

Davis admitted that having a smaller role and not contributing to the team’s success affected his mental state. He’s gotten better at exorcising those demons by just doing the work.

“It’s still in the back of my mind sometimes,” Davis said. “You know, I’m human. You know, those are things that people have, but at the end of the day, I realize that harder work and better preparation kind of eliminates those self-doubts.

“As I went through this last year, I started understanding that a little bit more. Just kind of being more present with myself, understanding myself, understanding who I am as a person, that all kind of translated to the X’s and O’s side of football. I think that helped out a very lot.”

» READ MORE: Howie Roseman on Eagles DT Jordan Davis after exercising fifth-year option: ‘The sky is the limit’

Davis’ pass-rush production did increase — slightly — late in the season. In the first 13 games, he generated pressure on 7.8% of his attempts and had one sack. In the final eight games, including the postseason, his pressure rate was 8.5% and he recorded two sacks, one of which came in the Super Bowl.

In each of the previous two years, the narrative surrounding Davis was that he entered the offseason program in the best condition of his career. That may have been the case, and there’s no denying what he has meant to the defense in terms of his run defense. But each season ended with the former first-rounder either running out of gas or losing playing time.

Davis and the Eagles are singing the same song about his conditioning again this offseason. But he said being more consistent will be the difference this time around.

“Just putting in a little sweat equity, a little extra things,” Davis said. “When I did that and I was consistent with it, the trajectory for how I was playing definitely took off and very proud of myself. That’s one thing that I’ve decided to continue on doing.

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t practice it [last year] because I did, but my word of the year for 2025 is ‘discipline.’ Discipline is just having the strength to do it, even when you don’t feel like doing it.”

» READ MORE: Jordan Davis is in the ‘best shape of his life.’ His secret? Falling in love with the Peloton.

Fangio has said that when Davis’ conditioning is where it needs to be, he can play up to his strength and speed capabilities. So there’s a synergy that may exist between the two. But I think the conversation about Davis’ potential needs to be framed more around his lack of pass-rush moves and inability to bend than it does his weight.

Why are we talking so much about Davis? What makes him so important? There’s a real opportunity there for him.

He will play at the nose in the Eagles’ five-man fronts and he will be on the field on running downs, but Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo are still expected to play more on passing downs. Davis needs to step up and be the third guy not only because the defense will need it following Milton Williams’ departure or because rookie Ty Robinson or other defensive tackles on the roster aren’t capable but also to warrant the Eagles’ original investment, the fifth-year option, and his next contract — whether it’s in Philly or elsewhere.