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Super Bowl news: Eric Allen to Hall of Fame; Saquon Barkley wins at NFL Honors; no Birds miss practice due to illness

Saquon Barkley was named offensive player of the year and Eric Allen was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Thursday's NFL Honors. The Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl LIX Sunday.

Former Philadelphia Eagles Eric Allen, seen here during a recent Eagles playoff game, has been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Former Philadelphia Eagles Eric Allen, seen here during a recent Eagles playoff game, has been voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Read more
David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
What you should know
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  1. The Eagles are making final preparations to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl.

  2. The NFL Honors award show is tonight (Fox, NFL Network). Former Eagles cornerback Eric Allen was one of four players voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the 26th Eagle voted in.

  3. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley beat out Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase to win AP offensive player of the year.

  4. Zack Baun finished fifth in defensive player of the year voting and Vic Fangio missed out on assistant coach of the year. Cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell lost out on defensive rookie of the year.

  5. No Eagles players missed practice due to illness Thursday, despite Jalen Carter and Quinyon Mitchell missing media availability. According to Lane Johnson, "four to five" players are sick.

  6. Check out all our Super Bowl coverage, and play Birdle, our daily Eagles-themed word game.

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Former Eagles CB Eric Allen among four players voted into Hall of Fame

NEW ORLEANS — The long wait finally ended for Eric Allen on a week when the Eagles, the team that drafted him, are playing in the Super Bowl.

The former Eagles cornerback, eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame longer than the other 14 finalists for the 2025 class, was announced as part of a four-player class during the NFL Honors ceremony Thursday night.

Allen, who was in his 19th year of eligibility, was a finalist for the second consecutive season. The other three players in the 2025 class are Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe.

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Jaguars' Arik Armstead named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is the highest honor in the NFL, and this year, the award went to Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead. The Eagles nominee was Brandon Graham.

— Matt Mullin

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Nick Sirianni got a couple coach of the year votes

When we say a couple, we really mean it. Nick Sirianni finished tied for 11th in coach of the year voting, with three fifth-place votes. But he still got some love.

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Josh Allen wins NFL MVP

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion when he was name offensive player of the year that Saquon Barkley wouldn't also win MVP. And that turned out to be the case, as it once again went to a quarterback: Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

In addition to Barkley, the other MVP finalists were Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Jared Goff.

— Matt Mullin

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Jordan Mailata received a vote for offensive player of the year

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Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell lose out on defensive rookie of the year

The final two Eagles up for awards at the NFL Honors were cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, who were nominated for defensive rookie of the year. They lost out to Rams pass rusher Jared Verse, who had a bit of a back-and-forth with Eagles fans before — and during — the team's divisional-round matchup.

— Matt Mullin

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'Inner Excellence' makes an appearance at NFL Honors

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Saquon Barkley wins AP offensive player of the year

NEW ORLEANS — Saquon Barkley was named offensive player of the year by the Associated Press on Thursday, further cementing his first season with the Eagles into NFL history.

The 27-year-old was announced as the winner at NFL Honors, but wasn’t in attendance as the Eagles prepare for Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.

The other finalists for the award finishing behind Barkley in the voting were Lamar Jackson, Ja’Marr Chase, Derrick Henry, and Joe Burrow. Barkley received 35 first-place votes to Jackson’s 12.

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Patrick Surtain II beats out Zack Baun for defensive player of the year

Two nominations so far, two misses for the Eagles. After Vic Fangio missed out on the award for the top assistant, his linebacker Zack Baun finished fifth for defensive player of the year. Instead, the award went to Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Baun has been a key figure to the Eagles' defensive turnaround this season, as has Fangio, but so far, no hardware to show for it — although they'll be after more important hardware on Sunday.

Two other key figures of the Birds improvement on defense, rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, are up for defensive rookie of the year at Thursday's NFL Honors. And Saquon Barkley is up for MVP and offensive player of the year.

— Matt Mullin

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LeSean McCoy confident in the Eagles

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Commanders' Jayden Daniels wins offensive rookie of the year

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Vic Fangio finished fourth in Assistant Coach of the Year voting

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Barry Sanders says 'the best is yet to come' for Saquon Barkley

Barry Sanders spoke with Philly native and NFL Network host Colleen Wolfe on the red carpet about Saquon Barkley and the success he had in his first season with the Eagles, coming 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL rushing record.

Earlier in the season, Barkley shared on social media that the Hall of Fame running back had sent him a signed jersey with a special message, and Sanders said Thursday that he was a Barkley fan long before sending him the jersey.

"I did. I can say I was impressed with him," Sannders said. "But I've been watching this kid from when he was at Penn State and just seeing his journey, he was just in a situation where he could be at his best, in a situation that was perfect for him, where he could thrive. So I'm happy to see it.

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Vic Fangio misses out on Assistant Coach of the Year award

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who turned the Eagles defense from one of the worst in the NFL to one of the best, was a finalist for the NFL's Assistant Coach of the Year, but lost out to Lions offensive coordinator — and new Bears head coach — Ben Johnson.

It was the first award announced, revealed on the red carpet before the official NFL Honors show even started. Four Eagles players are still up for five awards:

  1. Saquon Barkley: MVP and Offensive Player of the Year

  2. Zack Baun: Defensive Player of the Year

  3. Cooper DeJean: Defensive Rookie of the Year

  4. Quinyon Mitchell: Defensive Rookie of the Year

— Matt Mullin

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No Eagles missed practice due to illness Thursday afternoon

NEW ORLEANS — Despite not being present for media availability for the second consecutive day Thursday, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter fully participated in practice Thursday afternoon, suggesting he is on track to play Sunday despite being limited Wednesday due to an illness.

Carter is among a few Eagles dealing with illnesses, but none of them missed practice or were limited due to an illness Thursday when the Eagles again practiced at Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie.

Three Eagles were limited with injuries: Brandon Graham (elbow), DeVonta Smith (hamstring), and reserve offensive lineman Nick Gates (groin).

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Jalen Hurts' new merch collection will raise money for Philly public schools

Jalen Hurts is launching a new merchandise collection ahead of Super Bowl LIX, to raise money for the Jalen Hurts Foundation, which supports Philadelphia public schools.

Hurts’ new merchandise features his 1 jersey number prominently, and blends Philadelphia and New Orleans in the “1 Mission” design. The t-shirts are $25 and sweatshirts with the logo are $50.

The Jalen Hurts Foundation recently supported air conditioning in the Philadelphia School District with the “Keep It Cool” initiative, which purchased AC units for local schools. Hurts pledged to donate $5,000 per touchdown this year to the initiative.

Gabriela Carroll

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Bryce Huff opens up about the most frustrating season of his NFL career

Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff heard what Vic Fangio said about him when training camp opened and the noise afterward consumed him for weeks. "I was walking around mad all day," he said.

It was a frustrating season for Huff, who said he dealt with more adversity this season than ever before. The Eagles signed him to a $51.1 million deal, but he was slow to adjust to Fangio's scheme. He thought he was finally finding his footing, but then a wrist injury derailed his season.

Huff on Thursday opened up about the most frustrating season of his NFL career.

» READ MORE: Why Howie Roseman and Bryce Huff believe Huff’s story with the Eagles ‘is yet to be written’

— Jeff Neiburg

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Michael Strahan says Saquon Barkley can take over for him on TV

Eagles fans sure hope Saquon Barkley isn’t ready to hang up his cleats any time soon. But when he does, Barkley has huge aspirations.

He told Jeff McLane on unCovering the Birds that he hopes to become the next Michael Strahan, to work on TV outside of just traditional football coverage.

In addition to his work with Fox Sports, Strahan hosted Live! with Kelly and Michael, and currently hosts Good Morning America and The $100,000 Pyramid on ABC, and he’s excited for the prospect of Barkley taking over his many TV hosting roles.

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South Jersey school district reverses ban on Eagles gear for teachers ahead of Super Bowl

After initially declaring Eagles attire unacceptable for Winslow Township school teachers to show their team pride, the South Jersey school system has had a change of heart.

A controversy ensued this week when Assistant Superintendent Dorothy Carcamo handed down a dress code edict banning Eagles gear in a memo distributed to principals ahead of the Super Bowl. She noted then that the district’s “primary focus remains student achievement.” Winslow enrolls 4,500 students.

“We are not here to represent the Eagles or any other sport team,” she wrote in the memo, obtained by the Inquirer. “Therefore, your staff should not be dressed in any football or other athletic attire.”

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Are the Chiefs really favored by the refs? Fox's Mike Pereira say it's 'a myth.'

“It’s never good when you all want to talk to us,” Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira joked before sitting down for Fox Sports media day.

The theory that NFL officials go out of their way to favor the Chiefs has steadily spread as Kansas City approaches their third consecutive Super Bowl. The team has dominated ever since Patrick Mahomes took the reins as starting quarterback, but with it have come a few controversial officiating decisions.

“Everybody know how it is playing up [in Kansas City],” Texans running back Joe Mixon said. “You can never leave it into the refs’ hands. The whole world see, man.”

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Jimmy Johnson, Nick Sirianni, and the TV show 'Coach'

This is Jimmy Johnson’s 31st season as a studio analyst for Fox, which dwarfs the nine years he spent coaching in the NFL, most memorably with the Dallas Cowboys.

Over the years, Johnson has gotten to know Andy Reid, and just filmed an interview with the Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach that will air during Fox’s Super Bowl pregame show Sunday.

Nick Sirianni? Not so much.

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The 40-yard dash can't be that hard, right?

Ever wanted to see a journalist run the 40-yard dash? Well, break out the sundial because The Inquirer's Vaughn Johnson did just that at the Super Bowl Experience in New Orleans.

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Just how big have 'those big guys upfront' been for the Eagles?

The Eagles have had the best offensive line in football for the past three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus' rankings, and giving a noticeable boost to the Eagles' top running back in each of those years.

"It's a little easier this year when you got those big guys upfront creating the holes they've been creating," Saquon Barkley said at Monday's Super Bowl press conference.

Those "big guys" helped Barkley double the average number of yards he gained before contact compared to last season with the New York Giants, from 1.9 to 3.8, according to Pro Football Reference. The Giants OL was ranked 30th last year by Pro Football Focus.

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Wawa partners with Nick Foles for new commercial ahead of Super Bowl

It’s time to feast, Eagles fans. Wawa, which will be giving out free coffee at select area locations on Sunday, has partnered with former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles for a new pre-game ad that will begin airing Saturday through Sunday, including a spot scheduled right before kickoff.

The commercial features the city of Philadelphia, fans tailgating outside of Lincoln Financial Field, and a dog holding a Wawa hoagie in his mouth. All of this is narrated by the Super Bowl champion.

“We’re back, Philly. Underdogs again,” Foles said. “But that’s nothing new, right? It just means we’re hungry for more. Every day, every play, take a bite. It’s time to feast."

— Ariel Simpson

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Mike Pereira on 'ugly' tush push penalties and what it'll take to ban it

The Eagles’ attempt to run the Tush Push against the Commanders was a career highlight for Fox's Mike Pereira, rules analyst and former NFL vice president of officiating.

As Frankie Luvu jumped twice before the Eagles could run a play, and the Commanders took a third offsides penalty, the ref announced he could “award a score” if the Commanders did not clean up their act. Pereira then shared on FOX that it could be a use for the Palpably Unfair Act.

“When you get to that, it’s called the Palpably Unfair Act, which I’ve been waiting for 15 years to say on air,” Pereira said Thursday. “I was so excited, almost spit it out right away.”

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Mayor Parker spells Eagles the right way this time

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker ended a Thursday news conference on Super Bowl preparations with a re-do of her famously botched Eagles chance from last month.

"Let me see if can get it right this time," Parker said, before correctly spelling out E-A-G-L-E-S. She added that with that, she hoped to have gotten some street cred back with her son, Langston.

Parker's gaffe last month, in which she misspelled the team's name as "E-L-G-S-E-S" ahead of the NFC championship, went viral. She later poked fun at the mistake, saying that "we don't promise perfection."

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City outlines road closures and SEPTA changes for Super Bowl Sunday

Road closures in Philadelphia will be similar to those employed following the NFC championship last month, city officials said Thursday.

Officials plan to launch closures along Broad Street in South Philadelphia and Center City, and at Frankford and Cottman and the Five Points intersection in Northeast Philadelphia, among other areas. Additional details are expected to be announced as Sunday approaches.

In addition to road closures, SEPTA is planning on a number of bus detours to accommodate road closures, as well as rolling subway station closures in the event of an Eagles win, said the agency's general manager Scott Sauer. Closures of Center City stops on the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line will be conducted in accordance with direction from law enforcement, he added.

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Chickie's and Pete's in Kansas City is no longer an Eagles bar

There are traitors among us in Kansas City.

When Philly institution Chickie’s and Pete’s opened an outpost inside Kansas City’s Bally Casino in 2023, it was trading on its reputation as the “official sports bar of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

So much for that.

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Michael Vick: Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes are NFL's two best QBs

Jalen Hurts is one of the two best quarterbacks in the NFL, former Eagles QB Michael Vick said Wednesday. And Hurts will face the other one in Super Bowl LIX.

In one of his final public appearances for Fox before he leaves the network to become the head coach at Norfolk State University, Vick put Patrick Mahomes and Hurts on the same level during a session with reporters here at Fox’s media day.

“There are just so many good quarterbacks in the league right now, but I think the two best made it,” Vick said. “They both played at a high level all year. They embody everything you have to be as a quarterback in the National Football League: smart, consistent, stay healthy, being good leaders. You’ve seen that week in and week out. That’s why those guys get paid the big bucks, man. That’s why they’re where they are now. And it’s not just because of them. It’s because they make everybody else better around them.”

— Mike Sielski

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Gillie Da King leads Eagles fight song on New Orleans-bound plane

Rapper Gillie Da King, a Philly native and the Eagles' unofficial hype man ahead of the Super Bowl, was spotted on a flight headed to New Orleans, and of course he was leading fans in a rendition of "Fly, Eagles Fly."

» READ MORE: Dance Dance Celebration: Can you keep up with Eagles’ No.1 fan Gillie Da King?

— Matt Mullin

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Mayor Parker pleads with fans not to climb poles Sunday

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker implored Eagles fans to not climb light poles or any other structure in the event of an Eagles win on Sunday.

"Climbing or attempting to climb a light pole or a bus shelter, or any structure for that matter, it can lead to tragedy," Parker said at a Thursday news conference. "Just don't climb onto anything, OK? That's our golden rule."

Following the Eagles' NFC championship victory last month, Tyler Sabapathy, a Temple Student, died of injuries he sustained after falling from a street pole near City Hall. Parker later offered her condolences to Sabapathy's family, saying that fans must celebrate "in a way that does not result in this kind of tragedy."

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Nick Sirianni might have his players speak again at final team meeting

It sounds like Eagles coach Nick Sirianni will open the floor for players to speak in the final team meeting this Saturday, similar to what he did before Super Bowl LVII.

Sirianni has said before that he picked up the tradition during his college career at Mount Union, allowing players to address one another instead of making a speech himself to close things out.

"What you got to see was how much the guys cared about each other," Sirianni said. "The whole conversation, when guys would get up there, just talking about how much they mean to each other and how they're going to play for each other. All those different things. ... It meant a lot. We'll probably try to recreate that."

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Gov. Josh Shapiro says he'll be at the Super Bowl, talks future stadium plans

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will be at Super Bowl LIX Sunday to watch his beloved Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.

Embodying his usual sports talk radio persona of “Josh from Juniata,” Shapiro called into 97.5 The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli Show Thursday to chat about the Birds’ third trip to the Super Bowl in seven years and Shapiro’s role as Pennsylvania’s “chief cheerleader” on Sunday.

“I like our chances, man, I really, really do. I'm feeling really good,” Shapiro said.

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Check out this Saquon Barkley mural in South Philly

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Five Eagles up for awards at tonight's NFL Honors, including Saquon Barkley for MVP

Can Saquon Barkley become the first running back — and first non-quarterback — to win MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012? We'll find out tonight at the NFL Honors awards show, which airs at 9 p.m. on Fox and NFL Network.

It’s unlikely he wins, but Barkley is a finalist along with four quarterbacks for the Associated Press’ for NFL MVP award. His fellow finalists are Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Detroit’s Jared Goff, and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

Barkley, who also is a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year, led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards during the regular season. He became the ninth player in NFL history to cross the 2,000-yard mark.

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Saquon Barkley to star in Super Bowl commercial — while he's playing

Saquon Barkley will be playing in his first Super Bowl in his seven-year career in the league — but, the three-time Pro Bowl running back won’t only be seen on the field on Sunday. Keep your eyes glued to the television screen because Barkley will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the financial tech company Ramp, which was founded in 2019.

Barkley was recently introduced as the latest investor for the company, which will air its first Super Bowl commercial this Sunday as Barkley competes for a Lombardi Trophy.

— Ariel Simpson

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'Four or five' Eagles players dealing with illness before Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS — “Four or five” Eagles players are sick with the flu or flu-related illnesses, tackle Lane Johnson said Thursday, raising the question of whether the team will be shorthanded or at least hampered for Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Chiefs.

Jalen Carter, the Eagles’ star defensive tackle, was listed as “limited” at the team’s Wednesday practice because of an illness. Rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell did not attend Wednesday’s media availability and, though he was there for Thursday’s session, has laryngitis. Some team officials have been wearing masks, and the massive crowd at Monday’s Media Night at the Superdome certainly created an opportunity for germs and viruses to spread easily.

“It was going around before we even left Philadelphia," Johnson said.

— Mike Sielski

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Dallas Goedert is being overlooked, according to Fox’s Greg Olsen

Fox analyst Greg Olsen has a soft spot for tight ends, which is natural given he played the position for 14 seasons, mostly with the Carolina Panthers.

Not surprisingly, all of the national attention going into the Super Bowl is on Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and rightfully so — only Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice has more receiving yards and touchdowns in the playoffs than Kelce. Oh, and he’s also dating someone named Taylor Swift and co-hosts an immensely popular podcast with his brother, former Eagles star Jason Kelce.

As a result, Olsen thinks Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is flying under the radar and could be a surprise factor in Sunday’s game, referring to him as the “forgotten man” in the Birds’ offense earlier in the week.

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Kyle Schwarber rocks an A.J. Brown jersey at the WM Phoenix Open

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber took part in the Annexus Pro-Am on Wednesday, ahead of the WM Phoenix Open, hands down the rowdiest event of the PGA Tour season. When stepping up to the tee at the famed par-3 16th hole, also known as the "stadium hole" because it's surrounded by grandstands on all sides, Schwarber did so in an A.J. Brown Eagles jersey, as catcher Garrett Stubbs documented on social media.

— Matt Mullin

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Philly schools will not open late on Monday

When the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, the Philadelphia School District gave students and staff a pass, and called a two-hour post-Super Bowl delay.

In 2018, when the Birds took home the Lombardi trophy, the next day was a regular school day.

Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. is a former history teacher, he noted. And apparently superstitious.

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Jalen Carter misses media availability again

Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter is not present at Eagles media availability for the second consecutive day.

Carter was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice due to an illness. The Eagles will practice later and release a daily injury report late this afternoon.

Multiple Eagles defensive players donned face masks last week at the NovaCare Complex.

— Jeff Neiburg

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Watch: Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts speak to the media

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Local Ukrainian choir performs 'Fly, Eagles Fly'

The Prometheus Ukrainian Male Chorus of Philadelphia recorded themselves performing “Fly, Eagles Fly" in Ukrainian and English. The 23-member choir is located in Jenkintown.

— Vinny Vella

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Trump praised Tommy Tuberville for coaching Patrick Mahomes. The QB doesn't even remember meeting him.

Despite Tommy Tuberville’s claims, the current Alabama senator and former Texas Tech head coach never coached or recruited Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes confirmed on Thursday.

President Donald Trump recounted a conversation on Wednesday with Tuberville about coaching Mahomes. Tuberville left Texas Tech for Cincinnati after the 2012 season. Mahomes started at Texas Tech in 2014.

“Tommy Tuberville, a great coach,” Trump said. “You know, his quarterback was named Mahomes, he was a great college coach. And I said, how good was he? He said, you don't want to know how good.”

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Sielski: Jeffrey Lurie is most important Eagle of all time

There are only so many days anymore that Jeffrey Lurie chooses to speak publicly, or feels that he must. Monday here, amid the chaotic absurdity of Super Bowl Opening Night, was one such day. He lowered himself onto a chair on the Superdome turf and let the questioners come to him.

Lurie is 73, and he has controlled the Eagles for 30 years. He is no longer a new, young NFL owner trying to establish his credibility and bona fides, trying to reassure the league and Philadelphia and everyone who cares about the Eagles that he knows what he is doing. This is the Eagles’ third Super Bowl appearance in eight years, their fourth during Lurie’s ownership tenure. When, in August 2003 — before the Eagles had even reached a Super Bowl under him, let alone won one — he said that word around the NFL was that the Eagles were the league’s “gold standard,” the comment gave off more than a whiff of insecurity, as if Lurie were fishing for credit for the franchise’s improvement.

He doesn’t have to bait his line anymore. Even then, the Eagles’ ascendancy was already apparent, obvious to those who cared to see it. Life within the leaky, rat-ridden confines of Veterans Stadium was behind them. The NovaCare Complex had opened in 2001. Lincoln Financial Field was about to host its first official NFL game. Joe Banner as team president, Andy Reid as head coach, a team that would reach the conference championship game five times during an excellent-yet-excruciating eight-year period: From that time to this one, from the day Bert Bell founded the franchise in 1933 to these final few hours before Super Bowl LIX, Lurie has established himself as the most influential figure in Eagles history.

» READ MORE: With this latest Super Bowl berth, Jeffrey Lurie shows he’s the most important Eagle of all time

— Mike Sielski

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Eagles healthy heading into the Super Bowl

Four days out from taking the field at the Super Bowl, and the Eagles have some good news on the injury front.

Center Cam Jurgens (back) and guard Landon Dickerson (knee) were full participants in practice Thursday. It was Jurgens' first practice since injuring his back during the Birds divisional round win against the Los Angeles Rams.

Dickerson started at center during the NFC championship game, but was replaced by Jurgens in the second half after suffering a knee injury.

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Rams president pushed to draft Jordan Mailata before the Eagles traded up

During the 2018 NFL draft, the Eagles traded up 17 spots in the seventh round to draft Jordan Mailata, then a little-know Australian rugby player who had never played American football.

As The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported in 2021, Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland believed the Pittsburgh Steelers were also interested in nabbing Mailata, so Roseman moved up several spots to land the future All-Pro. 

It’s a good thing he did, because the Los Angeles Rams were also interested. 

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Howie Roseman following Andy Reid's philosophy

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman reiterated Monday that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid ingrained in Roseman the importance of investing major assets in offensive and defensive linemen, even if they were unlikely to play right away. Reid was the de facto general manager for much of his tenure in Philadelphia while Roseman was learning the ropes.

That philosophy has paid off for the Eagles since Reid was fired and Roseman took over in 2013 (Roseman briefly lost power in 2015, one of the Eagles’ worst drafts in 30 years). The Eagles have made the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons. They had the best offensive line in football in 2019 and 2023, and they’ve had a top-6 offensive line each of those playoff seasons; the only time they didn’t, 2020, they missed the playoffs.

Beginning with 2013 first-round offensive tackle Lane Johnson, Roseman drafted 13 offensive or defensive linemen drafted in the first three rounds. Only 2019 first-round left tackle Andre Dillard failed to contribute in a manner consistent with his pedigree, and that largely was because Jordan Mailata, a seventh-rounder miracle from 2018, developed far beyond any sane expectations.

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Myles Garrett thinks Philly would be 'hell of a destination'

It appears unlikely Howie Roseman and the Eagles will make a big push to trade for Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, especially as the team continues to say they won't trade the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and six-time Pro Bowler.

But the idea of landing in Philadelphia is something Garrett has given some thought.

"We went there for a preseason [game] and I definitely got me a cheesesteak. It lived up to my hopes," Garrett said Wednesday as a guest on The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio