For any other team, winning the NFC East for a second straight year would be a reason to celebrate. But for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, it was just another Saturday night at the office, and a reason to demand more. Hurts became the first quarterback to lead a team into consecutive postseasons as the NFC East champion since Donovan McNabb. Still, he did not deliver a victory speech. Instead, the locker room got a reminder.
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While addressing the media, the Eagles quarterback did not celebrate the banner. Instead, he pointed straight ahead. He talked about standards. He talked about hunger. Most importantly, he put everyone on alert while demanding more.
“This is the first step for us.”
That line landed heavy. Because in that moment, Hurts was not speaking to reporters. He was speaking to the locker room, and they heard it loud.
Meanwhile, the weight of history made the moment bigger. Long before Hurts, Donovan McNabb owned this division. From 2001 through 2004, Philly ran the NFC East every year. After that run ended, the crown kept changing hands. No team could hold it. Until now. This season, the Eagles broke that cycle two games early.
Finally, Hurts knows this road well. Since taking over as the starter, the Eagles have never missed January football, making five playoff trips in five seasons with two Super Bowl appearances resulting in one championship banner flying over Lincoln Financial Field. Because of that, his tone makes sense. He has been there, and now he wants the silver and midnight green to lock in again.
However, it’s not clean. Still, the Birds are kings of the NFC East again. At the Linc, Philadelphia flipped the script after halftime. Down 10-7 at the break, they responded with urgency. And in the end, Bird Gang got the result that matters most. So naturally, Jalen Hurts took a moment to breathe it in.
Jalen Hurts’ message on the Eagles’ NFC East title
Back-to-back division titles are not normal in this league. Still, Jalen Hurts refused to treat it like the destination. Instead, he framed it as progress.
“I’ve said it multiple times: These times, they’re rare times,” Hurts said.
He followed that by reminding the locker room to stay grounded.
“So something that we all need to soak in and relish in this moment right now, and take it a day at a time as we always have. But keep the main thing the main thing. That’s what we’ve done for five years since everybody’s collectively been here. That’s been my approach since I’ve been in Eagle.”
Now, the path ahead is clearer. By winning the East, the Birds secured a top-four seed in the NFC. That also means playoff football is coming back to Lincoln Financial Field. A wild-card home game is locked in. There is also a slim dream of the No. 1 seed. That would mean a bye week. That would mean rest.
However, reality hits fast. That dream depends on chaos. Philadelphia would need to win out. Seattle would need to lose out. Even then, more help is required. According to The Athletic, the odds sit under one percent. That says everything.
Because of that, the Eagles are likely locked into a two to four-seed. The remaining games against the Bills and the Commanders will not change much. Still, momentum matters. To repeat as champions, the last thing this locker room wants is to limp into January cold.
Alejandro Drews
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