Commanders rival Eagles already preparing for title defense

While celebrating a Super Bowl victory, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sent a message about being focused on the next big win.

Feb 14, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the Super Bowl LIX championship parade and rally. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If you get what you want in the NFL, then eventually, your team will be the one being pursued by all others. For the Washington Commanders, that means catching and surpassing the Philadelphia Eagles to become the next top team in the NFC East, at a minimum.

Every player understands how quickly the fortunes of a franchise can change. In 2023, the Commanders were in disarray, and the Eagles were melting down after a disastrous end to their season that included getting bounced in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs.

One year later, Washington is one of the fastest risers in the league, and Philadelphia is celebrating its second Lombardi Trophy earned in team history.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

That puts the Eagles firmly in carrot position with the Commanders racing down the offseason track to catch them. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts intends to keep his squad ahead of all challengers and keeps his focus on that even as he and his teammates celebrate their 2024 achievements.

"I know this year, this team has had to battle through so much, this team has had to fight. This team has had to persevere. There's been a ton of scrutiny, a ton of opinions, a ton of all of that," Hurts said during the team's Super Bowl celebration parade. "But I know, about this city, one thing we do -- we fight. We fight. And you go through the course of these things, and you learn that success isn't built off of approval. It's built off of endurance, it's built off of strength. You can't lose if you don't quit. And in Philly, we don't quit...The next pursuit begins."

While the Eagles and their fans embrace an 'us against the world' mentality, the reality of the situation is that even some Commanders fans entered Super Bowl weekend, preferring to see the division rival win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

That being said, however, no NFL fans outside of Philadelphia are going to want to see that franchise become the next to go on a championship run. Sports are better when there's a true sense that any team can win any season.

The NFL has been the best at preserving that feel above all over professional leagues, and if the Commanders have it their way, that next pursuit for Hurts and his team will fall short of the mark they hit this past season.

That pursuit, had already begun before Philadelphia even arrived to New Orleans.

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