Nellie and the Green Goblin Return as Patriots

Two former Eagles who helped deliver a Super Bowl title to Philadelphia returned with their new team to practice against their former team

PHILADELPHIA – Two players who will always be remembered in Philadelphia Eagles history for helping deliver the city its first Super Bowl championship were back where it all started on Monday, both wearing the colors of their new team, the New England Patriots.

Jalen Mills and Nelson Agholor were signed by the Patriots in the offseason, both as free agents.

Mills’ contract with the Eagles expired at the end of last season after arriving as a seventh-round draft pick in 2016.

Agholor’s five-year run after being taken in the first round of the 2015 draft ended after 2019 and he spent one productive season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 before joining forces with Bill Belichick’s once-dynastic program.

“Of course, I’ve got memories,” said Mills. “We did something that will be in the books forever. I know there’s history with a couple of the guys, but I just see it as a new journey. My journey is already written about. This is the next chapter.”

Mills’ trademark green hair is still there, and there’s a reason it is.

“I’m the Green Goblin,” he said. “Superman flies all around the world, and his cape stays the same color. So gotta keep it green.”

Jalen Mills puts on his No. 2 Patriots jersey prior to practicing against his former team on Monday :: Ed Kracz/SI.com Eagle Maven

Agholor, meanwhile, downplayed his return, preferring to do his talking on the field, where he was the best receiver on the field.

And that’s saying something because Eagles’ second-year WR Jalen Reagor had probably his best practice of training camp, which stretched to 13 days and included the first day of two days of practices against the New England Patriots before the two teams play each other Thursday night (7:30/NBC10) at Lincoln Financial Field.

“I was focused on practice,” said Agholor. “Other than that, I don’t think I really know yet, but I do love the fact that I’m seeing so many special people, you guys (media), my teammates that I played with, coaches, it’s a special place. After the practice, I was able to show love and receive love.”

Nelson Agholor and Eagles GM embrace prior to Monday's practice :: Martin Frank/Delawareonline.com

Agholor, who had nine catches for 84 yards on the Eagles’ 41-33 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, later added about that special season: “We will always be connected. It was a special thing. Looking back, I think we always will understand that it took a sacrifice from every one of us to reach something like that.”

Too often during his time in Philadelphia, Agholor wasn’t always the best WR on the practice fields, but he was on Monday.

Often, Agholor victimized rookie cornerback Zech McPhearson, racing by him on a few occasions then finding a soft spot between McPhearson and the over-the-top safety help that was supposed to be provided by Elijah Riley.

He insisted he did not have any extra motivation returning to match-up against his former team.

“I’m motivated by being in this league,” he said. “It’s not about coming back here. Everybody talks about a faceless opponent but for me, this is my job. I gotta compete. Guys across from me are competing to take care of their families, so I gotta compete.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.