- La Salle keeps its season alive with 78-71 win over UMass in A-10 tournament first round
- Source: Eagles agree to terms with RB AJ Dillon as Kenneth Gainwell departs
- Drexel’s Kobe MaGee, Yame Butler announce their intent to enter NCAA’s transfer portal
- Flyers’ skid extends to five with 5-2 home loss vs. Ottawa Senators
- Source: Eagles trading safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans for guard Kenyon Green
These are the Eagles players from the Super Bowl who won't be back next season
NFL free agency opened this week, and the Eagles defense took quite a hit — losing six players to other teams. Three starters are departing. But that’s only part of the story when it comes to Howie Roseman's roster turnover after winning Super Bowl LIX. Here’s a look at the players who won’t return next season …
The Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston. The trash-talking safety played two seasons with the Eagles — first in 2022 and again in 2024 — appearing in a pair of Super Bowls and ending his Philly career with 12 interceptions. In The Inquirer’s Stay or Go voting, 95% of fans wanted to see him stay.
The Eagles' secondary overhaul also saw the team release six-time Pro-Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, who is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the Steelers worth $10 million. Slay played five seasons with the Birds, and has said he plans to retire after next season, his 13th.
Milton Williams, another player most fans wanted back (79.9%), agreed to a four-year contract worth $104 million with the Patriots. Williams spent four years with the Birds — recording 132 tackles and 11.5 sacks — and is coming off a breakout season, capped by two sacks and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl.
Josh Sweat agreed to a four-year contract worth $76.4 million with the Cardinals. The veteran edge rusher spent seven seasons with the Birds and, like Williams, played a big part in their Super Bowl LIX win, finishing the night with 2.5 sacks and six tackles. Despite that, just 61.9% of fans wanted him to stay.
Kenny Pickett, a South Jersey native, was traded to the Browns in exchange for their backup quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Pickett played five games with the Eagles, including replacing Jalen Hurts after Hurts suffered a concussion late in the season. Only 39.5% of fans wanted to see him return.
Kenneth Gainwell agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers. The running back was drafted by the Birds and spent four seasons with the team, mostly in a backup role. Still, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry and 7.1 yards per reception, and made contributions on special teams. For that, 57.5% of fans voted for him to stay.
Oren Burks is signing a two-year, $5 million deal with the Bengals. Burks played one season with the Eagles, recording 41 tackles and two forced fumbles in limited action. An overwhelming 87.4% of fans wanted to see Burks stay after he filled in nicely for injured starter Nakobe Dean during the Eagles' Super Bowl run.
Isaiah Rodgers is headed to Minnesota on a two-year deal worth $15 million. The cornerback, who missed all of 2023 while serving a gambling suspension, finished the season with 26 tackles and one forced fumble — and a big fumble return in the snow against the Rams. As a result, 84.1% of fans wanted to see him stay.
The Eagles released James Bradberry after he spent the entire 2024 season on injured reserve — following a preseason in which he learned a new position, transitioning from corner to safety. However, just 18.8% of fans were interested in seeing Bradberry stay — perhaps still not over his penalty in Super Bowl LVII.
