Howie Roseman Should Feel Invincible Following the Eagles’ Unexpected Playoff Berth
Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles were expected to hang around with the bottom feeders. They were coming off a four-win season in 2020, had just fired their only Super Bowl-winning head coach in franchise history, and had no clear answer at quarterback.
Even with an above-average offensive line, this was not a team set up for success in today’s era of NFL football. On the outside looking in, it appeared they were due for a long and painful transition year — which is just a fancy way of saying tanking.
The Eagles just clinched a winning season and a playoff spot
The Eagles began the 2021 season with a 2-5 record, adding fuel to the idea that Philadelphia simply wouldn’t be a competitive football team this year. Jalen Hurts struggled to move the ball through the air, the defense couldn’t force stops consistently, and the penalties were hanging around a league-high rate. They were a bad football team.
Fast forward to Week 18, and the Eagles have performed a complete 180. They’re currently 9-7 and just clinched a playoff spot with a game to spare. At the very least, they’ve provided themselves with a chance to make some noise in the postseason.
First-year head coach Nick Sirianni and second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts have received a ton of praise for the Eagles’ swift and unexpected turnaround, which is deserved. Both individuals have outperformed initial expectations. However, it’s the team’s controversial general manager who stands to benefit the most from this year’s playoff appearance. His job status just got a whole lot more solidified.
Howie Roseman should feel invincible right now
While 2017 was a dream season for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, his track record since has been less-than-impressive. He routinely missed on top draft picks and had a knack for overpaying aging veterans. Following the Eagles’ embarrassing 2020 campaign, many wanted him fired instead of former HC Doug Pederson.
However, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie trusted Roseman with his life and opted to give him the power to orchestrate this next era of Eagles football. Roseman’s job status under Lurie was strong before. Now, it looks impenetrable.
Not only did Roseman oversee a playoff-caliber team, hiring the right coaches and making the right offseason moves, but he also finally nailed some draft picks. Top two picks, DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson, have turned into unquestioned starters. Third-round selection Milton Williams continues to push for more playing time as well.
The Eagles are likely tied to Howie Roseman for a very long time
Maybe Roseman stumbled into some dumb luck this season, or perhaps he’s found his rhythm again as one of the NFL’s more elite executives. Either way, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles (Jeffrey Lurie) letting him go anytime soon.
Despite last year’s four-win season and a long list of historically lousy draft picks, Roseman is back in favor with the Eagles. Making the payoffs is hard in the NFL. Yet, Roseman did it with a team that everyone thought would win three or four games this season.
No matter how you slice it, that’s impressive. It’s presumably bought Roseman another 5-plus years of job security as Eagles GM.
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