The 2026 Eagles are taking “connection” seriously
“Tough. Detailed. Together.” Since Nick Sirianni was hired as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, he has doubled down on his core values for the team, with connection being one of the most prominent staples. He’s prioritized this in many ways over the years, but heading in the 2026 season, we’re seeing more of the relationship building that’s happening behind the scenes and ahead of training camp. Not that these opportunities to connect as teammates and friends haven’t existed in the past, but there has seemingly been more cameras around to capture it this year. Whatever your opinion on football players posting their workouts, during a long offseason, it at least gives fans a little hope that the team is focused and building a solid foundation in their time away from the building. If nothing else, the 2026 Eagles roster should be as close as ever as they embark on (another) season with high expectations. One of the latest examples of the team connecting was Saquon Barkley , Cooper DeJean, Elijah Moore , and Kelee Ringo training together. We’ve seen Jalen Hurts hosting the entire QB room, and most of the team’s wide receivers and tight ends for a combination of on-field work and off-field bonding earlier in the summer, but it’s also really cool to see Eagles players from both the offense and defense finding ways to train together in the offseason. The Eagles DB room has also been working a lot the past few weeks with different combinations of corners and safeties, new guys and players returning to Vic Fangio’s defense. There have been many opportunities for some of the new guys to build chemistry with their teammates, and to forge a deeper connection with guys they’ve played with for years. Nothing highlights that last piece quite as much as Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith spending significant time together this offseason. That’s not entirely surprising given their long history and strong friendship, but both players seem even more committed to raising the bar this season. The pair trained together at Temple University, participated in a flag football game — as did Barkley, but the RB was on the opposing team —, and off the field, Hurts supported Smith at his charity softball game and at the WR’s wedding. With A.J. Brown now in New England , everyone, including Hurts and Smith, knows how important their connection is going to be this season. There’s also been a ton of support among teammates at their various charity endeavors the past few months. Smith’s softball game always draws several Eagles to the mound, there have been more than a few golf events that many participated in, and the Eagles Autism Challenge was another huge success. Bottom line, if a player was doing something positive for the community, at least one of his teammates was there to show support. It’s not just the players who are putting in work to connect this offseason, either. There are a lot of new faces throughout the coaching staff, and Sirianni has been working on bringing everyone together, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic . “Sirianni focused on team and staff bonding events this offseason. There was a team dinner and bowling outing. They played basketball at Saint Joseph’s University. On the last day of training camp, there was a cookout for families. Sirianni had a get-together with all the coaches at a Philadelphia establishment. Mannion hosted the offensive coaches at a separate event and invited Sirianni and his wife. This concept is not totally original, and similar stories from previous summers that take Sirianni’s temperature ahead of training camp would include comparable examples. These, too, are Sirianni’s greatest hits.” We’re still quite far from knowing exactly what kind of expectations are realistic for the upcoming season, but it’s encouraging to see everyone putting in work on their own time and trying to improve the standard for the locker room culture
