Under the bright lights of the 2025 Super Bowl, the Eagles put on a defensive masterclass. From the first snap, the Eagles’ front seven disrupted the Chiefs’ rhythm, forcing hurried throws and key turnovers. Every time Patrick Mahomes dropped back, it seemed like midnight-green jerseys were closing in from all angles. With the Lombardi Trophy now safely tucked away at the Lincoln Field, the focus is already turning to the next season. Talks of getting even better and building a dynasty are rife, but the Eagles face a free-agency challenge that could alter how their defense looks next season.

The Philadelphia team has some big names hitting free agency—linebacker Zack Baun, edge rusher Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams, and guard Mekhi Becton. Starting from Tuesday, February 18 to the next couple of weeks, the teams are going to franchise tag one of their free agents in 2025 and the Eagles will have a lot to ponder.

In their dominant win against the Chiefs, Zack Baun was a standout. Baun had a game-high six tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and a QB hit. But it is his diving interception with 1:47 remaining in the first half that caught attention. He read the screen pass so perfectly it was as if he had been in the Chiefs’ huddle, blowing up the play before it had a chance to develop, making an interception at the 14-yard line. The Super Bowl performance capped off an impressive season for Baun and he might be one of the players the fans would love to see a return to the fold. But Philadelphia might not be too eager as far as franchise-tagging him goes.

PHLY sports journalist Zach Berman shared a tweet, “The franchise tag window opens today. An important note: The CBA does not distinguish between off-ball linebacker and edge rusher. The tag value for LB is based on the top five salaries for LBs — and that includes edge rushers who are considered OLBs. That means LB is actually the second-highest tag value behind QB, and would make it unlikely the Eagles would tag Zack Baun.”

Let that sink in for a moment. You see, the franchise tag figures are basically based on the top five salaries of a respective position. Since a lot of edge rushers around the NFL are listed as linebackers, the projected franchise tag for linebackers is a number that many teams might not be quick to pay.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for each team to use one of either the franchise tag or transition tag on a player who would otherwise become an Unrestricted Free Agent. In order to use these designations, the team must tender a qualifying offer on a one-year contract. Based on future salary cap estimations, the projected franchise tag figure for LBs is over $27M, which is only behind the QB, where the tag figure is over $41 million.

Having signed Baun to a one-year deal for $3.5 million in 2024, the Eagles might not fork out the off-ball linebacker that hefty amount for one year. Notably, the Eagles haven’t used the franchise tag in well over a decade. You would have to go all the way back to the Andy Reid era when they last used it on DeSean Jackson in 2012, tagging him at $9.5 million before signing a four-year, $47 million contract extension.

But what about Baun? One would feel he has done more than enough to extend his stay in Philadelphia having earned an All Pro selection.

He finished the regular season with a career-high 151 tackles and added 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, five QB hits, 14 QB pressure. Moreover, he had five forced fumbles, an interception, and a fumble recovery while playing 95 percent of the snaps and was fifth in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year votes.

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It is unlikely the Eagles offer him a hefty contract worth $27M—no matter how well he performed, but Baun seems keen on a return to the City of Brotherly Love.

“A wild year that needs to be documented, for sure,” Baun said after the Super Bowl success. “Maybe I’ll write a little book on it because it’s been crazy. With my son being born in April, moving to Philly three weeks later, getting to know the guys, the new city, moving my family, a lot of ups and downs, but the team and the guys just embraced me and my family.”

According to Over The Cap, the Birds have $19.5 million in cap space and estimated to have $17 million projected in effective cap space, which is the amount of cap space a team will have after signing at least 51 players and its projected rookie class to its roster. Hence, it will be interesting to see how general manager Howie Roseman proceeds with free agency with an eye on the future.

The futures of Baun, Milton Williams, and Josh Sweat could well determine whether this Super Bowl win translates into a period of sustained success for the Eagles.

Why can’t our dynasty start now: Saquon Barkley

The Philadelphia Eagles might be many things, but they’re for sure the Avengers of the NFL. It was the year 2005 when they lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots. More than a decade later, they avenged their defeat and lifted their maiden Super Bowl title. Fast forward to 2022 season, they’re looking to win their second title but the Chiefs crushed their dreams and guess what? A couple of years later, they avenged that loss as well.

And if the Eagles are gonna be the next dynasty in the league, those two Super Bowl wins are definitely the perfect prologue of their epic story. And when Saquon Barkley was asked if the team can start a dynasty after beating the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, he had, well, a mixed opinion. “Yeah, I said after the game, why can’t our dynasty start now?” Barkley told On3.

“(I) Probably had a little bit of champagne and other stuff in my system at the time, but you really can’t focus on that. You just got to enjoy the moment. It’s hard to win one. And you take it in, you enjoy the moment and you start all over.…So you take it in, you cherish it, you enjoy it, you appreciate the fans, but the dynasty thing, you can’t really get caught up in that.” It’s pretty early to say the Eagles are gonna start a dynasty in the league.

Here’s the thing though—their Super Bowl win had everyone thinking they could really kick off a winning streak. Especially after they knocked out the back-to-back champs this year. And with their core guys, including Saquon Barkley, coming back in 2025? Yeah, they’ve got the pieces to keep it rolling. If they retain most of their marauding defense for the next season, we can see the Eagles returning to the Super Bowl to defend their crown.