The Philadelphia Eagles will look to win their second Super Bowl in the last eight seasons on Feb.9, as the team will travel to Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Philadelphia and Kansas City meet in the biggest game of the year for the second time in the past three years, as the Chiefs defeated the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Feb.2023.
Philadelphia has been dominant this season, and the team is filled with stars on both sides of the ball, including edge rusher Josh Sweat. The 27-year-old has been a productive player for the Eagles since 2020 and had another fantastic year in 2024, totaling eight sacks and 54 quarterback pressures in 15 starts during the regular season.
Sweat is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason and will be one of the top players on the market. If Philadelphia is unable to retain the star pass rusher, CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani predicts general manager Howie Roseman will replace Sweat with Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce.
“Koonce has to be one of the more fascinating players available this offseason, and there’s no guarantee the Raiders allow him to walk,” Dajani wrote. “The former third-round pick out of Buffalo was expected to explode in 2024, but suffered a season-ending knee injury right before the season opener.”
“Now, he will be able to test the market,” Dajani added. “In 2023, Koonce recorded a career-high eight sacks, and six came in the final four games of the season. He recorded three sacks of Mahomes in that Christmas Day upset, which is still the last time Kansas City lost at home.
Koonce missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL in practice ahead of the Raiders season opener. The 26-year-old had a career year in 2023, posting eight sacks and 52 quarterback pressures with 27 defensive stops.
If the Eagles lose Sweat this offseason and Koonce departs Las Vegas, Philadelphia should enter the market for the Raiders pass rusher. Though Koonce is coming off a significant injury, the former Buffalo standout was playing the best football of his career the last time he took the field and is still pretty young.
Spotrac projects Koonce will land a two-year deal worth $40 million on the open market, while Pro Football Focus believes the talented edge rusher will land a deal closer to $37.5 million over two seasons.
The Eagles are projected to have around $18 million in cap space this offseason, so Roseman will have to make some cuts or restructure some contracts to make room for a potential Koonce signing.
Philadelphia will need a pass rusher if Sweat leaves in free agency. Though he’s only had one year of solid production and missed the 2024 campaign due to a knee injury, Malcolm Koonce still has the potential to be one of the most productive edge rushers in football and would be a savvy signing from Roseman.
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