The Philadelphia Eagles put on a show in Super Bowl LIX, and among their brightest stars in a 40-22 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs were a trio of pending free agents.
The Eagles were absolutely dominant on defense. Linebacker Zack Baun led the team in tackles and had a huge interception that led to an Eagles score right before halftime. EDGE Josh Sweat was one of the stars of the game with 2.5 sacks and seven total pressures. DT Milton Williams added two sacks of his own from the interior, including a forced fumble and recovery that effectively iced the game midway through the fourth quarter.
Of that trio, Zachary Rotman of FanSided believes GM Howie Roseman and the Eagles will exhaust all options to re-sign Baun, their breakout star who earned a first-team All-Pro nod and received votes for AP Defensive Player of the Year.
The Eagles likely won’t be able to pay everyone this offseason, though, and Rotman predicts Sweat will leave the Super Bowl champs to sign a massive free agent contract with the Detroit Lions. Here was Rotman’s take on Philly’s top pass rusher:
Sweat had an argument as this offseason’s premier edge rusher, and Sunday’s showing only added to that narrative. He’s going to get paid, especially after hiring Drew Rosenhaus to represent him. A team like the Detroit Lions can offer him the same chance to win as the Eagles, and they’re projected to have over $46 million of cap space according to Over The Cap.
Losing Sweat would be tough for the Eagles, who would be extremely thin behind him entering the new league year. Veteran Brandon Graham will almost certainly retire after winning his second Super Bowl ring at age 36, and former $51 million signing Bryce Huff was a surprise healthy scratch for Sunday’s game, which tells you all you need to know about his current standing with the team.
While the Eagles have some rising young talent at the position in Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt, they’ll need to add force to the position, and paying top market value for both Baun and Sweat — while not impossible by any stretch — does feels unlikely.
For Detroit, injuries on defense helped derail its own hopes for a Super Bowl run in 2024. The Lions could use another bonafide EDGE to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and Sweat could be the guy after a season that saw him pile up 66 total pressures and 11 sacks in 20 games.
Sweat signed a one year prove-it contract to stay with the Eagles in 2024, making $10 million. He could be commanding double that number on the open market this March, and that might make him too expensive for the Eagles to bring back.
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