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Javon Hargrave was a Pro Bowl selection at defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles last year before signing a new deal with the San Francisco 49ers last offseason.
After spending time with both teams, Hargrave made some pretty damning comments about the Eagles. During a recent appearance on the Third and Long podcast hosted by fellow 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead, a clip from their conversation emerged in which Armstead asked Hargrave what the biggest difference was in culture between Philadelphia and San Francisco.
At first, Hargrave said the two teams were very similar.
“I hate to say … it’s kind of similar because I think we’re very close (in San Francisco) and in Philly, it’s very close, you know, everybody’s pretty tight. But I can say, it’s like — extremely harder practices,” he said.
Armstead then asked Hargrave to clarify which team he was talking about, and the former Eagles D-lineman confirmed he was referring to San Francisco, calling the 49ers’ practices “more demanding.”
Javon Hargrave Says Eagles’ Culture Is More ‘Chill,’ 49ers Culture More Work
Hargrave then evoked a basketball comparison. He compared the Eagles to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and the Niners to the Miami Heat, a team renowned for its laudable culture in the locker room and beyond, commonly referred to as “Heat Culture.”
The former Eagles DT also noted that Eagles culture is “more chill, more relaxed. Over here? It’s work. Every day.”
“Everybody can’t make it over here, that’s for sure,” he added in reference to San Francisco.
Hargrave played his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, before signing a three-year, $39 million contract with the Eagles in 2020. He was a big part of a defense that helped take Philly to the Super Bowl after the 2022 season, netting 60 total tackles (10 for loss, a career high), 11.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
Hargrave had no complaints about the way things worked while he was with the Eagles, but his comments are a tad interesting considering the recent trajectories both teams.
Eagles’ Recent Losing Streak Has Fans & Analysts Alike Asking Questions
After starting the season winning 10 of its first 11 games, Philadelphia dropped five of its last six, finishing the season with an 11-6 overall mark.
The Eagles’ losing skid began Week 13, when they got walloped at home by the 49ers, 42-19. San Francisco’s defense held Philadelphia to a season-low 46 yards rushing, and the Niners’ offense scored on the Philly ‘D’ at will, racking up 456 total yards, the third-highest total the unit allowed this year.
The Eagles lost coordinators on both offense and defense last year, so some bumps in the road were bound to happen. Now, a new journey begins, as the Eagles head to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. We’ll see how they respond.
“When times are hard, this is when you see what you’re made of and how you lead,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said on January 8. “And so, I look at it as a challenge that I know we can get out of this slump that we’re in. It’s my job to make sure that we do, and I look at it as a challenge and how sweet it will be when we do get out of it because I know we will, and I know we’ve got the right guys to get out of it.”
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