The Philadelphia Eagles have made it clear they’re not looking back to the 2024 season.
So in another sign of that ongoing trend, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declared the team would not participate in the raising of its Super Bowl banner at Lincoln Financial Field before their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
Jalen Hurts has said he has not worn his Super Bowl ring — and does not intend to. Sirianni has reportedly told his players not to “drink the perfume” of their Super Bowl win, where Philadelphia thoroughly dismantled Patrick Mahomes and the then-two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
What Did Nick Sirianni Say About The Eagles’ Banner-Raising Ceremony?
The Eagles have won two Super Bowls, and three NFL championships, in the past 75 years. So the fact the City of Brotherly Love is fired up to see another banner raised for its beloved Birds is understandable.
Yet, when asked about how the Eagles will manage the expectations from their notoriously fickle fans on banner night, Sirianni played dumb.
“I didn’t know it was banner night,” Sirianni said. “We won’t be out for that.”
The question-asker pointed out the fact Eagles fans booed the team at halftime of its lackluster 18-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 6, 2018 — after it raised the banner for winning Super Bowl LII that year.
Yet, Sirianni wasn’t the only proponent of the Eagles skipping the pregame ceremony — though he may have set that expectation for his players.
“The [Eagles] building is locked in, and we put that to bed long ago,” wide receiver A.J. Brown said of celebrating the championship. “A lot of these players didn’t even experience that.
“We’re just ready to go. That’s over with.”
What Did Nick Sirianni Say About His Team Entering Week 1?
The Eagles take their cues from their head coach, who is supremely confident. Yet, Sirianni also stated he likes where Philadelphia is, both talent-wise and emotionally, as it gets set to kick off his fifth season at the helm.
“I feel good about where we are right now,” Sirianni said. “This will be a really good test against a really good opponent.”
Sirianni loves to talk about the Eagles competition and how it makes them better. He stated how the units feed off each other and improve just by being on the practice field.
“When you practice with the intensity that our team practices with, and you get that good-on-good work that we’ve gotten for so long — our good offensive line goes against our good defensive line — you have no choice but to get better,” Sirianni said. “I feel good about that. Now we’ve got to go do it. We’ve got to let our habits take over in the game, as coaches. We’ve got to let our habits take over in the game as players.”
So even though the Eagles are a heavy favorite, and the team’s fan base is ready to celebrate against the short-handed Cowboys — who just traded star defensive end Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers — Brown and the Birds are keeping their focus.
“Starting the year out right,” Brown said. “Big division game. We’re excited.”
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