After winning Super Bowl LIX last year, the Philadelphia Eagles are trying to repeat as champions.
Sound familiar?
They have been in this situation before.
To accomplish their goal of a repeat championship, there are multiple lessons to learn from the last time they were at this point.
When the Eagles first won the Super Bowl in 2017-18, they did - to their credit - most everything they could to get back the following year. That meant giving contract extensions to some of their older stars, such as Nigel Bradham and Alshon Jeffery.
It only took a short time to see those well-intentioned moves crumble. Philadelphia was one of the league leaders maybe in injuries due to its older roster at the time, which led to the team collapsing into a regime change just three years following its Super Bowl win.
What is arguably more remarkable is that the Eagles were able to shrug off that season's failings and build another Super Bowl winner.
As they prepare for another title defense, has general manager Howie Roseman and the organization learned from the mistakes they made before?
Early returns should tell wondering Eagles fans that they have.
Instead of re-signing several of their older stars, Philadelphia has said goodbye to many prominent leaders. Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Brandon Graham are just a few veterans who departed from the organization this offseason.
By parting with some of its more critical veterans, Philadelphia is choosing to focus on the growth of its young roster. The Eagles have the 10th-youngest roster in the game. … and that alone is evidence of the team's learning from its past mistakes.
Time will tell if they can maintain their dominance in 2025 and beyond. … but the change in policy is notable and laudable.