The Philadelphia Eagles were a juggernaut as the NFL season went on, culminating in their impressive 40-22 Super Bowl win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The only team to beat the Eagles after Week 4 was the Washington Commanders, who topped the Eagles 36-33 after Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts missed most of the game.
That was Washington’s lone win in three contests against the Eagles this season. The final meeting produced a a 55-23 blowout of Washington in the NFC title game.
Now, though, an offseason battle may be shaping up, one that could even the scales between the two teams. Or, depending on which franchise comes out on top, put the Commanders further behind the world champion Eagles.
The prize? Perhaps the best pass rusher in the league, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, a six-time All Pro and 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who has made known that he wants a chance to play for a winner.
Garrett said in a statement several weeks ago that he wants out of the dysfunctional Browns. “While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.
“With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”He doubled down on that desire in interviews at Radio Row during Super Bowl week. “I feel like the window for us as athletes is only so broad and only continues to close as years go by with anything being able to happen on that field from day to day,” Garrett said. “I want to be able to go out there and compete at the highest levels, day in and day out, and play for championships, like I said.”
Remarkably … I still can’t believe I’m writing this … media reports name the Commanders as one of his best opportunities to do that.
“The Commanders are the most obvious and consequential landing spot for Garrett,” ESPN said. “They have the championship potential, the financial flexibility, and the clear and obvious need for pass-rushing help.”
But another suitor has been floated as a place where Garrett can fulfill his desire — the defending champion Eagles, of all places.
“The Eagles could potentially try to “snake” the Commanders if they think Washington is close to trading for Myles Garrett by jumping in and making Cleveland an offer they “can’t refuse” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.
That’s something Washington cannot allow to happen.
It would be one thing, if the Commanders indeed seek to acquire Garrett, to lose out to a team in another division or an AFC franchise. But to lose out to the team that is in the way of you getting to the championship game — and watching that Philadelphia team get stronger — is unacceptable, even if it means a trade war and surrendering more than you believe you can live with.
Of course, all this only exists right now over microphones and on computer screens and newsprint (a little nostalgia there). Despite Garrett’s very public declaration that he is seeking freedom from Cleveland, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters at the NFL combine that they have no intention of trading Garrett.
“He’s a huge part of our organization,” Berry said. “He’s an awesome player. Understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is best for the Browns.”
There hasn’t been much coming behind the scenes from either Washington or Philadelphia about getting in any Garrett sweepstakes, other than media speculation. But this is the NFL silly season.
Certainly Commanders general manager Adam Peters wasn’t giving anything away at the combine — about Garrett or much else. In fact, he did his best Beaver Cleaver imitation.
Asked about attending this franchise with someone like Jayden Daniels already in the fold at quarterback: “It feels a lot better than last year.”
All that was missing was, “Gee Wally.”
On what he looks for in a pass rusher: “To be really good in this league, I think you have to have both speed and power.”
On free agency: “We’ll be active because we have to be just to field a team but a lot of those we’ll look to bring back guys we had last year.”
Peters was certainly right about feeling better than last year, and he had a lot to do with those good feelings. But that was when expectations were low. Now they are super-high, so to speak, and we may find out if Peters is a wartime consigliere.
