Eagles coach Doug Pederson spoke more than once this offseason about avoiding any whiff of complacency after winning the Super Bowl and his roster came with some advantages when it comes to staying motivated.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, left tackle Jason Peters, running back Darren Sproles, linebacker Jordan Hicks and safety/special teamer Chris Maragos are all back after injuries limited them to watching the run to the title in Minneapolis. Wentz said he and the others on that list bring “extra motivation” that Pederson has seen running through the entire team.
“So when people ask me about the players’ attitude coming back, and will they come back with that same hunger,” Pederson told Peter King for Football Morning in America, “I tell them, oh, there’s a hunger here. You got five huge guys on this team who missed the Super Bowl, watched the game, and they’re dying to play in the game and win it this year. I’ve been ecstatic how our players have attacked the offseason.”
The Eagles have brought in new faces like Mike Wallace and Michael Bennett and they also expect to have cornerback Sidney Jones for a full season in 2018, so there’s more than a handful of players who didn’t get a full taste of the championship last season. That should work against any Super Bowl hangover as the Eagles prepare to start defending their title on September 6.
