The Philadelphia Eagles are at a huge inflection point early in the 2026 NFL season. Philly is 2-2 on the season, which has them alive and well in the NFC playoff picture on paper. But how the Eagles have arrived at 2-2 should have fans concerned, especially before a huge international game.
The Eagles are on a two game losing streak where they weren't able to hang with elite NFC competition. On top of that, their offense simply did not look good from top to bottom. In fact, there is hardly any difference between this year's unit and last year's Kevin Patullo-run offense.
Next up for Philadelphia is a Week 5 matchup against Jacksonville, an emerging superpower in the AFC. To make matters worse, the game takes place in London. That is a significant international voyage for the Eagles, but essentially a second home for the Jaguars. All of that is shaping up to make this game quite the challenge for a reeling Eagles squad.
Should Eagles fans be panicked about the team's Week 5 matchup against the Jaguars in London?
Philadelphia's rebuild speculation is a huge distraction before London game
Eagles fans have plenty of reasons to be worried that their Super Bowl window is closing. In fact it may already be closed, at least for the current interaction of the franchise.
A few shocking developments this week completely changed how the Eagles look, particularly on offense. Lane Johnson's sudden retirement is the end of an era for the Eagles and creates serious questions at right tackle. Those issues were multiplied after the Eagles traded center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens just one day later.
GM Howie Roseman is adamant that Philly is not rebuilding after this week's flurry of activity.
“I think nothing has changed in terms of our goals. We’re trying to win this year. I think from my perspective, just looking at what is the ultimate goal, which is to win the last game of the year and then have a run like we’ve had. Obviously, since Coach has been here we’ve made the playoffs five times and have been to two Super Bowls,” Roseman said.
When pairing all of that with this offseason's A.J. Brown trade, it's easy to understand the rebuild hype. Especially now that Philly has multiple first- and second-round picks in the 2028 NFL Draft.
The biggest problem with all of this is that it distracts from the actual game of football. Specifically, it distracts from Philly's upcoming international game against Jacksonville.
Philadelphia faces a talented opponent who would demand their full attention in a normal week. But paired with this week's drama and an international trip, the Eagles may be too distracted to play at their best.
The Eagles do not match up well against the Jaguars
Ignore all of the drama and this Week 5 matchup still looks like a nightmare for the Eagles.
Article Continues BelowThe best chance that Philly has to remain competitive against Jacksonville is to establish the run. Jalen Hurts and the passing game have not been able to put up big yards this year, so running the football has been the way to go. But that will be harder than ever in London.
Remember all of those offensive line moves? Those will force the Eagles to throw together a new combination of offensive lineman on the fly on top of traveling to London. If that wasn't bad enough, Saquon Barkley is injured and Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve. So Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce may be Philly's running back tandem on Sunday.
They will face a Jaguars defense that is second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (74.3) through four games. That is a recipe for disaster.
If there's a silver lining, it's that Jacksonville is equally as bad at defending against the pass. But that has not been Philadelphia's strong suit this season, with Hurts yet to throw for over 300 yards in a game. Plus, it could be tough sledding against a Jaguars squad that knows the Eagles must pass to win this game.
All signs point to Philadelphia getting thumped in London and falling to 2-3. If that happens, the discontent around the franchise may reach a fever pitch.