Eagles’ new perspective for ’26: Don’t ‘let anyone steal our joy’
Eagles' new perspective for '26: Don't 'let anyone steal our joy'. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Eagles' new perspective for '26: Don't 'let anyone steal our joy'Philadelphia Eagles2hTim McManusCam Skattebo reclaims role as Giants' feature back after tough injury recoveryNew York Giants2hJordan RaananHow are the 49ers readjusting ahead of the Dolphins matchup?
What happened
"That was the core of coach Nick Sirianni's postgame message to the team, players said: that, as receiver/returner Britain Covey put it, "We're not going to let anyone steal our joy from the wins. Arizona Cardinals4dESPN staffTim McManusSep 19, 2026, 06:00 AM ETCloseTim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine's Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010. Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 24-22 in the season opener and were consciously making an effort in the game's aftermath to let that be enough.
Barkley told ESPN that the pivotal conversation with Foster occurred on the bus ride from the hotel to Gillette Stadium in front of the Eagles' preseason game against the New England Patriots on Aug. The inefficiencies in the Eagles' passing game were a threat to both. "That's always been my perspective, that's always been the MO is to go out there and find a way to win," Hurts said.
The wider picture
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"Last year, I know everyone [would] try to make something of, we won by two points. And that's a beautiful thing," running back Saquon Barkley said. "We come out with a win, we're going to be happy, we're going to celebrate and we're going to flush it and move on and get ready for next week. "Philadelphia has felt like Whoville at times in recent years, with inflated expectations and over analysis swiping the gift of victory with a Grinch-like harshness.
What has been reported
Such an environment — where there's such angst over a four-year stretch in which the team has gone 51-18, reached two Super Bowl and won one — is only possible when outsized standards are enforced by members of the organization and its city alike. Barkley said he tried his best not to compare his more-than-respectable 2025 campaign (1,140 rushing yards, 7 TDs) to '24, when he became just the ninth back ever to eclipse 2,000 yards in the regular season, but "human nature" sometimes got the better of him.
She encouraged him to recognize the small wins during the course of a game or a season and to focus on three or four short-term goals within his control instead of overly concerning himself with the big picture. "She's really just trying to get me focused on just getting back to the process and falling in love with the process. It's so easy in this business and who I am as a person to get motivated or pushed by results," he said, "but in reality, that's not what it's about.
"Winning, Sirianni reminded the gathered media Wednesday, is hard, and he used a "Seinfeld" reference to illustrate his point. He noted the Paul O'Neill episode, in which Kramer promises a child in the hospital that the Yankees slugger will hit two home runs for him in one game. "It's hard to hit home runs, and where did you get two from?
What happens next
" O'Neill asks Kramer, who snuck into the clubhouse. In other words, winning is hard enough; there's no need to throw qualifiers on top of it when seeking satisfaction. "You have to enjoy it because you know you're going to go right back to work, win or lose. We're going to sit here and we're all going to take ownership of the tape. Naturally as humans, you tend to look at the negatives more than you look at the positives, but there are so many positives and it's so important that joy comes after every time," Sirianni said.
It's not as easy when you're talking about a room full of ultra-high achievers — players who have come to expect both team and personal success and know their legacy rides on it. This time last year, it wasn't unusual for wins to be followed by cryptic messages from a clearly disenchanted A.