The Philadelphia Eagles sit at the NFL mountaintop’s zenith following their Super Bowl 59 destruction of the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, the Eagles’ status as “world champions” also comes with a big target on their backs. Everyone in the league will try to catch up to the Eagles this offseason, including some who may try to replicate their success with running back Saquon Barkley.
According to at least one NFL analyst, the Eagles’ biggest competition next year may be from one team in their own division.
Eagles Safety Says Cowboys Don’t Compare in Response to NFL Analyst
During his playing days, Emmanuel Acho — a former Eagles linebacker — suggested on FS1’s “The Facility” that the Dallas Cowboys, who finished the 2024 season 7-10, are one very strong offseason away from reaching the Eagles’ level.
“The Cowboys are one Eagles offseason away from a Super Bowl… It’s not easy. It’s not simple. But that is what they are,” Acho explained.
“They’re a running back away — Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. They’re a linebacker away — the Eagles signed Zack Baun. They’re one offensive lineman away — Eagles signed Mekhi Becton,” Acho continued, despite some ribbing from his co-hosts.
“They’re a No. 2 wide receiver away — no Eagles offseason addition there, though they did get Jahan Dotson, who contributed in the Super Bowl… They’re a defensive tackle away — Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter. The Cowboys are one Eagles offseason away from a Super Bowl.”
"The Cowboys are one Eagles off-season away from a Super Bowl"
— @EmmanuelAcho pic.twitter.com/BILN7bLBF5
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) February 14, 2025
Of course, Acho is grasping at some straws here, as Davis, Carter, and Baun were all added in different offseasons, the former two of whom were first-round selections in separate drafts.
It would be a Herculean task for the Cowboys to come even close to what the Eagles accomplished last offseason, which came on top already having a core in place that appeared in Super Bowl 57. Dallas hasn’t even been to the NFC Championship Game since 1995.
Plus, the Cowboys are already undergoing some seismic shifts this offseason, with Brian Schottenheimer taking over as head coach after five seasons of Mike McCarthy at the helm. As if all of that weren’t enough, the Cowboys are also projected to be over the salary cap once the new league year begins.
With all of those factors working against Dallas heading into the offseason, Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a concise response for Acho on social media.
STOP COMPARING US PLEASE!!! https://t.co/WgKdC7AVUw
— C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) February 18, 2025
It’s clear that the Eagles and Cowboys exist in two different stratospheres right now, and trying to compare the two teams is little more than talk show fodder. There’s just no realistic path for the Cowboys to have an “Eagles offseason” in 2025, and even if there was, it’s hard to imagine their new-look roster would be an immediate match for the well-oiled Eagles machine.