The NFC East has been one of the most competitive divisions in the National Football League over the last 25 years.
There has not been a back-to-back division winner since 2004 (Philadelphia Eagles). Nine of the last 25 division winners have reached the Conference Championship game, and last season, two NFC East teams faced off in the NFC Championship Game (Eagles and Commanders).
But the argument can be made that the king of the division is Philadelphia. The Eagles have won the NFC East 11 times since 2000, and the second-most is not close, with the Dallas Cowboys winning the division seven times.
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman is the second-longest tenured Executive in the NFC East. Along with constructing two Super Bowl Championship rosters and a bright future, there is more for Howie Roseman to smile about than just his team’s on-field success.
Why Roseman Is Successful Where Other Organizations Are Not
Back in March of this year, Eagles Executive Howie Roseman was asked about his organizational philosophy on team building, and he said some (at the time) controversial comments on the Todd McShay Show:
“For us, we have some objective things that I can’t even overrule, you know, like they’re our (standards); But you know, for one, like violence against women. It’s just not for us, you know, that doesn’t mean I won’t even watch him, I don’t even want to talk about it, it’s just deal breakers for us. So I can’t (make excuses and say) but he’s really good, and he did it 10 years ago, and he learned from it. It just doesn’t work for us….
“I want to be able (to for example), I got four kids, I want them to be able to walk in the locker room and me not have to (say) just skip over that (guy). Now, that doesn’t mean we got perfect guys, I mean they’re all from different backgrounds, you know some guys pop off more than others….But I think for us, having good people, having people that you can rally around, and I think that our true championship teams had really good people. And so now, it’s like you can’t tell me that we can’t win with good people, like we can’t be at the top of the mountain with good people, and it’s the same off the field.”
Now, on the surface, these should not be “controversal comments” from an objective point of view. But Roseman shone a bright light on why some other NFL teams have not had the level of success the Eagles have sustained over the last decade.
Since Josh Huff was arrested and released by the Eagles in 2016, Philadelphia is one of the only NFL Franchises without off-the-field issues involving their players, coaches, and executives. The Eagles also have not had to deal with player holdouts or any nasty public negotiations.
Now you understand the background for why Howie Roseman is sleeping well compared to his NFC East rivals. Two of the Eagles’ top competitors in the division are dealing with major disputes that could derail their seasons.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Howie Roseman Is Smiling Why His Rivals Are Fumbling The Ball
Over the course of 48 hours, both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders were dealing with the same problem last week. Something the Eagles have never had to deal with during the Howie Roseman era:
*Star Players Holding out for a new contract and demanding a trade after negotiations fell flat
While Head Coach Dan Quinn and the Commanders organization say all the right things in public, the reality is that they have been unable to come to an agreement for a new contract with Number One Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin.
A month away from his 30th birthday, the former Ohio State Wide Receiver has been one of the most reliable players in Washington over the last 25 years. McLaurin has started 17 games in four straight seasons, and his 13 Receiving Touchdowns were 2nd most in the NFL last season.
In 97 games played, McLaurin is already top ten in Washington Franchise History in Receiving Yards (6,379), and Touchdowns (38). But the organization has been unable to compromise on an agreement with their best Offensive Weapon on a new contract, and McLaurin feels disrespected. So now he has demanded a trade as he refuses to practice during Training Camp.
The situation is similar but different with the Dallas Cowboys. There were expectations this offseason that the organization would get their superstar Pass Rusher Micah Parsons a new contract. Owner Jerry Jones had one-on-one conversations with his star defensive player months ago, and some people believed that was to lay the groundwork for new contract negotiations.
But Micah Parsons revealed that Jerry Jones was trying to subvert the contract negotiations process by trying to negotiate a deal with Parsons without an agent or contract legal expert to advise the Cowboys’ Star Edge Rusher. Jones has attempted to paint this as Parsons and his agent not negotiating in “good faith,” but it’s actually the Cowboys’ owner being stubborn.
So while the Cowboys and Commanders have turmoil with their star players, the Eagles are building team chemistry at training camp. Howie Roseman has learned about the importance of Professional Relationships and connecting with people to maintain stability and lay the foundation for winning.
Of course lets also not forget that while the Eagles have won 2 Super Bowl Championships in the last 10 years, both dallas and Washington have no even played in a Super Bowl since the 1990s.
Speaking of star players, the Eagles have plenty of them and their Jerseys were among the top sellers in 2024:
The Best Selling Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys in 2024Using information from the official NFL Shop online and Google Shopping Analytics, we are gathered a list of the top-selling Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys in 2024. Did your favorite players make the list?
Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media