A few welcomed distractions led to a slightly less-stressful week of Eagles preparation.

Distractions… Every NFL team endures them. Some limit them better than others. When their coaching and playing days are over, many members of the Philadelphia Eagles organization will be able to teach a masterclass.

We’ve debated much of what A.J. Brown said on social media and whether he and Jalen Hurts are still close. We’ve heard that some of his teammates are disappointed in his performance.

The offensive coordinator had his house ‘egged‘. As you’d expect, he offered a classy response. The dark cloud hanging over this team is the fear that this season will play out similarly to the 2023-24 campaign.

They may never admit to this, but the Philadelphia Eagles hear what so many are saying. They just don’t let it ruin their workday. Good for them.

This week, however, we enjoyed a few healthy distractions. Again, the organization will never admit to this, but you can best believe everyone at the NovaCare Complex is loving the fact that there are other things to talk about than the finality and expectation of another heartbreaking finish.

Darius Slay’s release and Bills drama

The Pittsburgh Steelers released Darius Slay. Eagles fans and media members immediately voiced ideas supporting and refuting a possible reunion. The Buffalo Bills swooped in (pun intended) and ruined the chances of him being picked up by Philadelphia.

Since then, Slay has refused to report. He has made his feelings known. He’d rather retire than join Buffalo’s roster.

This could be placed under the category of ‘messy’, a topic the 2025-26 Eagles are undoubtedly familiar with. It did, however, halt the conversations about 2023 and a possible repeat finish this season. For that, we should all be grateful.

Jalen Carter’s injury

Okay, so labeling this one as a ‘welcomed distraction’ is erroneous. No one likes to see injury, but this did give us something else to talk about besides an impending collapse.

Carter’s injury bothers us. We’ve seen a world without him in the lineup, particularly Week 1, and we didn’t like it. He’s the same glue to the Vic Fangio scheme that Lane Johnson is to Jeff Stoutland’s offensive line.

A possible Eagles Super Bowl run hinges, in part, on Carter’s availability and health. They’ll also need a steady contribution from this next fellow.

Worth mentioning: Jaelan Phillips’ concussion

Concussions differ from other injuries because they are related to brain trauma. Jaelan Phillip’s reputation for being injury-prone has followed him for a while. It was a constant discussion when Philadelphia acquired him at the trade deadline.

His head injury could have happened to anyone. This sport is inherently violent. Let’s hope the new guy is back sooner rather than later.

Jordan Mailata’s nomination

This one made us all smile. The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is one of the NFL’s most prestigious honors. This year’s Eagles nominee is Jordan Mailata.

You’re doggone right we would rather talk about this than a collapse. As we’ve gotten to know Mailata over the years, he has morphed into a great leader and a humanitarian. Hopefully, he takes home the trophy, but if he doesn’t, just seeing his nomination is satisfying.