ESPN Report: Eagles 2024 Named Strongest NFL Team in Salary Cap Era Since 1991

Philadelphia, PA – March 27, 2025, 09:15 AM PDT
An ESPN report has declared the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles as the strongest NFL team in the salary cap era since its inception in 1991, citing their dominant performance en route to a Super Bowl LIX victory. The report, released Wednesday, highlights the Eagles’ historic offensive output, formidable defense, and unprecedented youth as key factors in their ranking.

The Eagles finished the 2024 season with 18 wins, tying the NFL record for most victories in a single year, and capped it with a 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, halting the Chiefs’ bid for a three-peat. Offensively, they set records with 145 playoff points and 818 rushing yards, led by Saquon Barkley’s 2,504 regular-season yards—the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history. Jalen Hurts added 4,132 passing yards and 38 total touchdowns, while the offensive line, anchored by Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, allowed just 22 sacks all season (web ID: 0, 6).

Defensively, the Eagles ranked first in yards allowed during the regular season and sacked Patrick Mahomes six times in the Super Bowl, the fourth-highest total in Super Bowl history. Their TRACR rating of 10.93, per Opta Analyst, ranks 33rd among all teams since 1991 but marks the highest for any Eagles squad in that span (web ID: 4). Notably, the Eagles were the first Super Bowl champion to use 43 players under 30 in a postseason, with young stars like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr., and Jalyx Hunt (all under 24) contributing 8.5 playoff sacks—a record (web ID: 6).

ESPN’s report sparked debate on X. “Eagles 2024 over the 2007 Patriots? Bold take!” posted @NFLFanatic. Another fan countered, “18 wins, 145 playoff points—they’re the best in the cap era!” (@EaglesNation). As the Eagles aim to repeat in 2025, their 2024 legacy continues to grow.