Adam Schefter Shoots Down Incredibly Vague, Ominous Eagles Report From Craig Carton

The Philadelphia Eagles' collapse down the stretch of the 2023 season will be a subject of study and fascination for years to come. They started the year undefeated by ripping off 10 straight wins and then lost six of their last seven games. It was a stunning reversal from the defending NFC champions and even more so because there was no discernible reason why. The roster suffered some injuries, most notably to Jalen Hurts' knee, but their stars weren't dropping like flies. They just went from one of the league's best team to below-average, seemingly overnight.

There are many possible football-related explanations to this, such as regression in turnover luck and opposing teams figuring out their schemes and other such concepts. But the fall was so swift and steep that Eagles fans and the football world in general are still seeking answers. Craig Carton appeared to hint at what might have gone wrong on yesterday's episode of his eponymous show, telling his panel that the Eagles faced a "problem that would splinter any group of men." He then said it would be interesting to see if a certain "high-profile" player were still on the Eagles, clearly suggesting that a big name on the team was involved in whatever problem he has alleged knowledge of.

It flew pretty far under the radar because of the remarkable vagueness of the report and the fact that it came from Carton, a New York guy whose trustworthiness may have come into question previously. But Philly sports talk radio definitely took notice and asked Adam Schefter about it today during an interview on 97.5 The Fanatic. Schefter shut it down hard.

It sure would be fun and interesting if something completely insane happened that tanked the Eagles' entire season. But the truth is almost always more boring than we want it to be. As lame as it is, the most likely answer to the question of what happened to the Eagles is that there is no one answer. It was probably a combination of the aforementioned factors combined with general attrition after making a deep playoff run and internal strife within the building about what the team should be doing. Which I guess, when combined, makes for a problem that would splinter any group of men or whatever.

But there wasn't some big dramatic falling out. Sometimes football teams just play bad football for long stretches despite having good players and the Eagles had a particularly long stretch of particularly bad football. Carton's ominous reporting would be more fun than simply saying it happens, but... it happens.