The Philadelphia Eagles have basked in the glory of their Super Bowl LIX win all week long. They finally put the unofficial cap on their celebration Friday with their victory parade. Their fans flocked to the streets to give the 2024-25 roster one last hurrah before shifting focus to 2026. And in the process, they accompanied Jalen Hurts on his first visit to a city landmark.
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Since joining Philadelphia in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts had never walked upon the city’s infamous Rocky Steps. Hurts told the Eagles fanbase during the parade he made a pact that he wouldn’t go to the spot before bringing them a title. After Sunday’s triumph, it was time to make the trip.
“I told myself that when I got drafted, I wouldn’t come to the Rocky Steps until I won a championship. And now we here… this team has had to battle through so much. This team has had to fight… persevere, and there’s been a ton of scrutiny… you go through the course of these things and learn success isn’t built off of approval. It’s built off of endurance [and strength].”
The ‘Rocky Steps’ is a 72-stone step staircase leading to the East entrance of the Philadelphia Art Museum. The location earned its lore in the movie Rocky. A statue of Rocky Balboa – the film franchise’s titular character – resides at the bottom right of the stairs.
Hurts’ words of endurance and strength breeding success relate perfectly to the movie. That’s the case not only for the Eagles’ players but their front office too.
Jalen Hurts shouts out Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman, and Jeffrey Lurie
Front office stability is key to an NFL organization’s ability to win consistently. Philadelphia has some of the league’s best front office resources littered throughout their building.
Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles’ owner, has reached eight NFC Championships and won two Lombardi Trophies in three decades. Head coach Nick Sirianni has never finished below .500 in four seasons. Howie Roseman is widely recognized as the best GM in the NFL.
Their collective efforts and shared vision are just as critical to Philadelphia’s championship wins as the players on the field. They operated hand-in-hand to rid themselves of the stench of their Super Bowl LVII defeat and startling 2023-24 collapse. Jalen Hurts knows their contributions couldn’t be ignored as he took the parade stage.
“We couldn’t do none of this without leadership. And that starts with coach Nick Sirianni. I want to thank coach for his intentionality, his fight, his passion and seeing this through… [general manager] Howie [Roseman] for always doing what he does best, going out here and getting this great talent… and last but not least, [owner Jeffrey] Lurie for having faith in me.”
The Eagles have been hunted throughout the past three seasons despite no championship wins. Their foes will only hit them harder now that they’ve reached the mountaintop. But with their abundance of superstars and quality front office, Philadelphia is well positioned to return to the Super Bowl next season. It will take a tremendous effort to knock them off their perch.
