Eagles castoffs look for retribution with Commanders in NFC championship game

A pair of offseason trades ensured that this season’s Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders squads would be forever linked.

But, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, Sunday’s NFC championship game between the division rivals serves as a moment of retribution for a few members of the District’s upstart squad. 

Washington’s practice facility is littered with Philadelphia castoffs. 

Commanders pass game coordinator Brian Johnson was unceremoniously canned last year after a single underwhelming season as the Eagles offensive coordinator. Special teams ace Jeremy Reaves, tight end Zach Ertz, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota and receiver Olamide Zaccheaus all spent time with the Eagles, only to land with the Commanders when things didn’t pan out. 

Washington’s underdogs are looking to shock the world — and their former team — in Philadelphia on Sunday. 

It’s a “full circle” moment, said Reaves, who started his career as an undrafted free agent in 2018. 

“My career started there, but this place became a home,” he said Wednesday. “To be able to go back there and compete for a chance at the big game, you can’t draw it up any better. That’s what every kid dreams of.”

Reaves was only in Philadelphia for a cup of coffee compared to Ertz, who spent eight seasons with the Eagles and won a Super Bowl after the 2017 campaign. The nostalgia factor won’t play into Sunday’s game, though, he said. 

The NFC championship game is the third matchup between the division rivals this season. Ertz’s return to Philadelphia, a 26-18 loss in Week 11, didn’t go as planned. But it got the emotions out of the way. 

“It’s not going to be my first time seeing people I hadn’t seen in a while,” the 34-year-old said. “I understand how the environment is going to be, how I might be received this time versus last time, because they have a lot at stake as well.”

Washington won the rematch at Northwest Stadium last month; a last-second touchdown from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels sealed the Commanders’ 36-33 victory. 

Throughout its unexpected run, Washington has relied on castoffs. 

Many pundits speculated that Ertz’s career might end after the Arizona Cardinals released him in 2023. Reaves, who couldn’t make Philadelphia’s practice squad as a rookie, became an All-Pro in Washington. Receivers like Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder weren’t considered premier signings in the offseason. 

“There’s a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulder in that group, players that, I think people thought they were being sent off here to die,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “They’ve shown they’re good enough to play in this league.”

Daniels has emerged as the gem of the 2024 draft, not just for the Commanders, but for the entire league. He’s the runaway betting favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year award. But a draft day trade between the Eagles and Commanders netted each franchise a potential lockdown cornerback. 

The Eagles added Iowa product Cooper DeJean with the No. 40 pick after sending the No. 50 pick and two other selections to the Commanders in a draft day trade.

 DeJean, paired with first-round rookie Quinyon Mitchell in Philadelphia’s secondary, broke out this year. 

Mitchell and DeJean are both finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year after giving Philadelphia’s defense a unique versatility. 

DeJean lined up all over the field, returning punts, blitzing from the slots and lurking in zones for the Eagles while Mitchell focused on taking away the opponents’ best receiver. 

“Both of them are very, very consistent for young guys. There’s no wavering; they’ve played at a high level all year,” Kingsbury said. “DeJean is all over the place, and Mitchell has already become one of the top cover guys in the league at such a young age.”

But Washington fans don’t feel like they lost the trade.

With the No. 50 pick from the Eagles, the Commanders selected Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil. The undersized defender moved from the slot to outside, starting 16 of 17 games for Washington as a rare silver lining in a turbulent secondary. 

He shined in the brightest spotlight of the year during the divisional round win over the Detroit Lions, pulling down a pair of interceptions. 

“He’s a star, man,” safety Jeremy Chinn said. “He plays bigger than he is. He’s aggressive. He has great vision, great eyes and he trusts his instincts. He makes plays.”

The Washington-Philadelphia connection blossomed again in August when the Commanders sent wide receiver Jahan Dotson to the Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick this year. He caught 19 passes for 216 yards this season.

From the rookies to the veterans, the Commanders’ players and coaches say they aren’t ready to reflect on the run yet. As six-point underdogs against the Eagles on Sunday, they’re looking to shock the world again. 

“There’s very few times in life where you have the opportunity to be part of the change and reap the rewards,” Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. “Usually, what happens is a team starts it, and then two years later, they win it. We have an opportunity to do something different.”