Bleeding Green Nation
Old friends turned Super Bowl foes.
The Philadelphia Eagles obviously have no shortage of connections to the Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff (see: Andy Reid) and front office (see: Brett Veach).
Some, but certainly not all, of the former Eagles connections on the Chiefs’ roster/practice squad/injured reserve list are less obvious by comparison. So, let’s take a look at those ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
Oh, hey, remember this guy?
Wentz left behind a complicated legacy in Philly. On one hand, he did significantly contribute to the Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl season. On the other hand, he was a disappointment relative to expectations.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was supposed to be The Prince Who Was Promised. He was on pace for an MVP season in 2017 prior to suffering an ACL injury that contributed to derailing his career.
Wentz was never quite the same player after getting hurt. It looked like he had turned a corner late in 2019 but then he got hurt very early into his first career playoff game. And then he was arguably the NFL’s worst starting quarterback in 2020, leading to him getting benched in favor of Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles traded Wentz away to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. At the time, the Birds took on the biggest dead cap number in NFL history. But, to Howie Roseman’s credit, that deal was crucial to setting up the Eagles for the success they’ve been able to enjoy since then.
Wentz lasted just one year in Indy before the Washington Commanders laughably traded for him in 2022. He got benched for Taylor Heinicke and was released in the offseason after starting just seven games.
It wasn’t clear that Wentz was going to continue his pro football career until he signed with the Los Angeles Rams as a backup during the 2023 season. Wentz then joined the Chiefs in the 2024 offseason to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup.
Wentz logged a Week 18 start for the Chiefs when they were resting starters against the Denver Broncos.
It’d be pretty wild if Mahomes gets banged up and Wentz has to play against his former team in this year’s Super Bowl.
With his former backup now serving as the Eagles’ starting quarterback.
Winchester spent two weeks with the Eagles in training camp during August 2013 while Jon Dorenbos was recovering from a concussion.
Winchester’s been the Chiefs’ long snapper since 2015, logging 188 games played (including playoffs). He has three Super Bowl rings.
A sixth-round pick (No. 189 overall) by the Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft, Tuipulotu made one start in 28 games played for Philly from 2021-2023. He mostly served as a rotational defensive tackle.
The Eagles cut Tui prior to the 2024 regular season and he landed with the Chiefs. He played 61 defensive snaps and seven special teams...
