‘People Don’t Respect Them Enough To Repeat’

Brian Westbrook says the Philadelphia Eagles still have a “chip on their shoulder” as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champs. (Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty Images for OAKHEART Genuine Spiced Rum)

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Brian Westbrook likes that the Philadelphia Eagles still have a “chip on their shoulder.”

While they may be the defending Super Bowl champions coming off of one of the more dominant runs by any champion in NFL history, the Eagles are approaching the 2025 NFL season as if they’re not the champs – and it’s a trait that Westbrook appreciates.

“When you think about it, there’s a chip on their shoulder — people don’t expect them, they don’t respect them to be enough to be able to repeat,” says Westbrook in a one-on-one interview. “That’s the attitude that the players have adopted, and that’s the attitude that Nick Sirianni has. He won’t have players out there for the banner to be raised tomorrow, and guys are ready to go back to work. I’m excited to see them get out there to play tomorrow, just to see if those mindsets and attitudes that they’re talking about actually match up with the things that we’ll be seeing on the field.”

The Eagles great – Westbrook spent nine seasons in Philadelphia as one of the top running backs in the NFL during the 2000’s – acknowledges that the organization has taken the right approach towards repeating as Super Bowl champions.

“They certainly deserve everything that happened for them last year,” says Westbrook. “They were truly the best team in football, they displayed that in the last game of the season. But the way that they approach the off season this year has been the thing that I’ve enjoyed the most. They haven’t rested on their accolades and their achievements from last year. They’ve worked, they put in the time, put in the effort. It’s been a true workman-like type of environment here in Philadelphia.”

Brian Westbrook Compliments Eagles’ Approach As They Look To Repeat As Super Bowl Champs

The Eagles’ approach to moving on from last year’s Super Bowl win has been immediate since the start of training camp. According to Cooper DeJean, they already moved on at the start of OTAs.

Star quarterback Jalen Hurts made that very apparent at the start of training camp when he wasn’t wearing his Super Bowl ring and made it clear to the media that the Eagles are turning the page from last season.

“It certainly comes from (Nick) Sirianni and works his way down,” says Westbrook. “But I think Jalen Hurts operates with a chip on his shoulder 24/7 and I think he wants to win on a different level,” says Westbrook of the team’s chip-on-its-shoulder approach. “He wants to be considered one of the greats and in order to be able to be considered as one of the greats, you have to win and consistently win. That’s what Jalen Hurts seems to be about. That’s what he continues to preach and I’m just excited to be around an era of football here in Philadelphia that wants to win on that level.”

Westbrook acknowledges that it won’t be easy for the Eagles to repeat as Super Bowl champs. He says the Kansas City Chiefs are still a big threat and the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills are right there too.

However, the former two-time Pro Bowl running back still believes the Eagles are the favorites to win Super Bowl LX. He says the Eagles meeting against the Bills in Super Bowl LX is his prediction.

“I think you’ll see the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills – with the Eagles winning,” says Westbrook.

Brian Westbrook Partners With USAA To Gift Service Member A Vehicle

Leading into the team’s season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Westbrook is partnering with USAA to gift a vehicle to a military service member. Just a day before the NFL season kickoff, the Eagles great gifted a 2023 Toyota Camry to Keskel Yatrofsky, who is currently serving in the United States Air Force.

Westbrook took part in the honoring of Yatrofsky in Philadelphia at Xfinity Live! – which is within walking distance of Lincoln Financial Field.

“We were able to give a deserving airman an opportunity to receive a car,” says Westbrook. “I was able to partner with USAA, and they’re so committed to helping and serving our armed forces. Both are active as well as our veteran community. It’s been absolutely amazing to be able to partner with them, and I was able to hand the keys to this young man and watch his face light up as he got into this vehicle.

The former Eagles running back says this is the first time he’s been able to partner with USAA to help out a service member. He spoke of how special of a moment it was for him to participate.

“I sat in there with him, and we were talking about him getting back and forth to work, a young man just starting his career in the military, but he’s committed,” says Westbrook. What I told him was very, very simple, ‘You’re a hero, you’re a hero to so many people, you don’t even realize it. So many people look up to you, so many people appreciate you.’ Today is just one day that we’re honoring you, but we certainly want to honor you every single day, because of all the things that military, that both the men and women active, as well as veterans have done for our country. It’s just absolutely amazing to be a part of it.”