Eagles news: Birds trade for Steelers QB Kenny Pickett; Josh Sweat staying in Philly; best remaining NFL free agents

According to multiple reports, the arrival of Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh played a role in the Steelers' decision to trade quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Eagles.

Prior to the Wilson signing, Pickett reportedly told the Steelers that he was willing to compete for a job, only to change course when the team added Wilson.

However, it seems like it depends on who you ask.

Kenny Pickett, the Eagles’ newest backup quarterback, might be coming from the Steelers, but he grew up rooting for the Birds.

The Ocean Township, N.J. native went to Pitt and spent the first two years of his career in Pittsburgh. But before Pickett got to the NFL, he was an Eagles fan, and he was on X live tweeting games just like you.

“When I was a kid, I would go to Philadelphia to watch Eagles games,” Pickett said ahead of the Heisman Trophy ceremony in 2021 in a press conference. “My dad and my family would go and watch [Brian] Westbrook, [Donovan] McNabb, and Brian Dawkins.”

During his first stint with the Eagles, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson wore No. 23. Last season, he sported No. 2 for the Detroit Lions.

This year, he’s switching things up again and will wear No. 8 in honor of late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.

“My favorite player is from here,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters Friday. “Tapping into a different mentality is something that would be great to see this year. I’m in my Kobe mode right now, so I’m coming out with the Mamba, coming out with the eight.”

After news broke he was signing with the Eagles, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson apologized to Birds fans on social media.

Gardner-Johnson didn't specific what he was apologizing for, but during a Twitch stream in July, he said people in the city were his least favorite thing about Philadelphia, calling them “[bleeping] obnoxious.”

On Friday, the notorious trash-talker explained to reporters why he decided to apologize.

Josh Sweat has agreed to a contract restructure Friday that will keep him with the Eagles through the 2024 season, according to a league source.

The Eagles were previously fielding trade calls for Sweat along with edge rusher Haason Reddick, but reworked the final year of Sweat’s contract, which now has a max value of $13 million with $10 million guaranteed according to a league source. Sweat’s previous deal, an extension he signed in 2021, had no money guaranteed for next season and left his future in question with trade speculation.

Sweat finished last year with 6.5 sacks after a sharp regression in the latter half of the year. The 26-year-old didn’t record a sack in any of the team’s last eight regular season games and, according to Pro Football Focus, had three or fewer pressures in all but one game. Sweat had one sack in the team’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wildcard round of the playoffs, but managed just two pressures.

After four days of free agency, 13 former Eagles players have yet to be signed by other teams.

Among those yet to sign are Julio Jones, the seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro the Eagles added to the team in October. Jones, 35, had just 11 catches in 10 games last season, but did manage to haul in three touchdowns.

Here's the full list of Eagles players yet to sign anywhere:

Help at linebacker is on the way for the Eagles.

Linebacker Devin White is signing with the team, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday night. ESPN reported that the length of the deal is for one year and it’s worth up to $7.5 million.

White, 26, was the No. 5 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2019 draft out of LSU. He had spent all five seasons of his career with the Buccaneers, where he showcased his ability to make explosive plays on the ball thanks to his speed and athleticism. He’s been particularly productive on blitzes, racking up a total of 23 sacks and 64 quarterback hits in 76 games over the course of five years.

The Eagles entered the NFL’s free agency period several holes to fill and more than 20 players set to hit the market.

Here are the players the Eagles have added or plan to add:

Here are the players the Eagles plan to keep:

We’re on day five of free agency, and while the well has significantly dried up, there are still a number of top NFL players available.

Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who has experiencing playing in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system, has yet to sign with another team.

Here are a handful of the best free agents still on the market as of Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN's rankings, along with the team they played for last season: