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Philly sports summer? It’s Philly sports fall with a deluge of big events for each of the city’s pro teams

From Red October's return to the Birds to "King James" becoming a Sixer and more, there's no shortage of exciting moments coming to Philly and its sports teams.

Red October is on the verge of returning as the Phillies close in on a wild card berth and the MLB postseason looms.
Red October is on the verge of returning as the Phillies close in on a wild card berth and the MLB postseason looms.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

Whatever plans you have this weekend, cancel them. There are more important things going on.

Starting this weekend, all five major pro sports in Philly will have major things going on that carry into the week ahead.

From sitting on the brink of another Red October to welcoming Philly’s newest superstar, here is what all five Philly teams have on the horizon:

Phillies

There is no phrase more indicative of the Phillies’ season than “the ebbs and flows of baseball.” This season, which started with a 9-19 record for the club’s worst 28-game start with Rob Thomson at the helm, has evolved into an 87-71 season under interim manager Don Mattingly.

Just like when Thomson took over for Girardi in 2022 and led the Phillies to the postseason for the first time in 11 years, Mattingly is on the cusp of leading the Phillies to the postseason after taking over for Thomson, who was fired on April 28.

With a magic number of two going into Thursday’s games, the most direct path to a postseason berth is a Phillies win and Diamondbacks or Padres loss. Sitting in the third and final NL wild card spot at the beginning of the day Thursday, the Phillies can lock in their fifth consecutive postseason.

Eagles

After starting the season 2-0 with two- and four-point wins over the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, respectively, the Eagles are gearing up for Monday Night Football in Week 3.

As the Birds head to Chicago to take on the Bears (8:15 p.m., 6abc, ESPN), many questions surround the game, including the status of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.

» READ MORE: Eagles fans calling to ‘save Philadelphia tailgating’ after new guidelines proposed for sports complex

While Williams is week to week for the Bears (1-1), Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to be out for multiple weeks with an MCL injury. Enter Zach Ertz, who played eight-plus seasons with the Eagles and was signed to the practice squad on Monday.

» READ MORE: Murphy: With tight ends hurt and blockers struggling, the Eagles need Zach Ertz to be more than a good story

Ertz, 35, was a free agent recovering from a torn ACL, LCL, and hamstring suffered in December 2025. Now back in green, Ertz is just 11 catches from breaking Harold Carmichael’s franchise career catch record.

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The Eagles survived -- again. This time, instead of holding on for dear life as they did in their opener against Washington, the Eagles came from behind in the final minutes to pull out a gutsy win at Tennessee, with their quarterback leading the way. With the Eagles 2-0, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski examine Jalen Hurts’ promising performance through two games, and dig into the uneven play of the defense. Listen here.

Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.

76ers

No king is official without a coronation, and LeBron James is getting his Monday when he’s expected to speak for the first time as a 76er.

After a long-awaited decision, “King James” signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Sixers on July 24, but he hasn’t had any public appearances with the team yet. However, the team will have its media day on Monday, marking James’ anticipated first appearance and first time speaking as a part of the Sixers organization.

The media day also will be the first in Philly for Jaylen Brown, who held his introductory news conference with the Sixers on Aug. 6.

Flyers

Last season, expectations were managed for the Flyers as they started their regular season. What many expected to be another year of rebuilding ended in the second round of the playoffs after being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Now, the hype around the Orange and Black has been established and is carrying into their season opener on Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena when they take on their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins after eliminating them in first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, four games to two.

Eyes are on goalie Dan Vladař, who played a big role in the Flyers’ success last season but left Tuesday’s preseason 5-1 loss to the Bruins with an upper-body injury. Porter Martone, the 19-year-old right winger who played nine regular season games and all 10 playoff games also brings his own level of fanfare to the team.

» READ MORE: Flyers goalie Joseph Woll says Dan Vladař’s injury doesn’t ‘change my process’ or ‘mindset’

Union

This summer was big for soccer in Philadelphia as it hosted six World Cup games. But even after the the tourists retreated and Philadelphia Stadium became Lincoln Financial Field again, soccer has remained relevant in the city.

The Union have gone 9-0-2 in Major League Soccer since the World Cup break after firing manager Bradley Carnell on May 27.

Currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 36 points and sitting in a playoff spot, Cavan Sullivan, the 16-year-old homegrown star has brought even more attention to the team after being called up to the U.S. men’s national team alongside teammates Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield.

Sullivan, Pierre, and Westfield could make their USMNT debuts Saturday vs. Peru in Orlando (4:30 p.m., TNT). Meanwhile, the Union will look to improve to an unbeaten streak of 12 when they host Orlando City at Subaru Park on Saturday.

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