49ers' Javon Hargrave may know what's wrong with Eagles

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave played for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII and suggested a difference in culture may be why what was a 10-1 Eagles side is entering the playoffs as the NFC's No. 5 seed at 11-6.

"It’s kind of similar because I think we are very close," Hargrave said about the two clubs while speaking with teammate Arik Armstead during the latest edition of the "Third and Long" podcast, as shared by Cayden Steele of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "Even in Philly, we were close. Everybody was pretty tight. But I can say practice is harder … yeah, here it’s more demanding. … You know what you’re getting over here. Everybody can’t make it over here."

The Eagles and 49ers became fierce rivals after Philadelphia crushed San Francisco 31-7 in the 2023 NFC Championship Game that featured 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow early into that contest. More recently, the Niners dominated the Eagles en route to earning a 42-19 win at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 3. 

Some within the NFL community believe that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni could be on the hot seat this offseason if Philadelphia loses at the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in next Monday's wild-card playoff showdown held at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium. As of late Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Eagles as three-point favorites for that contest. 

"A war," Hargrave added about 49ers practices compared to what he experienced with the Eagles. "A war every day. You don’t understand it until you’re in it. It’s definitely a little different."

The 12-5 49ers clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the postseason tournament, meaning the Eagles may have to earn a win at San Francisco's Levi's Stadium to return to the Super Bowl this winter. One wonders if Hargrave will ultimately regret giving Philadelphia a little bulletin board material ahead of the playoffs.