Carson Wentz among 5 former Eagles players on the Chiefs

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.

CHIEFS ROSTER

QB CARSON WENTZ

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.

LS JAMES WINCHESTER

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.

CHIEFS INJURED RESERVE LIST

DT MARLON TUIPULOTU

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 snaps this season before landing on IR in January.

CHIEFS PRACTICE SQUAD

CB STEVEN NELSON

Nelson, who began his career in Kansas City, was a starting cornerback for Eagles during their 2021 season. He then played two seasons for the Houston Texans before announcing his retirement. Then he came out of retirement to join the Chiefs’ practice squad in December.

The veteran cornerback didn’t seem to love his time in Philly:

“So it got to a point where like, I’m playing against the fans, type of s—t. I ain’t even focused. I have a third down stop, I’m talking s—t to the fans! I’m coming out talking, not even to the opposing team! I went home one day and said ‘Bro, this is not healthy.’ [Laughs] ‘I gotta get outta here.’”

DT SIAKI IKA

Ika spent two different six-day stints on Philly’s practice squad earlier this season. The first was from October 23 through October 29. The second was from November 20 through November 26.

The 24-year-old nose tackle then joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in mid-December.

FORMER CHIEFS ON THE EAGLES

Flipping the script, there are only two former Chiefs players on the Eagles:

• OL Darian Kinnard – Played six regular season snaps (all on special teams) with the Chiefs from 2022-2023. He was a healthy scratch in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to KC. As a depth offensive lineman, he’ll likely be a healthy scratch against his old team this Sunday.
• QB Ian Book – Spent the 2024 offseason on the Chiefs’ 90-man roster before rejoining the Eagles in December and currently serving as a practice squad member. Can Ian give the Book on the Chiefs to the Eagles?!