PA Gov. Josh Shapiro vows to keep Eagles in Philly as team explores stadium options

Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro isn’t letting the Eagles leave Philadelphia.While the franchise is weighing new stadium options, Shapiro shut down any notion that the beloved team would leave its longtime home under his watch. “Here’s what I can tell you for sure: It’s going to be in the city of Philadelphia,” Shapiro said at the team’s annual open practice on Tuesday.

“And we’ll work with the Eagles once they determine what it is that they’re interested in doing.But I appreciate the thoughtful and deliberative approach that they’ve taken to this process.”With their lease at Lincoln Financial Field running through the 2032 season, the Eagles have reportedly begun exploring their long-term stadium plans. Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie said earlier this year that the franchise remains in the “exploratory research” phase and hopes to have a more detailed plan in the next year or two.Last summer, the Eagles asked season-ticket holders about both possibilities of renovating Lincoln Financial Field or exploring a potential new stadium “in the region,” which appeared to leave the door open to moving outside Philadelphia.In March, Lurie declined to commit to keeping the team in South Philadelphia or even within city limits, saying the organization would ultimately pursue “whatever is best for the fans.”Shapiro, however, has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of the Eagles skipping town.“The Eagles organization is thinking about what they want for the future, and we know that the future is going to be here in Philadelphia,” Shapiro said.

“They’re going to think about what they want as a home for the next 30, 40, 50 years, and then we’ll have a conversation when they’re ready to have it.”The Eagles have called Philadelphia home since the franchise was founded in 1933, moving from Franklin Field to Veterans Stadium in 1971 before “The Linc” opened in 2003.The Eagles wouldn’t be the first iconic NFL franchise of late t...