Javon Hargrave betrays Eagles with NFC Championship comment

Javon Hargrave may not be welcomed back in Philadelphia any time soon after his comments.

You have to remember that defensive lineman Javon Hargrave is getting paid by the San Francisco 49ers now, and not the Philadelphia Eagles…

Hargrave is a good player you can build a championship contender around, but he is elite at getting paid. After having spent the last three years in the City of Brotherly Love, Hargrave has packed up his bags for the City by the Bay. Fate would have it, the Eagles and the 49ers met in last season’s NFC Championship, one where the Birds won easily over a depleted San Francisco offense, 31-7.

Hargrave told 49ers Web Zone that the conference title bout could have gone differently if Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson did not sustain injuries with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

“We kind of knew it was going to be different when all you can do is run the ball, when both quarterbacks go out, and you know exactly what you’re trying to do. Of course, it made it a lot easier for us. … Trust me, we’ve seen the film on Brock escaping. We knew it was going to be a challenge trying to get to him, so it would have been, definitely, a different game if he had stayed up.”

Philadelphia probably would have still won the game, but no way would it have been that lopsided.

The really interesting part in this is Hargrave’s position group is why the Eagles even won the NFC.

Javon Hargrave: Philadelphia Eagles heel turn to San Francisco 49ers is complete

Prior to Purdy getting hurt, he was playing extraordinarily well as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Mr. Irrelevant played up to his lofty Iowa State standard until a gruesome elbow injury rendered him useless in the passing game. Hargrave is right in that once the 49ers’ offense became one-dimensional, the game was over. For now, he needs to have the same faith in Trey Lance in 2023.

This is because while Purdy could be a long-term solution for the 49ers at the position, his elbow injury is significant and could cost him most, if not all, of next season. Lance was tabbed the 49ers’ starter out of camp, but a broken leg in September brought a swift end to that. With long-time 49ers’ starter Jimmy Garoppolo signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, next season is all about Lance.

Ultimately, you have to respect Hargrave’s honesty in all this. Making a comment like this after switching NFC powerhouse allegiances is never easy. While the Eagles are infinitely more likely than the Kansas City Chiefs of experiencing a Super Bowl hangover, they are not going to fall off a cliff. San Francisco could be a pullback candidate as well, but this team will be loaded defensively.

As long as Hargrave’s checks from the 49ers keep clearing, he will ride or die with San Francisco.