Legendary Eagles Voice Merrill Reese Talks Birds in Bucks Co.

NEWTOWN, PA — The legendary Voice of the Philadelphia Eagles Merrill Reese spoke in Bucks County before a room filled with Rotarians and sports fans on Wednesday about the opening of the NFL Draft on Thursday, Quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the Eagles' prospects of making it back to the Super Bowl.

"No doubt, it has been an incredible year for the Eagles and the City of Philadelphia," said Reese who will be starting his 49th year announcing for the Eagles this year. "Everything has to go right. And with this team, everything did go right. And it was a fun season.

"If you asked me last year if this team was going to the Super Bowl, I would have given you the same answer I will give you now about next year. And that answer is, "Truthfully, I have no idea. And the reason I say that is I have believed for a long time that you can be looking at a team that could potentially be 14 and 3, which is what the Eagles were last year, and if you lose three people at the wrong time of the season, the wrong three people, that team could end up 9 and 8."

Early in the season, Reese said the team started off badly and when they played their fourth game of the season in Tampa Bay, he recalled his son telling him in the booth, 'Dad. This team will be lucky to win seven games.' I said, 'Nolan. You may know the movie industry, but listen to me. This is a good football team.

"I've learned a couple of things over the years. One is not to look at the preseason. Just look at that as a warm-up orientation session. Look at the September games the way we used to view preseason games, because that's when they come together. After that, they had the bye and they were a better team.

"From now on, do yourselves a favor, pay no attention to the preseason," said Reese. "You can go out to camp and watch the preseason games to get to know some of the rookies and see who looks good. But do not take those results seriously. And when they come into September, they're going to have their bumps and bruises. They're going to have their highlights and lowlights but then when it's October the real National Football League begins.

"So when I tell you I don't know about the season, I really don't," he said.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts 'Is A Great Young Man'

On Quarterback Jalen Hurts, Reese said everyone has an opinion. "If you took an opinion poll, it's been up and down more than the Dow Jones. Everybody was on his boat. Then everyone dumped him into the sea. I remember a couple of years ago everybody was hoping the Eagles would get Russell Wilson from Seattle. How would that have worked out?

The Voice of the Eagles Merrill Reese. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

"I love Jalen Hurts," said Reese. "I thought he was a franchise quarterback when I saw him in Alabama and Oklahoma. He's a great kid. He is the hardest worker you have ever seen. Doug Pederson said to me several years ago there's not a pass he can't throw. And yet I've heard some of the talk show geniuses say he has below NFL arm strength. I thought, 'What are they talking about? This is a talented kid.' Last year they were saying, 'Is he really a franchise quarterback?' Now we're talking about, 'He's certainly a top-five quarterback.

"There's no doubt about it," he continued. "He's a great young quarterback. And you need a great young quarterback to go far. And he is a leader. He is every bit a leader. So covering him, I've gotten to know him really well where I can sit in his locker room and have somewhat long conversations with him. He is a great young man. He is somebody who loves representing your city and your team."

'I Have A Brand New Knee. I Named It Sequon'

Reese pointed to running back Sequon Barkley as "the biggest single difference on the team" between last year and this year. I had a knee replacement the other week. I have a brand new knee. I named it Sequon," which brought a roar of laughter from the room. "Kansas City thought they had him figured out. They were going to stop Sequon Barkley and put the ball in Jalen Hurt's hands. What happened? Jalen Hurts passed them to death. Barkley was just a decoy most of the game."

The coaching staff has also done well, said Reese. "Vic Fangio came in here and he completely reworked the defense. Here's a guy who's a heck of a defensive coach. I put him up there with the best three defensive coaches I've ever been around. And that would be Bud Carson, the architect of the Steel Curtain Defense. More recently, Andy Reid came here with a great defensive coach in Jim Johnson. And Vic Fangio is right there in that class. I honestly believe there should be a Hall of Fame category for coordinators, not just head coaches and players."

On Being Inducted Into The Hall Of Fame

On Aug. 3, 2024, Reese was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, receiving the 2024 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award."People say, 'Was that on your bucket list?' I said, 'No. I did, though, after doing the Eagles for 30 years or so, thought there was a chance I could get in the Eagles Hall of Fame just on longevity alone. When Jeffrey Lorie called me in 2016, I was ecstatic. No tears. It was pure happiness. But the Pro Football Hall of Fame was never on my list of things that could ever happen. But it did and it was amazing."

Merrill Reese, center, with Rotarian Anthony "Tony" Petsis and Newtown Rotary Club President Debra Porter. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

When Did He Know The Eagles Had Won The Super Bowl?

Speaking about February's Super Bowl game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Reese said he knew the Eagles had won the game early in the second half of the game.

"The Eagles kicked off to the Chiefs and the Chiefs went one, two, three and 0. And I thought to myself, 'You know what? Andy doesn't know what to do.' Andy has no answer to this team right now. And that was the case," said Reese. "The Chiefs never threatened. The Eagles annihilated the Kansas City Chiefs.

"The truth of the matter was the Eagles were just a much better team," Reese continued. "If you think about it, Jalen Hurts outplayed Patrick Mahomes two years earlier. Jalen Hurts also outplayed Mahomes in a Monday Night game on the road in Kansas City the next year. Three times in a row, Hurts outplayed the quarterback considered the best player in the National Football League."

On The NFL Draft

When asked if he had any insider information on the upcoming NFL Draft, Reese answered, "Absolutely none. When you are standing 32nd in line, even with all the preparation they've done, they have no idea what's going to happen.

"(General manager) Howie (Roseman) has already said he doesn't have 32 first-round talents in this draft. There may be 12 or 15. But if one of those 12 or 15 slips into that 16th or 17th spot, maybe there's an attempt to trade up. If they come to 32 and there's nobody between 31 and 42 that are any different in terms of their ratings, maybe they trade back.

"There's only one good thing about this draft," said Reese. "I am glad that the Eagles don't need a quarterback because there is no Jalen Hurts in this draft. The best is Cam Ward from Miami, they say. We'll see."