As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles are determined to maintain their competitive edge in a fiercely contested NFC, where teams like the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams pose significant threats to their crown. To stay at the top, the Eagles are drawing inspiration from some of the greatest minds in sports, including an eye-opening meeting between legendary quarterback Peyton Manning and the team’s leadership council.
In an interview with John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles star tight end Dallas Goedert shared insights from Manning’s visit, where the two-time Super Bowl champion (2006 with the Indianapolis Colts and 2015 with the Denver Broncos) revealed unconventional techniques for sustaining motivation after reaching the pinnacle of success. Manning, a postseason participant in 15 of his 17 NFL seasons, emphasized the importance of finding unique ways to keep the fire burning, especially when external criticism is scarce.
“He would make fake quotes and put them in the locker room” 😂
-Dallas Goedert says he and 10-15 Eagles on the leadership council spoke with 2 time Super Bowl champ Peyton Manning to pick his brain about how to repeat as champs. Peyton says you have to find motivation when… pic.twitter.com/f94w2wux7c
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 18, 2025
“I would just say that it takes the work every day and you have to find little nuances,” Goedert recounted to Clark. One of Manning’s most surprising tactics? Creating fake quotes to ignite a competitive spark. “One thing I found was interesting was he would make fake quotes and put them in the locker room because nobody was saying that they were bad or they could beat them,” Goedert explained. “So he put, ‘(my receiver) can’t get off of press’ and he’d put that in his receiver’s locker. ‘Are you serious? He said that?’ And it’s just finding different ways to keep yourself motivated when the negative isn’t coming at you.”
This approach mirrors the mentality that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has embraced, drawing from legends like Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan after the team’s Super Bowl victory. Manning’s creative strategy highlights the psychological edge required to stay dominant, offering a glimpse into the mindset that helped him achieve greatness. For the Eagles, these lessons are proving invaluable as they navigate the challenges of defending their title in a highly competitive conference.