Anonymous Eagles Player Says 'Being in the NFL is Hard. Being an Eagle is Harder'

Expectations are sky high for the Philadelphia Eagles. That benchmark was set from winning the Super Bowl last season, but also from a competitive culture instilled by the team's front office, coaching staff and its star players (not to mention a rabid fanbase always hungry for more).

"Being in the NFL is hard," a current player who has played with multiple teams during his career told ESPN's Tim McManus. "Being an Eagle is harder."

"We've had that for 25 years," team owner Jeffrey Lurie recently told reporters while speaking about a team culture predicated on competing at the highest level. "No one has higher expectations than us. We're very self-critical and disciplined, and we hope that brings success."

A former employee told McManus that Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman generally do so by adding players who have a highly competitive, perfectionist mindset.

"Even though they're superstars, even though they're crushing it, it's, 'Am I doing enough?' That's part of the culture," they added. "People want to do more there."

That culture is working. The Eagles have reached the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons, have played in three Super Bowls during that time and have won two championships. They've won more playoff games in the last three years (six) than their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, have won since 1996 (five). And they are well on their way to securing another NFC East title this year.

So it may not be easy being an Eagle, but it comes with pretty good perks.