It was a simple question.
With a surprising answer.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie was asked Thursday whether he expects this 2017 team to reach the playoffs, something no Eagles team has done since 2013.
But despite a potential franchise quarterback entering his second year, despite offseason acquisitions like Torrey Smith, Alshon Jeffery, Tim Jernigan and first-round pick Derek Barnett, and despite a roster that's so healthy all 53 guys practiced this week, Lurie refused to say he has postseason expectations for the 2017 Eagles.
"Oh, I think so much happens in a given season that you can never say that," he said. "I mean, I've never in 23 years, even coming off all those multiple NFC Championship games and NFC East titles and all that, I've never come out and said, ‘We're obviously a playoff team.’ It just doesn't work that way in the NFL.
"Look at last year. What was Atlanta's record going into the season and what was Dallas' record going into the season last year (4-12 in 2015)? I think Dallas became the No. 1 seed. What was Atlanta, 6-10, going into last year (actually 8-8)? And with Matty Ice (Matt Ryan), who is a very good quarterback.
"We'd be sitting here talking about, ‘How can you have Matty Ice and be 6-10?’ [Then] they developed one hell of a team. It's sort of foolhardy to make any predictions, whatsoever."
NFL
The Eagles have reached the playoffs in 12 of the 23 seasons Lurie has owned the team but only twice in the last six years — 2010 and 2013.
Since 1994, when Lurie bought the Eagles from Norman Braman, only the Patriots (18 times), Packers (18), Colts (16) and Steelers (15) have reached the playoffs more than the Eagles, and only those four teams plus the Ravens, Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers have won more playoff games.
Yet the Eagles are one of only 12 teams that haven't reached the postseason the last three years and also one of 12 that hasn't won a postseason game the last eight years.
Lurie recognizes they're still not completely finished cleaning up the mess left by Chip Kelly, so they may not win one this season.
But they should be close.
"I think I love the blueprint we have. I think that we are headed in a terrific direction," Lurie said. "Look, I think, honestly, you're dealing with a team that's a pretty young team. You have some veterans at select positions like punter, things like that, and left tackle. But basically a young team that has re-signed a lot of players, a lot of the core players, [and the] ability to acquire future players will evolve and have a great opportunity there to do that.
"The key is that we have the opportunity to compete strongly now, and that's what I expect. I expect us to compete strongly. We're in the second year of a very potentially special, young quarterback. We don't even know that yet.
"I see us as a team with an excellent blueprint, great opportunity, terrific direction, but we're in Year 2 of the plan."
The Eagles last won a championship in 1960. Since then, 19 other franchises have won at least one.
"Thirty-one teams are going to be disappointed," Lurie said. "That's the way it works in this league. We all have the same goal: 32 teams want to win the Super Bowl, one will. If you talk to any of the 31 of us, we're going to say we're disappointed. That's the way the NFL works."