Despite a surefire, slam dunk option to begin their defense as Super Bowl champions in September, the Philadelphia Eagles will open against the team they trashed in the NFC Championship in January.

According to Howard Eskin of 94 WIP radio in Philadelphia, the Eagles will play the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, September 6.

If this report holds up, it mark a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship when the Eagles baptized the Vikings 38-7 en route to winning Super Bowl LII.

A Vikings/Eagles tilt will also mean newly minted Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will be on display against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Cousins recently signed a guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal, which will put a rather sizable bullseye on his back.

Unfortunately, if true, this will cancel out my grand scenario of opening night for the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead of the Vikings, they should raise their first-ever Super Bowl banner in front of the Dallas Cowboys. No franchise draws the ire of Eagles fans quite like that of the team with the big star on the side of its helmet.

Perhaps the Eagles can solve this dilemma by repeating as Super Bowl champions and forcing the league to finally give Eagles Nation what it wants.