At the beginning of the month, Jason Kelce announced his retirement after 13 seasons with the Eagles. A few days later, Fletcher Cox followed him. After this season, so will Brandon Graham. Lane Johnsons will surely follow in the coming years.

This slew of retirements marks the closing of an era—a closing that Philadelphia fans have seen coming for some time, yet still have not come to terms with. As of now, only four members of the Super Bowl LII Eagles roster—Graham and Johnson, who will retire soon, Jake Elliot, and Rick Lovato—remain on the team. With players like Kelce and Cox, who have been the faces of the franchise for well over a decade cycling out, and new faces inevitably cycling in, the dawn of a new age in Eagles history will soon be upon us.

What can we do about it? Sadly, not much. It’s one of the harsh realities of standing behind a team for so long. And in Philadelphia, where some might call our emotional attachment to our sports teams excessive, but we just call it a way of life, it hurts even worse.

But this does not mean all hope is lost. After all, it must be remembered that when Kelce was drafted in 2011, to Eagles fans he was just a sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati—his face had not yet been carved into Mt. Rushmore as it is today.

The next legends could be in the making right now, depending on how the postseason goes for the next several years. It could be Jalen Hurts or Devonta Smith. With the new acquisition of Saquon Barkley, the Penn State alum might finally find his place after several impressive but ultimately unsuccessful seasons with the Giants.

Maybe Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter will take a bigger leap this year and impress us more on the defensive side of the ball. For all we know, our next Kelce, Graham, or Cox is still in college waiting to be drafted.

My point is that while we may be losing our individual legends, that doesn’t mean more players can’t achieve that same status in the future. Admittedly, it isn’t in the nature of Philadelphia to look toward the future with optimism, but it’s important to recognize that while these losses are difficult, they are a part of the painful, never-ending cycle that is sports.

I’ll admit it—I wrote this article just as much as a cathartic exercise for myself as a message to the city of Philadelphia. It wasn’t easy for anyone to watch Kelce tearing up on the sideline against the Buccaneers in January. I, along with the rest of my generation, have never known an Eagles team without Kelce, Cox, Graham, and Johnson, and the unknown strikes fear into the hearts of fans everywhere.

But more importantly, I wrote this article to tell Philadelphians that there is still hope for the future. While it’s hard to look past the retirements, Howie Roseman made some crafty offseason acquisitions, and this season is looking like it will be a good one. After last year’s ignominious finish, that’s all we can ask for. For new legends to be born, new success is a good place to start.