PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro walked the sideline at a Philadelphia Eagles public practice that drew 45,000 fans to Lincoln Financial Field on Tuesday night and insisted that any future Eagles stadium will not be built across city or state lines.

“Here’s what I can tell you for sure: It’s going to be in the city of Philadelphia,” Shapiro said. “And we’ll work with the Eagles once they determine what it is that they’re interested in doing. But I appreciate the thoughtful and deliberative approach that they’ve taken to this process.”

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in March that the franchise is in an “exploratory” phase researching stadiums both in the United States and around the world, studying both new construction and renovations. The Eagles’ lease for Lincoln Financial Field expires after the 2032 season. Last summer, the Eagles emailed season ticket holders, “Help Shape the Future Eagles Stadium Experience!” and explained they were considering future changes, “including both renovation options and the possibility of a brand new stadium in the region.”

In Philadelphia, “the region” can do heavy lifting. New Jersey is across the Delaware River, minutes from the Eagles’ current site. Delaware is a short drive from Interstate-95. There are even different parts of the city (and the surrounding suburbs) that would go beyond the South Philadelphia stadium complex where the Eagles have played since 1971 and where the other three major professional sports teams play. The Philadelphia 76ers had plans last year to build a Center City arena before agreeing to a new arena with the Philadelphia Flyers across the street from their current site in the stadium complex.

Changing locations within a region has been a recurring theme with recent NFL stadium constructions. The Cleveland Browns are building a new stadium beyond county lines. The Kansas City Chiefs are moving from Missouri to Kansas. And the Chicago Bears’ “sole focus” is a new stadium deal across the Illinois border to Indiana.

Lurie was non-committal in March when he was asked about the location.

“Whatever’s best for the fans,” Lurie said at the time. “We’re not really (going) on a geographical basis. It’s whatever’s best for the fans. I can’t tell you where (Cleveland’s new stadium) is, Barcelona is, I don’t know. It’s just, honestly, the bottom line is whatever is best for the fans.”

That’s part of why Shapiro’s words mattered — even if it’s still early for any type of action.

“The Eagles organization is thinking about what they want for the future, and we know that the future is going to be here in Philadelphia,” Shapiro said. “They’re going to think about what they want as a home for the next 30, 40, 50 years, and then we’ll have a conversation when they’re ready to have it.”

The location is not the only hot-button topic among Eagles fans. A new stadium could potentially include a roof, which would put Philadelphia in contention for events such as the Super Bowl and the Final Four, but also change part of the experience that has shaped Eagles games in the elements for decades. Shapiro did not weigh in on the dome debate, deferring to the franchise’s exploratory process.

Lurie said in March that the Eagles “would hope in the next year or two, we’ll have some more definitive approach to where we’re going.”