One day after Brandon Graham, the longest-tenured player on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ roster signed a one-year extension to return, All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox officially announced his retirement.
Cox posted a message to fans, and the Eagles organization, on X on Sunday, March 10 walking away from the game at the age of 33.
Originally chosen by the Eagles with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Cox became one of the most decorated defenders in franchise history and was instrumental to Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win following the 2017 season.
Cox closes his career with 70 sacks, 519 total tackles, 88 tackles for loss, 173 quarterback hits, 16 forced fumbles, and 14 fumble recoveries en route to being named a First-Team All-Pro in 2018 while garnering Second-Team All-Pro recognition three times and making six Pro Bowls.
“From the moment he was drafted as the 12th overall pick in 2012 until his final game, Fletcher Cox was a dominant force on our defensive line,” Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie told the team’s official website. “A six-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro, and a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, Fletcher is an all-time great Eagle whose contributions made him one of the most renowned defensive tackles of a generation and built him a strong case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
How Eagles Will Replace Fletcher Cox
Replacing Cox’s consistent high-level production won’t be easy for the Eagles, who are breaking in a new defense around incoming coordinator Vic Fangio in 2024.
“He’s a rare player who changes the game and we’re not going to let that kind of player walk out of this building,” Roseman said after the Eagles signed Cox to a six-year contract in 2016, one of four contracts he signed with the team. “Fletch is everything we believe in with this organization and he is the kind of player you want to build your franchise around.”
Fortunately for the Eagles, Roseman has been preparing for this day over the past two draft classes.
Philadelphia will now turn to defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, two of the organization’s three first-round picks over the past two draft classes, to fill the void left behind by Cox.
Carter finished second in Defensive Rookie of The Year voting, behind only Houston Texans standout Will Anderson Jr., after producing six sacks with 33 tackles during the 2023 campaign.
Meanwhile, Davis enters his third season having posted 63 total tackles with 2.5 sacks through his first 30 games.
Already an Offseason of Turnover for the Eagles
The 2024 Eagles are going to look significantly different than the team that walked off the field after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card round.
Cox now joins All-Pro center Jason Kelce as two pillars of the franchise to announce their retirement in the course of a week.
Likewise, embattled Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni returns in 2024 but will be breaking in a new coaching staff led by new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and with Fangio taking over a defense looking to avoid picking up where last year’s unit let off as a leading cause for the team’s late-season collapse.
