Philadelphia Eagles DT Fletcher Cox Retires
The legendary Eagles defensive tackle will retire from the league after 12 seasons with the same franchise that drafted him. Philadelphia drafted him out of Mississippi State in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He announced the news via Twitter and will likely hold his press conference like Jason Kelce did recently. The announcement came just after 12:30 local time on Sunday afternoon.
The Magnolia State native was a rock for the city of Brotherly Love, playing in 188 games and starting 182 of them with nary an injury. During his career, he was known as one of the more consistently great defensive tackles in the game. Cox amassed 519 total tackles (315 solo), 88 tackles for loss, 70 sacks, 16 passes defended, 16 forced fumbles, and 14 fumbles recovered to go with three touchdowns. He earned six Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams, and a Super Bowl championship during his tenure. Those six Pro Bowls were consecutively from 2015-2020.
Does he have a Hall of Fame case?
With his dominant run of form, Mr. Cox presents an interesting debate for the Hall of Fame voters. It’s likely to be spirited as his case comes up for enshrinement in Canton. He’ll live forever in the hearts and minds of Eagles fans everywhere. He deserves a statue outside of the Linc and a jersey retirement for his accomplishments. According to Spotrac, Cox earned over $125.8 million, with $52.8 million in bonuses throughout his career.
The young boy from Yazoo City, MS, did well on and off the field. As a man plying his trade on the gridiron, it’s rare for a player to go out on his terms after playing for one organization. Cox more than earned the right to do so.
We wish him the best as he moves forward into the next chapter of his life. Happy Retirement, Mr. Cox!
Joseph is a veteran writer of many publications past and present. He is a long-time Tennessee Titans fan and draft scout/analyst, along with writing about the league is a passion project. Mr. Yun has been credentialed to the Senior Bowl multiple times. Readers will find he brings the juice with a scout’s eye and analytical mind. Follow me on Twitter @2Yoon2ZeroBlitz for more good stuff!