Getty Former Eagles RB Elijah Holyfield shown here at 2020 training camp in South Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Eagles might not be in this year’s Super Bowl, but a few of their former players are. Most of them are practice squad members. They’ll still get championship rings, much like Wendell Smallwood and Elijah Qualls did in 2018.
Three guys on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster have Philly ties, including linebacker Joe Bachie, defensive end Damion Square, and running back Elijah Holyfield. Bachie is on injured reserve and won’t play on Sunday, while Square and Holyfield remain on the practice squad. None of them have been elevated for the Super Bowl.
Holyfield is the most notable name since he spent almost two years with the Eagles. The 5-foot-1, 215-pounder saw action in one game — five special-teams snaps in 2020 — before getting waived in August 2021.
Career INTs by active players drafted by the Eagles:
16 … Jordan Poyer
11 … Jordan Hicks
5 … Rasul Douglas
5 … Jalen Mills
5 … Eric Rowe
4 … Sidney Jones
3 … Nate Gerry
2 … Blake Countess
2 … Avonte Maddox
Only Avonte is currently on the Eagles.
Blake Countess is the lone player with a Philly connection on the Los Angeles Rams. The 28-year-old safety was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2016 and served three different tours of duty in midnight green. His most recent one came in 2020 when he appeared in two games and made three total tackles. The notoriously “hard hitter” is buried on the Rams’ practice squad.
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Ex-Eagles Coach Joining Doug Pederson?
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is the older brother of ex-Eagles quarterbacks coach Press Taylor. The 38-year-old former Sean McVay assistant will lead Cincinnati into its first Super Bowl since 1988. And Press is considered the front-runner to land the vacant offensive coordinator job on Doug Pederson’s new coaching staff in Jacksonville. Remember, Pederson wanted to promote Press to Eagles offensive coordinator before he was fired.
The younger Taylor brother spent eight seasons in Philadelphia, first as an offensive quality control coach (2013) and then as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2020). He was a favorite sounding board for Carson Wentz and the quarterback vouched for him. He’s currently on staff in Indianapolis as “senior offensive assistant” for the Colts.
“I think Press is one of the sharpest coaches in this league,” Zac said of Press, via NJ Advance Media. “I speak to him, almost on a daily basis. Of course, I’m his brother and I believe that but just the people he’s worked with, they all want to continue to hire him.”
Colts senior offensive assistant Press Taylor: “I absolutely believe in Carson Wentz as a player.”
Justin Jefferson Sticks Up for Jalen Reagor
Justin Jefferson and Jalen Reagor will forever be linked thanks to one unfortunate draft-day decision. It’s not really fair to blame Reagor for Howie Roseman’s miss, but that hasn’t stopped the boos from raining down on him at Lincoln Financial Field. Jefferson recently spoke with Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press and addressed that draft-day snub. He feels bad for Reagor.
“I hate it for him. He didn’t ask for any of this, being compared to me all the time,” Jefferson told Maaddi. “Things happen for a reason. I’m definitely grateful for being in Minnesota and having the two seasons that I had, and who knows, I probably wouldn’t have had those types of seasons in Philly.”
Justin Jefferson on the constant criticism Jalen Reagor receives due to being drafted before him: “I hate it for him. He didn’t ask for any of this, being compared to me all the time.”
( via @RobMaaddi )
