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It’s been a weird offseason for Fletcher Cox as he looks down the barrel of his 11th NFL season. The six-time Pro Bowler was initially released by the Philadelphia Eagles, then quickly returned on a one-year deal. Cox was a free agent for a minute, although his loyalty to the franchise that drafted him never wavered.
The 310-pound defensive tackle knew the Eagles wanted him back. It was just a matter of finding a mutually beneficial arrangement, something his agent Todd France was able to hammer out with general manager Howie Roseman.
The two sides were in constant communication and everything was done in a professional manner. Cox said he knew he was coming back “days or maybe a week or so” before the deal was finalized.
“I knew the team wanted me here,” Cox told reporters on June 8. “There was a deadline before we could get things done, and time is always ticking, you only have a certain amount of time to get certain things done. Like I said, I knew they wanted me here but it was just part of the process. Everything was respectfully professional and obviously, I appreciate the organization for that. And then we got everything figured out.”
That being said, Cox admitted to a few other teams blowing up his phone. Talks never got serious but offers were on the table.
“When you’re a free agent obviously teams do reach out,” Cox said, without naming names. “And it’s part of the process.”
The 31-year-old never got “nervous” but he isn’t naive to the fact that this could be his final year in midnight green. Every player has to say farewell eventually.
“Everybody has that day, right? That day where they get released from the team they’ve been playing for for a long time,” Cox said. “Obviously at some point that day has to come. We were able to get things worked out. Excited to be back in the building.”
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Cox Putting His Energy Into Mentoring Jordan Davis
Eagles rookie Jordan Davis has gushed about Cox in nearly every interview. He grew up watching him and trying to mimic his movements. Now the first-round pick gets to share a locker room with one of his favorite players. Full circle.
“I’ve talked to him,” Cox said. “I’ve been on him a little bit, just trying to teach him how to be a professional, how to be a pro, how to practice, how to handle certain situations. It’s good [to have him here], I think the more talent we have on the defensive line the better we are.”
And Cox has been coaching Davis up hard this summer. He wants to mold him into the NFL’s next great defensive tackle.
“I want to be able to share a lot of information with Jordan,” Cox said. “And I know he’ll get it. It’s going to be a lot for him. He’s a rookie. I’ve been in the same position before where guys have kind of taken me under their arms and led the way. I’m excited about Jordan. We converse all the time. We talk about football and more importantly about life.”
Trying to Bounce Back From ‘Up and Down Year’
Cox’s streak of six straight Pro Bowls was snapped during the 2021 season. He finished with 3.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits while trying to adjust to Jonathan Gannon’s new defensive scheme. It was far from rainbows and unicorns for the head-strong veteran; however, everyone got on the same page by the end of the year.
“It was up and down, and that was the biggest thing,” Cox said. “But going into Year 2 of a defense, you know what to expect. I know what to expect, and just make the best of it, you have fun playing the game. This is my 11th year and I’ve been enjoying it.”
This marks the first time Cox will enter a season on a one-year deal — $14 million, with a $12.5 million signing bonus (via Spotrac) — but don’t expect his mindset to change. Same offseason routine. Same effort on Sundays.
“I don’t do anything different. I still carry myself the same way,” Cox said. “I don’t think that maybe trying to do something spectacular [works] — I’ve been here for 10 years, the team knows what to expect. They know I’m a hard worker. They know I’m a leader. They know i’m going to show up on Sundays.”
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