Getty Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with Dallas Goedert #88 and DeVonta Smith #6 after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles star receiver DeVonta Smith took in Saturday night’s Sixers-Celtics game in style. He rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell before tipoff, then ran over to get the jersey off Jayson Tatum’s back when the final buzzer sounded.
Smith is a well-known supporter of the Celtics, by the way, so nothing abnormal there. What was a bit alarming was the big walking boot anchored to Smith’s right foot. The injury happened two weeks ago as the 24-year-old playmaker was spotted wearing a walking boot in the post-game locker room following Super Bowl LVII, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Eagles haven’t yet provided a timeline for Smith’s recovery.
Smith played through whatever kind of pain was bothering him against Kansas City. He finished with 100 receiving yards on seven catches, including a 45-yard gainer. He posted career highs during the 2022 regular season, hauling in 95 balls (on 136 targets) for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns. His one-two punch alongside A.J. Brown proved to be an ideal, borderline unstoppable, receiving tandem for one of the most explosive offenses in football.
“This one hurts. We will no doubt get better from it,” head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters after Super Bowl LVII. “We’ve got a good young quarterback that’s played a phenomenal year, a good offensive line, good defense. Just all accounts. We know we have the right people in place. This organization is a special organization. There’s a lot of special people in this organization led by Mr. Lurie.”
JT 🤝 DeVonta Smith
Smith Loved Rajon Rondo Growing Up in Louisiana
Smith has never hidden his affection for the Boston Celtics, pinning the reason on his fondness for Rajon Rondo as a youth growing up in Amite City, Louisiana. He actually played high school hoops and was recruited by Miami and Arkansas. Smith ultimately pursued a career in football but his love affair with basketball never flamed out.
NBC Sports’ John Clark drilled Smith about his Celtics fandom back in 2021 and tried to convert him. (Smith also told this reporter that he’s definitely a huge Celtics fan back in December).
“You can for sure get me to the game, but convert me? I don’t know about that one,” Smith said.
Nick Sirianni Reveals Biggest Piece of Wisdom
Head coach Nick Sirianni was asked for the biggest piece of wisdom he took away from his team’s Super Bowl run. Yes, they fell one win short of planting their flag atop the football mountain and raising the Lombardi Trophy. But, watching all that red and yellow confetti fall to the turf only increased Sirianni’s motivation to get back and finish the job.
“The wisdom is that I think we were there. We were close,” Sirianni said. “And all that does to me is make me hungrier to get back and that’s about the last time you’ll hear me say get back because what you’re going to hear me say is we’re going to do it one day at a time because that’s the right mindset.
“But that doesn’t stop you from when you see the red and yellow confetti fall or you have a piece of it stuck on your shirt, that you don’t think to yourself, I have to do everything I can to help our guys get back to this moment.”