Getty The Eagles are releasing safety Marquise Blair.
The Philadelphia Eagles are surprisingly moving on from a veteran player.
The team released safety Marquise Blair, it announced on April 24. Blair spent time with the Eagles’ practice squad in November and December shortly after his release from the Carolina Panthers. However, Philadelphia released him prior to the end of the regular season. The Eagles then signed him to a reserve/futures deal in February.
Philadelphia also announced that tight end Tyree Jackson signed his exclusive rights free agent tender. He is now on a one-year deal for $940,000.
Marquise Blair Released by Eagles for Second Time
Blair, 25, was a former highly touted second-round draft pick out the University of Utah. He was named a Second-Team All-Pac 12 selection during his senior season in 2018.
However, he’s never really found his footing in the NFL. Blair spent three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, starting just three of his 22 appearances. Injuries limited Blair’s role on defense, with an ACL injury ending his season after just three games in 2021 and a knee injury ended his season after just six games during the 2022 season.
The Seahawks then released Blair prior to the start of the 2022 season.
While the release of Blair is a bit surprising considering the Eagles are seeking to replace their two starting safeties from last season, Philadelphia did beef up at the position during the offseason. Outside of returning key safeties from last season — Reed Blankenship and K’Von Wallace — the Eagles signed former starting safeties in Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans.
More than anything, that likely pushed Blair out of the running for a potential roster spot.
Through four seasons, Blair holds career totals of 50 tackles and three forced fumbles in 25 games and three starts.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Sends Message After Record Contract
Quarterback Jalen Hurts may be the highest-paid player in NFL history, but he has one goal in mind — championships.
While speaking to the media shortly after signing his five-year, $255 million deal — $51 million annually — Hurts is making it clear that winning championships are more fun than money.
“Money is nice,” Hurts said on Monday, April 24. “Championships are better.”
The Eagles came up short of their goal last season when they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII. Philadelphia tied the game at 35-all late in the fourth quarter following Hurts’ third touchdown run. However, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker hit the game-winning field goal with eight seconds remaining to give Kansas City the win.
“I truly love the game and I hate to lose,” Hurts continued. “It’s been a team sport; you get a certain type of thrill and gratification from doing that with someone else, from putting that work in with someone else, from everybody committing to one common goal and trying to achieve that goal in the end. I think that’s what made it so special, and I think that’s what’s kind of evolved in my three years of being here. And I think that’s the precedent that we want to set for the future in terms of what we want to achieve.”
As the Eagles return many of their key pieces from last season, Philadelphia will hope to win its first Super Bowl during the Hurts era.
Comments
Eagles Surprisingly Release Veteran Months After Signing