Earlier this offseason, Fletcher Cox was a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
It lasted two days.
Back in March, with a deadline looming, the Eagles officially released one of their all-time great players and then signed him back a couple days later.
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Cox, at OTAs on Wednesday, explained his side of how it all went down.
“It’s just one of them things where you try to get things worked out,” Cox said. “I knew the team wanted me here. Just there was a deadline before we could get things done. With time, it’s always ticking, you only have a certain amount of time to do and get certain things done. I knew they wanted me here, but it was just a part of the process.”
Basically, there was a deadline looming on Cox’s initial contract that would have guaranteed him $18 million if he was still on the roster at 4 p.m. on March 17. The Eagles and Cox’s agent, Todd France, had been working on a restructured contract but couldn’t come to an agreement in time.
So on March 17 the Eagles cut Cox. They used a post-June 1 designation to spread out his cap hit, but Cox was a true free agent, free to sign with any team of his choosing.
NFL
“I knew at some point … Everybody has that day, right?” Cox said. “That day where they get released by the team they’ve been playing for for a long time. Obviously, at some point that day has to come. But I’m glad we were able to get things worked out and I’m here now.”
Yes, that day comes for a lot of great players: The day when their longtime team casts them aside.
It is pretty rare, however, for that same team to sign them again a couple days later.
But, in this case, the Eagles never stopped trying to figure out a way to get Cox back. And eventually, they brought him back on a one-year deal worth $14 million for the 2022 season.
“Obviously when you’re a free agent, teams do reach out,” Cox said. “And it’s a part of the process. I get it. But the Eagles wanted me here and I’m back now and getting ready now to go into training camp. I’m excited about that.”
Whether or not Cox is worth $14 million for the 2022 season is another question worth pondering. That $14 million salary keeps him in the top 10 APY among defensive tackles and it’s not like Cox is coming off his best season.
In fact, 2021 was a down year for Cox. Last season broke his streak of six consecutive Pro Bowls and he finished the year with 3 1/2 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 35 combined tackles. Not the output we’re used to from the Eagles’ great. And during last year there was even the public airing of grievances from Cox over his role in Jonathan Gannon’s defense.
Eventually, though, Cox and Gannon worked through their differences and Cox played better down the stretch. Cox even mentioned on Wednesday, unprompted, that he and Gannon had been communicating throughout the offseason. That seems to be a pretty good sign.
Cox, 31, doesn’t really need OTAs at this point in his career but showed up for part of last week and all of this week, calling it a “sign of respect” for the team and the coaching staff.
It’s an unfamiliar spot for Cox to be in, but he’s entering a contract year in 2022 and his future beyond this season is very much unknown.
“I view it as I’ve been viewing it every year, honestly,” Cox said. “I go in and take it one year at a time. There’s no extra pressure on me.”
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