The rumors had made their rounds throughout the offseason, but they are now official. Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox has officially announced his retirement after 12 seasons. This marks the second franchise player the Eagles have lost to retirement this season after Jason Kelce announced the end of his playing career just last week in an emotional press conference.
A 2012 first-round pick by the Eagles, Cox played the entirety of his career with the team that drafted him. It’s extremely rare in the modern NFL for a player to spend more than a decade with a single team, especially for that player to spend their entire career with that team. This shows just how much Cox loved his time in Philadelphia, as do his words on the city, the organization, and its fans.
Though he may not have always been as publically vocal as Kelce and fellow veteran Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox was a key leader among the Eagles in his 12 seasons in Philadelphia. That leadership will be just as sorely missed as his on-field performance.
Cox will end his NFL career with 512 total tackles, 70 sacks, 88 tackles for loss, 173 QB hits, and 16 forced fumbles. He ranks near the top of the organization’s all-time stats in nearly every defensive category, ranking seventh all-time in fumbles recovered, fifth in sacks, third in tackles for loss, and first in fumbles returned for a touchdown and QB hits.
In his 12 seasons, Fletcher Cox was named to six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. He was a key member of the Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2018. He has plenty to be proud of when looking back on his time in the NFL, a career few are lucky enough to experience that he earned every minute of.
From the bottom of our hearts here at Philly Sports Network, thank you, Fletch; there will never be another like you.
