Philadelphia Eagles

Another injury means Eagles get a 5th Pro Bowler

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Josh Sweat has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl team after Nick Bosa of the 49ers was forced to drop out with an injury.

Sweat is the Eagles’ fifth Pro Bowler this year and third to make it as an alternate. Javon Hargrave replaced injured Kenny Clarke of the Packers and Jake Elliott replaced Matt Guy of the Rams, who advanced to the Super Bowl. Jason Kelce and Darius Slay were the Eagles’ initial Pro Bowlers.

Bosa suffered a concussion in the 49ers’ playoff win over the Cowboys but did return to play Sunday in the loss to the Rams.

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Sweat, who didn’t enter the starting lineup this year until Week 4, had a career-high 7 ½ sacks, six of them the second half of the season. After recording 4.0 sacks in 2020 and 6.0 in 2021, the Eagles gave him a three-year, $40 million contract extension in September. He’s now signed through 2024.

The 24-year-old Sweat becomes the Eagles’ youngest Pro Bowler since 22-year-old kicker Cody Parkey in 2014, their youngest Pro Bowl position player since 24-year-old LeSean McCoy in 2011 and their youngest defensive Pro Bowler since 24-year-old Michael Lewis and 23-year-old Lito Sheppard in 2004.

He’s the first player the Eagles have drafted in the 4th round or later to make a Pro Bowl before his 25th birthday since Wilbert Montgomery in 1978.

Sweat was the Eagles’ 4th-round pick in 2018, and he now becomes the first defensive Pro Bowler the Eagles have drafted since Fletcher Cox in 2012.

He joins a long line of Eagles defensive ends to make a Pro Bowl team. Overall, he’s the 11th, joining Tom Scott (1957, 1958), Tim Rossovich (1969), Dennis Harrison (1982), Reggie White (7 times), Clyde Simmons (1991, 1992), William Fuller (1994-96), Hugh Douglas (2000-02), Trent Cole (2007, 2009), Jason Babin (2011) and Brandon Graham (2020).

Sweat was a raw talent when the Eagles drafted him out of Florida State. He only played 68 defensive snaps as a rookie but began showing potential in 2019 as a rotational edge rusher. His snaps increased from 35 percent to 43 percent in 2020, and this year after a slow start – 3 ½ sacks through Week 12 – he finished very strong. 

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But he missed the playoff loss to the Bucs after undergoing a procedure after suffering what the Eagles called “a life-threatening situation.”

Sweat is the first Pro Bowler from the Eagles’ terrific 2018 draft, which despite no 1st-round pick also landed the Eagles Dallas Goedert in the 2nd round, Avonte Maddox in the 4th round and Jordan Mailata in the 7th round, as well as Matt Pryor in the 6th.

The Eagles gave contract extensions this past fall to Sweat, Goedert, Maddox and Mailata.

This is the second time in the last three years the Eagles have had two Pro Bowl defensive linemen in the same season. Cox and Graham both made it in 2020. The last time before that was 1992 with White and Simmons.

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