Fletcher Cox will be joining long-time teammates Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham on the 2023 Eagles after agreeing to a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter reported that the deal is worth $10 million and said Cox turned down more lucrative offers.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted that the Jets are one team that offered Cox more money. Jets general manager Joe Douglas was the Eagles’ GM from 2016 through 2019.
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With his $10 million one-year salary, Cox now ranks 16th among defensive tackles in average annual salary after he ranked 11th last year with his $14 million salary.
Although the 32-year-old Cox is not the player he once was, he’s still an effective interior pass rusher, something the Eagles desperately needed once Javon Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million deal with the 49ers.
Cox had 8.0 sacks last year, including the postseason, and only five interior linemen in the NFL had more. He was credited with 25 pressures last year, 5th-most among interior linemen (and seven more than Hargrave), and eight quarterback knockdowns (three more than Hargrave).
He ranks fifth in franchise history with 65 sacks, most among interior linemen. His six Pro Bowls are tied for 5th-most in Eagles history, behind Chuck Bednarik, Jason Peters, Brian Dawkins and Reggie White.
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The Eagles now have three key interior defensive linemen under contract in Jordan Davis, Milton Williams and Cox to go with three key edge rushers – Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick and Graham (and possibly Derek Barnett).
With Kelce, Graham and Cox all back in 2023, the Eagles could have three players break the franchise record for games played. David Akers currently holds the record with 188 games followed by Dawkins (183) and Harold Carmichael (180). But Graham is at 178, Kelce 176 and Cox 173.
Next year will be Graham’s 14th season with the Eagles, Kelce’s 13th and Cox’s 12th. Only nine other players in franchise history have played 12 seasons in an Eagles uniform and only four of them have spent their entire career with the Eagles – Vic Sears, Bednarik, Bucko Kilroy and Bobby Walston.
The Eagles are the only NFL team that has three players who’ve been with that team at least 10 years.
Cox can afford to take a home-town discount. He earned $115,890,246 from the Eagles from 2012 through 2022, the most money the Eagles have ever paid one player. He passed Jason Peters ($104,114,598) this past season.