It’s the end of an era for Philadelphia Eagles football.
On Tuesday, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox officially announced his retirement after 12 seasons in the NFL, all spent in Philadelphia. The Eagles drafted Cox in the first round out of Mississippi State in 2012, and he quickly became a centerpiece of Philadelphia’s stout defensive front.
Cox closes his career with 70 sacks, good for fifth place on the Eagles all-time list.
While Philadelphia will undoubtedly miss Cox’s production on the field, other players will also have to step up to fill the void left by his absence in many pre-snap situations.
As one reporter pointed out during Cox’s retirement announcement, the Eagles big man has long served to check in on edge rusher Brandon Graham, whose trash talk can escalate very quickly. With Cox out, who on the Eagles could step in to ensure that Graham never goes over the edge?
“I think we’re going to have to give Big Dom a mic,” Cox joked, referencing Eagles’ chief security officer Dom DiSandro. “Big Dom is going to keep him in check.”
“Or, you know, put a buzzer or something on him. Every time he starts talking just buzz him, and it vibrates.”
With @fcoxx_91 gone, only one man can keep @brandongraham55 in check now 😂 pic.twitter.com/evJYM7xTM8
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 9, 2024
“Big Dom” became something of a sensation last year after he was banned from the Eagles’ sidelines through their final stretch of the regular season after making contact with Dre Greenlaw of the San Francisco 49ers during a game.
Given Cox’s retirement, it looks as if DiSandro might have a new responsibility on his hands as the team heads into 2024.
