Trent Cole will always be a Philadelphia Eagle
After spending the first 10 seasons of his 12 year NFL career in Philadelphia, Trent Cole will officially retire as a Philadelphia Eagle on Christmas day.
On December 25th, 2017 one of the greatest Philadelphia Eagles of the 21st century so far will take the field for his final bow.
After spending the last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Trent Cole, one of Philly’s favorite sons will be returning to the Linc on a one day contract to officially hang up his cleats as a member of the Eagles.
And of all of the players to come through our fair city over the last decade plus, few deserve this honor more than Mr. Cole.
After being drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, the former Cincinnati Bearcat entered in Eagles starting lineup in Week 10 of the regular season and stayed there for almost a decade straight. Of the 176 games Cole appeared in during his NFL career, 154 of them came as a starter, with an incredible 145 straight starts in midnight green.
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In Cole, then-head coach Andy Reid had one of the most consistent pass rushers in the entire league, a player who went to the Pro Bowl twice, once in 2007 and then again in 2009 and one who’s 85.5 career sacks trails only Hall of Famer Reggie White for the most in franchise history.
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While Cole’s production did dip when the team transitioned to a 3-4 defense under former head coach Chip Kelly, a move that sent Cole, a natural defensive end, to linebacker, he remained the consummate professional and continued to give the team his all week in and week out.
After being released by the team following the 2014 season, Cole tried to resurrect his career in Indianapolis, but unfortunately for the aging vet, the writing was on the wall.
After suffering a back injury during the third game of the of the 2016 season, Cole spent nearly the entire rest of the season on IR, only to be activated before the team’s Week 13 game against the New York Jets, a game that they ultimately won by a score of 41-10. While this game did feature what would end up being Cole’s final sack in the NFL, the then-34-year-old lineman decided that his career had run its course.
Failing to receive any substantial offers during prior to the 2017 season, Cole decided to sign a one-game contract with the Birds prior to their Christmas day game against the Oakland Raiders and officially end his career as a Philadelphia Eagle.
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Though Cole will officially be retiring from the game of football, this is far from a sad day, as the former Pro Bowler will be able to run through the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field one last time with his former teammates and go out in style in the team’s all black uniforms. A fitting tribute to an alltime great.