Philadelphia Eagles: Who the heck is Travis Fulgham?

It’s pronounced fulg-ham, Philadelphia Eagles fans.

The first month of the 2020 NFL season has been a weird one for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chalk it up to a lack of a preseason, an abbreviated training camp, or, ya know, a seemingly endless string of injuries that has thwarted the team’s progress at every turn, but the Eagles have looked awkward, incompatible, and downright ugly through the month of September, with their play against the San Francisco 49ers showcasing little reprieve through its first three quarters.

But then, it happened.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

After punting the ball on four of their previous five drives dating back to the end of the first quarter, the Eagles finally found the endzone through the air for a go-ahead touchdown – and you’ll never guess who caught the perfectly-placed bomb eight-yards shy of the endzone for a roll-in touchdown over Dontae Johnson.

I’ll give you a hint, he wears the number 13.

Measuring in at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Travis Fulgham joined the Eagles midway through camp after being unceremoniously waived by the Green Bay Packers. The Eagles marked Fulgham’s third team in as many weeks during the month of August, as he was released by the team that drafted him, the Detriot Lions, 11 days prior to his time in Philly.

Despite his late arrival, Fulgham made plays supplementing JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor as a deep-reserve outside receiver. Not as many plays as summer superstar Deontay Burnett, but enough for the team to stash him away on the practice squad just in case something went bad with their Week 1 depth.

Spoiler alert: Things went bad. Really bad.

Entering the game with only two of their Week 1 receivers active, Greg Ward and John Hightower, the Eagles had to call up both Fulgham and Burnett to supplement their depth following the decision to inactivate DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffrey, JJAW, and Hakeem Butler.

And with one beautifully placed ball, Fulgham made a whole bunch of fans in the City of Brotherly Love.

My goodness, look at that catch. It wasn’t dropped, it wasn’t muffed, it went from Carson Wentz‘s hands right into Fulgham’s without so much as a deflection at the offensive line that made it fair game for any player on the field.

Did that touchdown catch save the Eagles’ season? Maybe. Did Fulgham lock up a starting spot moving forward with that 42-yard touchdown? Eh probably not, but maybe. But did Fulgham lock up a spot on the Eagles’ 53 man roster for the remainder of the season?

Oh, you’d best believe it.

While I may be a tad more cynical than most, as the touchdown watched ’round the world on Sunday Night Football was really more of a Wentz play than a Fulgham play, the 25-year-old Old Dominion product actually showed something when the Eagles needed someone, anyone to step up and make a play. Even if that’s the most impressive play Fulgham makes in a midnight green uniform, it’s still one more than Mack Hollins, Shelton Gibson, or even JJAW have made in basically the same role.

Whether the 2020 season ultimately ends with the Eagles hoisting another Lombardi Trophy or they earn a top-10 pick, identifying young, ascending talent has a to be a priority for the sustainable longevity of the franchise. If Fulgham is that guy then great, if not, that’s okay too, but I’d certainly rather see him figure it out as a member of the Eagles than as a member of the Indianapolis Colts a la Oregon State standout Noah Togiai.

For what it’s worth, the NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein gave Fulgham a Round 3-4 grade in his pre-draft profile, so maybe there really is something to the slow-but-steady Virginia native than a 4.58 40 yard dash and a slew of 2020 releases.

In 2020 sports media, the concept of slow and steady has rapidly been dashed by a hyper-reactionary environment where a player can go from bad to good to horrible over the course of a drive, and an otherwise meh performance can suddenly be considered amazing once the final stat sheet is published. If Travis Fulgham’s touchdown catch gave you hope for the Philadelphia Eagles’ future then heck yeah, you do you, but if he doesn’t catch another one in October that doesn’t discount his accomplishments. If the Eagles are wise, they’ll play the long game with Fulgham, as he’s shown more than many of their much more heralded prospects.