Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor’s window in Philly is effectively closed

It’s easy to overreach after a tough loss.

Whether a win was expected, a wash, or downright unlikely, watching a beloved team end up on the wrong side of the final boxscore can lead to some seriously unhinged reactions.

Jalen Hurts is a bust, Nick Sirianni is a lousy coach, even Darius Slay was called out for a big game by both Tom Brady and Mike Evans, even if he wasn’t directly responsible for most of those yards.

In a few months, we might just look back on Wildcard weekend and laugh at the ridiculousness of making the playoffs in the same year a team secures three first-round picks, but today, no take is too outlandish for someone to throw up on the internet to see what sticks.

One take that surely will not cool down anytime soon, however, is the calls for Jalen Reagor’s career with the Philadelphia Eagles, and for good reason: This relationship has turned downright toxic.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Jalen Reagor can no longer co-exist.

When Jalen Reagor was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 21st overall, it wasn’t as universally despised.

PFF loved the decision, as did the NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, and after watching the Eagles’ offense shrink without a legit deep threat in their post-Super Bowl run, I’ve gotta admit, I really liked the pick too. Mind you; this was before Justin Jefferson became one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers and was instead considered a “slot only” guy after breaking out during his final season at LSU, but hey, at the time, Reagor looked like the next Brandin Cooks, who is a darn good wide receiver who hits the open market again this spring.

But now? Now Reagor can’t even reliably field a punt without his yips getting in the way.

For weeks now, fans have watched idly by as Reagor recorded single-digit receiving yards on multiple attempts per game. They’ve watched him run lackluster routes, make slow decisions in the return game, and close his eyes on not one but two would-be touchdowns in the same game, but through it all, Reagor’s spot in the Eagles’ immediate future looked relatively safe.

Could he still be on the roster come training camp? Sure. Could he even survive a summer of improved competition and stick around for his third professional season in midnight green? Yes as well, but honestly, who is that going to help? If the Eagles are smart, they’ll upgrade their wide receiver stable with not one but two more quality players, especially ones who excel on the outside, which leaves little room for Reagor to regularly see the field unless he beats Quez Watkins and/or DeVonta Smith for playing time, which feels borderline impossible.

Outside of that unlikely situation, what else is there really for the Eagles to do? Should they hope Reagor becomes the next Devin Hester? Or move him to running back, where his athleticism would be better suited without having to run routes or catch the ball with a cornerback in mirror coverage?

This was the year for Reagor to breakout or at least take a step forward in his progression as a player. Instead, he got outplayed by a player selected 179 spots later in the very same draft, lost his expected spot in the slot, and watched his yards, yards per catch, and yards per game drop to a borderline unplayable degree.

With Smith, Watkins, Greg Ward, a draft pick acquired player, and a fifth receiver signed in free agency elevating the team’s floor level of talent, what would Reagor be but a deep-bench reserve who consistently draws the ire of the fanbase?

At this point, a split might just be better for all parties involved, especially if a team like the Houston Texans or the Jacksonville Jaguars would be willing to take on Reagor’s deal in some sort of asset swap. That way, he could develop – or not – outside of a hot media market, and the Eagles could roll into a new NFL calendar year without the unnecessary baggage of a lost season.

Addition by subtraction is a term for a reason.

Could Jalen Reagor still string together a successful career in the NFL? Yes, I firmly believe the talent is there for the pride of TCU to put it together and play enough seasons to earn an NFL pension but not here, not now, not anymore. No, with DeVonta Smith in place as a legit number 1 guy, three first-round picks in play, $13 million in cap space to get something done, and Quez Watkins an all-around better fit in the exact same role, the chances of Reagor ever becoming a player for the Philadelphia Eagles are all but done; better to move on now for both parties’ sake than to stay together for the draft-day embarrassment.