Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Howard has options heading into 2022

When the Philadelphia Eagles re-signed Jordan Howard in the middle of the 2020 NFL season, it didn’t really move the needle.

Sure it was nice to see the bruising power back in a midnight green uniform once more, even if the number embroidered on it ended in an eight instead of a four, but his on-field production, 27 yards on seven carries, hardly impacted the team’s final win-loss record, let alone helped them to avoid a near-total overhaul of the coaching staff and the quarterback position.

So naturally, when Howard re-signed with the Eagles at the end of the season on a one-year minimum deal, it also didn’t move the needle too much either, especially when he failed to make the active roster after an albeit strong preseason run.

And yet, with the 2021 NFL season now long in the rearview, it’s hard not to look back at the maiden voyage of the Nick Sirianni era and not key in on Howard’s impact on the team. Despite appearing in only seven games, Howard put up 406 yards on 86 rushes and three touchdowns; production that would have netted the Indiana/UAB product 986 yards over a 17-game season if he maintained his yards-per-game average over a full season.

If ever there was an offseason to be excited about Jordan Howard post-2019, this would be the one, and yet, here we are, midway through June, and he remains curiously available on the open market; free to sign wherever he pleases. Could that destination ultimately be back in the City of Brotherly Love? You bet, but between the volatility of the position and the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to sign Kennedy Brooks in undrafted free agency, that might not prove to be his best option heading into a consequential seventh professional season.

The Philadelphia Eagles might not prove to be Jordan Howard’s best option.

Between you and me, I don’t think Jordan Howard would mind returning to the Philadelphia Eagles this fall. Assuming he would beat out Kennedy Brooks for the fourth spot on the depth chart, Nick Sirianni would likely give Howard a steady workload as his big back, and his stat line would likely climb back toward his prime averages from 2016-19.

With that in mind, making the Eagles’ roster is anything but a guarantee.

While Howard is probably a better player than Brooks at this point in their respective careers, as he has extensive experience rushing against NFL defenses, the latter has a lot going for him too, namely that he’s only 23, played with Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma, and is signed to a three-year deal worth $2.56 million total, not per season. If Brooks can shine in camp and prove himself a viable contributor both between the tackles and as a pass protector, there’s a very good chance the Eagles might not even call Howard’s agent, as his addition would be nothing but a redundancy.

Granted, if there are no other options available, it’s easy to imagine Howard signing with the Eagles on their practice squad, which would guarantee him a paycheck and allow for maximum optionality to secure a full-time gig elsewhere, but hey, that very much is a possibility still on the table.

That, however, would be more of a consolation prize than a deceptive W. No, the outcome Howard is most likely hoping for is that a team suffers an injury at running back and opt to give the somehow only 27-year-old a ready-made role suited for his services. Though a ghastly proposition, one simply has to look back at the 2021 NFL season, where the Baltimore Ravens lost, like, half of their running backs to injury, and it’s not too bad of an idea for a power back that averaged 4.7 yards per carry to keep his options open, especially if he wants to try one last time to secure a long-term deal before effectively accepting his fate as a year-to-year RB-for-hire.

Who knows, maybe there are still seasons as a team’s RB1 left in Howard’s future? I mean, probably not, but hey, stranger things have happened – an employee at Pat’s told Chad Johnson they loved him.

After being an afterthought heading into the 2021 NFL season, Jordan Howard has options. He could return to the Philadelphia Eagles and either compete with Kennedy Brooks for a roster spot or chill out the practice squad looking for a choice opportunity, or wait it out at home, stay in shape, and hope that a bigger opportunity comes up in the not-too-distant future. Either way, it’s certainly nice to be wanted.