Fletcher Cox Confirms Retirement in Emotional Post

The Philadelphia Eagles will have two legends to replace in the trenches this offseason as Fletcher Cox officially announced his retirement from the NFL in a social media post on Sunday. 

It was rumored over the last few weeks that Cox could retire this offseason, along with Jason Kelce. The 36-year-old Kelce officially retired from the NFL earlier this week. Cox was one of the stalwarts on the Eagles’ defensive line for years, alongside defensive end Brandon Graham.

The 33-year-old Cox was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, which was the final year of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia. The former Mississippi State star defensive lineman established himself as one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL.

Cox had an outstanding career with the Eagles that saw him amass 519 combined tackles, 173 quarterback hits, 88 tackles for loss, 70 sacks, and 16 forced fumbles. His 70 sacks are ranked for fifth all-time in Eagles’ history behind guys such as Brandon Graham, Clyde Simmons, Trent Cole, and Reggie White.

The veteran defensive tackle was named to the Pro Bowl six times, a first-team All-Pro in 2018, a Super Bowl champion in 2017, and named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s Team. Cox showed this past season with the Eagles that he still had something left in the tank. 

The 33-year-old had 33 combined tackles, 17 quarterback hits, five sacks, and three tackles for loss. When the Eagles needed a critical stop on defense this past season, Cox found a way to wreak havoc in the backfield.

It will not be easy to replace Cox, who leaves behind huge shoes to fill in the middle of Philly’s defensive line. However, the Eagles are prepared to fill the void as they have Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Jalen Carter.

More Eagles news and analysis: