Think about something for a second. In the span of about eight months, two of the longest-tenured Philadelphia Eagles, two team captains, retired. We also learned that two other franchise legends would hang up the cleats and call it a career.
DeSean Jackson… Nick Foles… Jason Kelce… Fletcher Cox… You certainly don’t have to say much when their names are mentioned. They all have a similar quality in they’re like E.F. Hutton (if you’re old enough to remember those commercials). Whenever any of those guys talk, people listen.
Most of us have never had those issues as our playing careers ended, for the most part, after high school or in college, but we’d assume turning the page on a great NFL career is hard to do when one has been playing this great game all of their life.
To their credit, Kelce, D-Jax, Saint Nick, and Fletch all seem to be settling into retirement nicely. Recently, Number 91 hung out with USA TODAY Sports.
Fletcher Cox offers a fantastic compliment to Nick Foles when asked how the former Eagles QB should be viewed historically.
If you’re looking for a productive way to spend some of one of those workday breaks, a recent Fletcher Cox interview with USA TODAY’s Prince Grimes should offer a memorable eight minutes. They discussed some of his favorite moments, last season’s Eagles collapse, and regrets among other things.
Of course, we had to hear an opinion about quarterbacks from of one of the great pass rushers in franchise history. Who better to discuss Nick Foles than someone who raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy with him?
The conversation wasn’t even two minutes old when the question was asked. “We kind of know where you and Kelce kind of place in the pantheon of Eagles greats, but Foles is an interesting case. His career was different. I’m curious where would you rank him among Eagles quarterbacks”?
Fletch offered no hesitation when answering… Check out the clip and transcript below:
“Where would you rank him? He’s the only) Eagles quarterback that has a Bud Light statue at Lincoln Financial (Field). (At the top) is the only place you can put him. He’s the first quarterback to bring a world championship to this organization. He’s the first quarterback to win a world championship for the city of Philadelphia, so he’s got to be up there”.
Trust us. We understand where you are coming from Fletch. Nick has a special place in our hearts for many reasons including the one you mentioned. Foles didn’t have the longevity of Donovan McNabb or the athleticism of Randall Cunningham or Michael Vick. He may not have a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume like Jackson, Cox, or Kelce, but he’s a shoo-in for the Eagles Hall of Fame.
It’s good to have the insight of a six-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro. Cox has certainly seen some good quarterback play during his time.
If we were to offer comparisons, Fletch was probably the most silent of this quartet of recently retired Eagles legends, especially publicly. He was always an entertaining interview when we heard him speak, but he was also more of the ‘lead by example’ type earlier during his career. He morphed into a vocal leader more towards the end of his journey.
