The Philadelphia Eagles have had a lot of things go wrong for them over the past couple of weeks. After starting the season with four straight wins, the Eagles have suffered back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants, the latter of which is particularly concerning, considering how they had only one win to their name before taking down Philly.
Injuries have also begun to pile up, and if that wasn’t bad enough, veteran defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired from the NFL on Monday. That has forced the Eagles to scramble even more when piecing things together on the defensive side of the ball, and on Tuesday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio opened up on Smith’s decision to call it a career.
Vic Fangio Addresses Za’Darius Smith’s Retirement
From the start of the season, the Eagles‘ front seven on defense has been beat up. Nakobe Dean missed the start of the season while recovering from a torn patellar tendon, and while he’s back now, Nolan Smith Jr. is recovering from a triceps injury he reaggravated, and Ogbo Okoronkwo is out for the year with his own triceps injury. Making matters worse, star defensive tackle Jalen Carter missed Philly’s Week 6 loss to New York due to a heel injury.
After Week 1, the Eagles signed Smith in free agency, and he was viewed as a guy who could come in and immediately fill in for some of these injured guys. Through five games, Smith had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and prior to Week 6, it seemed like he had been finding his footing and getting himself back into football shape.
Instead, Smith’s role in the loss to the Giants was surprisingly small, and on Monday, he opted to call it a career. The move caught everyone off guard, including Fangio. On Tuesday, Fangio addressed the situation, saying that he wishes nothing but the best for Smith as he rides off into the sunset.
“No, I didn’t,” Fangio admitted when asked if he had any idea Smith was going to retire. “I was surprised when Howie (Roseman) came in and told me yesterday, but you always respect the guys’ decisions, personal decisions. The guy had a great career, did fine when he was here with us, he was good to be around, and wish him the best. That takes strength to do that, and I respect it. ”
Eagles Searching for D-Line Help in the Wake of Za’Darius Smith’s Retirement
GettyHead coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Smith gone, the Eagles‘ defensive line is in serious need of help, especially with Carter banged up. Moro Ojomo and Byron Young are the only other defensive ends on the active roster currently, and given Carter’s injury situation, you can bet that the front office will be looking to shore up this position in the coming days.
Philadelphia’s defensive line woes are suddenly a storyline worth keeping tabs on as the team rolls into Week 7, where it has a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. After enjoying their bye week in Week 6, the Vikings are going to be rested and prepared for this game, although the Eagles have also had ample time to get ready for this one after playing on Thursday Night Football last week. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
