Nick Sirianni sheds light on Jordan Davis' incredible transformation as Eagles prepare for Week 3 vs Rams
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis not only shedded some weight, but also grew as a leader in the locker room this offseason, and it hasn't gone unnoticed on the football field or in the eyes of head coach Nick Sirianni.
Ahead of Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Sirianni took a moment to highlight how far the Eagles' former first-round pick has come.
Nick Sirianni Raves About Jordan Davis and His Growth
"He’s obviously playing at a very high level right now and he’s worked really– I love when guys worked their butts off to achieve their goals and help the team win, and he’s obviously done that," Sirianni said. "Probably had to go through a lot of questions about him early on and just his mental toughness to be able to push through that and just continue to grow and develop as a player has been awesome. The shape that he’s in, he’s obviously worked really hard to be in that shape, and he is showing that out on the field and that consistency."
Davis, who dropped 26 pounds this summer, has recorded 11 combined tackles (six solo), two passes defended and no sacks through the first two weeks of the season.
He's clearly much happier this season, and it's rubbing off on everyone around him, which is what a great leader deso.
"Obviously, Jordan Davis is well-liked in the locker room, well-liked with the coaches," Sirianni continued. "I mean, he’s a guy that when he comes into this building, brings a smile on to everybody’s face. You’ve seen him, you’ve talked to him, right? You can’t be around Jordan Davis and not leave that conversation feeling good about yourself and good about your team and everything like that. That’s a special quality that he has.
"Obviously happy for him that he’s worked so hard to be playing at this level, but the person is top notch, the teammate is top notch, and he’s tough, he’s talented and then has all that other stuff. We talk about that in the draft quite a bit is like when a guy loves football and he’s tough and can go through the ups and downs of a season, those guys usually, God willing, reach their ceiling."
'Until It Smacks Us All in the Face': Capitals’ Tom Wilson Gets Honest on Alex Ovechkin’s Retirement Decision
Alex Ovechkin is entering the final year of his contract with the Washington Capitals, and for now, he is not planning too far ahead.
Ovechkin scored 44 goals last season despite missing 16 games with a broken leg, lifting his career total to 897. "The Great Eight" is now just three shy of becoming the first player to reach 900 regular-season goals, while also sitting nine games from the 1,500 mark.
Longtime Ovechkin teammate Tom Wilson took a light approach to a question related to the uncertainty surrounding Ovechkin's future with the Capitals, and hockey overall.
“If he’s playing well and he’s scoring goals and he wants to stick around, I’m sure they will figure a way to keep him around. If he doesn’t want to play another year, then he won’t play a year,” Wilson said. “I think he’s a guy that’s just a staple here. No one will really think about him not being around here until it smacks us all in the face.”
Asked at media day about his impending retirement or signing of an extension with the Capitals, the 40-year-old captain brushed aside speculation.
“No, (I have not thought about that) yet,” Ovechkin said. “So, we’ll see what’s going to happen. I just came back (to Washington) almost a week ago, so I’m pretty sure we have lots of time to talk.”
Even though Ovechkin still has a few milestones at an arm's reach, the Russian winger said the focus this year is less about milestones and more about team success.
“You just get tired to hear, ‘When’s it going to happen? Are you going to do it?’” Ovechkin said. “Right now, we’re just focusing on different things.”
General manager Chris Patrick emphasized the organization’s patience when it comes to Ovechkin's future, leaving the door open to all options when the right time arrives.
“I want him to have the space to have this season go how he wants it to go,” Patrick said. “If he wants to talk, we’ll talk. If not, we’ll figure it out later.”
The Capitals open their season on October 8 against the Boston Bruins, with Ovechkin’s future beyond this year still undecided.
Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin suffers lower-body injury on Day 1 of training camp
The Washington Capitals are coming off a Metropolitan Division title that ended in playoff disappointment. They lost in the second round to the Carolina Hurricanes after a historic end to the regular season. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is back for likely his last NHL season after breaking the goals record, but he suffered a lower-body injury on Day 1 of training camp. But Spencer Carbery says his absence was precautionary.
“Ovechkin’s injury is ‘nothing significant,’ per Carbery. Said that him not skating was precautionary. No big concern. Lower-body, day-to-day,” Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reported.
Silber went on to report that Ovechkin did not hit the ice during Friday’s practice, which was the second day of training camp. The Capitals have over two weeks until the regular-season opener, so the concern is low with training camp just underway.
Ovechkin’s contract expires after the 2025-26 season, which has led to a lot of speculation that his NHL career will end this year. With Wayne Gretzky’s goal record broken, he has made his mark on the league and the franchise. With a playoff-caliber core around him, he does have a chance to go out on top.
Ovechkin missed 17 games last season due to a broken leg, but still tallied 44 goals, his highest total since 2021-22. While the injuries are piling up for a player at the end of his run, he can still fill up the net, unlike many others. He will be key to the Capitals’ success this season, and an injury could get the season off on the wrong foot.
The Capitals took a massive leap forward last season, jumping from the last team in the East playoffs to division champs. Can they recreate their 2024-25 magic with high expectations this season?
The Capitals open the season at home on October 8 against the Boston Bruins.
