Fletcher Cox Retires After 12 NFL Seasons; Won Super Bowl LII With Eagles

Fletcher Cox has never called a city other than Philadelphia his home during his NFL career, and he never will.

The veteran defensive tackle announced his retirement Sunday, following in the footsteps of longtime center Jason Kelce this offseason.

Cox, 33, was one of the most disruptive interior forces in football after the Birds drafted him with the No. 12 overall pick out of Mississippi State in the 2012 NFL draft. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, one-time champion and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018 during his career.

While he was longer an elite defensive tackle in his final season he remained productive, registering five sacks, 33 tackles (three for loss), 17 quarterback hits, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2023.

He was even better during Philly's run to the Super Bowl the season before, posting seven sacks on the year, the most he had since 2018.

A departure from the Eagles seemed likely one way or another. The Eagles had major needs at other positions and young players in Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams and Marlon Tuipulotu are the future of defensive tackle in Philadelphia. They were expected to allocate their financial resources in other ways, and few would have blamed them.

It's a moot point now, however.

Cox is an Eagles legend and has joined players like Kelce, offensive tackle Lane Johnson and defensive end Brandon Graham in providing a solid core for many years now. It's only right that he finished his career in Philadelphia, though his impact in the interior of the defensive line and his leadership will be missed.