Ryan Mathews Signs with Philadelphia Eagles

Entering free agency for the first time, Ryan Mathews stares at an uncertain future. The oft-injured running back was limited to a career-low six games in 2014, all but erasing the goodwill he had accrued a year prior. Nevertheless, where there is a talented skill-position player, there is always a team willing to take a chance, and teams have expressed interest in the former San Diego Charger. 

On March 12, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Continue for updates. 

---

Mathews Signs With Eagles

Thursday, March 12

The Eagles confirmed that Mathews will be playing in Philadelphia next season:

Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com reported the deal is for $12M over three years. 

Mathews, 27, is unlikely to walk into a full-time starting job. ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen revealed DeMarco Murray is expected to sign a deal with the Eagles that is expected to be five years, $42 million with $21 million guaranteed.

Mathews was limited to 330 yards and three touchdowns due to injuries in 2014, failing to play in more than four consecutive games. It was the fourth time in five seasons Mathews was forced to miss time.

"The running game as a whole has to get better," San Diego general manager Tom Telesco told Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. "There's no doubt. We saw 16 games of that, so that's pretty easy to see. That's all part of the offseason. We've got to figure out where the issues are."

Those issues weren't so deep in 2013, when Mathews played the first healthy season of his career en route to a 1,255-yard campaign. It appeared that season as if Mathews and quarterback Philip Rivers had finally gotten on the same page. The offensive line was offering semi-consistent protection, Mathews was making plays whenever he touched the ball, and the offense was among the NFL's best.

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

While the Chargers boasted an above-average offense in 2014, the team felt Mathews' absence. Donald Brown struggled with a starter's workload, Branden Oliver's ascent proved to be short-lived and Danny Woodhead went out with a season-ending injury. As he has a number of times throughout his career, Rivers was forced to carry the offense alone.

Moving on from Mathews and landing a high-profile rusher may be the first step in reducing the pressure on Rivers. There aren't many reasons for San Diego to bring him back. He's made only one Pro Bowl (2011), lacks goal-line power and remains unreliable from a skills standpoint. The Chargers already have a platoon of replacement-level backs; they need someone who is a step (or six) beyond that.

Mathews might look to find short-term success as part of a platoon before hitting the market again next offseason. If he's able to stay healthy, even in a limited capacity, he may be able to find a starting job a year from now. He's averaged 4.4 yards per carry for his career, catches the ball fine out of the backfield and won't cost a bundle on the open market.   

For now, Mathews' main priority will be securing a job that will allow him to resuscitate his stock around the league.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.