Fletcher Cox Contract: Latest News, Rumors on DT's Negotiations with Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox has one year remaining on his contract, but conflicting reports have emerged regarding a new deal he's been offered. 

Continue for updates. 

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Pederson Comments on Cox Negotiations

Tuesday, May 17

Head coach Doug Pederson said he has not spoken with Cox despite trying to contact him multiple times, calling it "part of the business," per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

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Cox Closing In on New Deal with Eagles

Tuesday, April 19

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported that Cox and the Eagles are close to agreeing to a new contract expected to include $52 million guaranteed.

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Cox's Agent Denies Turning Down $60 Million Guaranteed

Tuesday, April 12

In an appearance on 94WIP Philadelphia on Tuesday (via CBS Philadelphia's Andrew Porter), Fox 29's Howard Eskin said Cox turned down a lucrative offer because his agent, Todd France, is calling the shots:    

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He’s been offered over $60 million guaranteed. It’s mind-boggling. His agent is a guy by the named of Todd France who is really, really — I’ve been told that people think he’s brutal and he’s a tough guy. But here’s the other things that I’ve heard from around the NFL, he represents other players that play the position on the defensive line. And in this case, there’s a belief out there that he is trying to get more money for Fletcher Cox just so that increases the value of the other defensive lineman out there that he represents.

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However, France denied those claims in an appearance on 94WIP's Mike and Ike Show later in the day (via Porter): 

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What’s amazing to me, is that today’s day and age you can report something and absolutely make no attempt to contact the other party — perhaps in this case maybe the agent — and ask him, ‘Hey this is the information I’m getting. Is this true, is this not true?’ If I choose not to comment or don’t respond, then that’s on me. But to me, it’s careless reporting when you don’t even attempt to check your facts that are quote-unquote — that are facts — I should put those in quotes.

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More importantly, France confirmed Cox has a strong desire to ink an extension with the Eagles. 

"One hundred percent of course he does," France said, per Porter. "It’s the team that drafted him, it’s the team that believed in him coming out of college. He’s grown there."

The Eagles have publicly reciprocated that opinion since March, when Howie Roseman, the Eagles' executive vice president of football operations, reiterated the team had to keep cap space clear during free agency since keeping Cox in the fold is a priority. 

"We have to make sure that we’re always in a place where we have to get Fletcher done," Roseman said, according to PhillyVoice's Jimmy Kempski. "Anything that we do is in our mind, in the back of our mind, that we want to get Fletcher done, whether that’s today, tomorrow, whatever point in time. We want Fletcher to be here."

Season	Games	Sacks	Forced Fumbles	Total Tackles
2012	15	5.5	1	39
2013	16	3.0	0	44
2014	16	4.0	1	61
2015	16	9.5	3	71

NJ Advance Media's Eliot Shorr-Parks previously cited two people "familiar with the negotiations" who said Cox's deal would wind up paying out more than $50 million guaranteed. 

Should Cox accept an offer that large, he would immediately become one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.

According to Spotrac, the only defensive players with guarantees in excess of $50 million are Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. 

And after notching career highs in total tackles (71) and sacks (9.5), Cox could be in line for a production bump under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. 

"With the scheme that is coming, it’s like literally a scheme made for Fletcher," France added, per Porter. "So I think it’s gonna be scary in terms of what his trajectory is going to be, in terms of what he is going to be on the field."