There was no epic speech in front of scores of family, friends, and media like the one his now ex-teammate Jason Kelce gave when he retired on March 4. This was just Fletcher Cox explaining his decision on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday night.
It’s been a busy 48 hours for the Philadelphia Eagles as they agreed to terms with several players, and those signings are expected to become official on Wednesday at 4 p.m., so let’s revisit what Cox had to say to Eisen.
Cox, who announced his decision to retire on social media Sunday night, said there was no wrestling match whether to return or not. He simply listened to his body.
“It was just some weeks I would come home from games and doing the process of trying to get prepared to play another game on Sunday,” Cox told Eisen. “During the season, we all know it’s a long season, right, you’re physically beat up. Sometimes, I found myself asking myself, ‘Why?’
“And I always told myself, whenever I feel that way, I know it’s time. I enjoyed it. I still feel like I played at a really high level last year, even with the ups and downs and missed some games and missing some time.”
Cox was one of the best defensive players to ever play for the Eagles. He was a key piece in delivering the Lombardi Trophy to the city and Eagles fans in 2017 when they won the Super Bowl and had a run of five or six seasons where he dominated the game.
That wasn’t lost on those he lined up against. He was voted to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 2010s.
There could come a time in five years when he and Kelce are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame together.
That high level of play Cox talked about with Eisen wasn’t enough to persuade him to return.
And if the Eagles or another playoff-contending team call him in October or November, to ask: ‘Hey, why don’t you join us for a chance to put us over the top to earn another Super Bowl ring?’
“A lot of people asking me, ‘Hey, what if a team calls you Week 10 or 11?’” he said. “I was like, ‘Well, they’ll just be calling.’ Because when I’m done with something, I’m done with it.”
Even at 33, Cox showed he had plenty left to give last year when he recorded five sacks, 36 quarterback pressures, and 17 QB hits.
He was also the highly-esteemed leader on a defensive line that received an injection of youth and talent over the last three years.
The leadership would always play, but Cox didn’t like that he could no longer lift his level of play to the Pro Bowl caliber he had been accustomed to. He also didn’t like that he had to miss two games due to injury.
Heck, he had missed just six games in his entire 12-year career, but two came a season ago.
“Me, normally, I don’t miss games, I don’t miss practices,” he said. “I kind of felt like I would be lying to myself if I told myself that I could continue to do it at a high level. So I figured it was time to call it.”
More must-reads: