Eagles' Jordan Davis responds to criticisms about fitness

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis recently spoke with Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com after well-known NFL analyst Brian Baldinger blasted Davis during an appearance on the "PHLY Eagles Podcast" for being "out of shape" and "nothing in the pass rush" during games. 

"I ain’t on social media, but I heard about it," Davis told Brookover about Baldinger's comments. "...But I ain’t concerned about it. At the end of the day, man, I’m not going to let somebody bother me. I’ve worked too hard and prayed too hard for this position that I’m out here doing and this is what I love." 

As noted by CBS Sports, Davis suffered an ankle injury during Philadelphia's shocking 35-31 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 back on Dec. 31. The 2022 first-round draft pick then played just 17 defensive snaps in this past Sunday's 27-10 defeat at the New York Giants. 

"Of course, I can get better," Davis acknowledged. "Everybody can get better. But at the end of the day, I’m not going to let somebody dictate how I feel by what they say on social media. I’m blessed to be here and if I wasn’t meant to be here, I wouldn’t be here." 

While Davis recorded 2.5 sacks on the season, all of those quarterback takedowns occurred across the campaign's first seven weeks. Baldinger said during his assessment that the Eagles "need another guy inside" and are "a man short in their rotation" with Davis on the active roster. 

"A lot of people talk," Davis added while speaking with Brookover. "This city is known for the media and it’s known for people talking, so I’m not worried about that, man. That stuff brushes off my shoulder and I keep moving...Whatever people want to say, I’ve been dealing with this (stuff) for so long, it doesn’t really affect me." 

The 11-6 Eagles play at the 9-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs this coming Monday night. As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Philadelphia as a three-point favorite for that matchup.