Philadelphia Eagles News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) celebrates after a catch against the Denver Broncos in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Toughness And Durability Has Eagles Receiver On Career Pace

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Ed Kracz | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 4:38 PM ET

His listed weight is 170 pounds. Maybe he is soaking wet. It’s a weight that, most of the time when he gets tackled, makes him look like crash test dummy. Every time, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith gets up. And it’s not just getting up. It’s jumping up. Quickly.

“DeVonta is so tough,” said Nick Sirianni. “We talk a lot about, and I know he talked a lot about this in college, about finishing runs and finding ways to get ugly yards after the catch. He’s going to go look for those ugly runs and extra yards because of just his makeup and who he is and the toughness that he has.

“Sometimes, you don’t want him to take those hits. There’s a time to go out of bounds, but he is always looking for the grimy, gritty yards.”

Smith, who turns 27 on Nov. 14, has missed just three games due to injury since the Eagles traded up to make him the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Three came last year when a concussion, a hamstring, and an ankle forced him to miss games at various points in the season.

DeVonta Smith Threatening Career-High

He is on pace to have a career season. After his career-high 183 yards in last week’s 28-22 win over the Vikings, the receiver has 504 yards receiving, which is tops on the team. With 10 games still to be played, his career-high of 1,196 set in 2022 is within reach. With 38 catches, getting to his career-high in receptions, at 95, and also in 2022, may be difficult. Still, Smith has been hard for opposing defenses to stop.

Even when they hit him.

Smith absorbed a shot when going over the middle but somehow held onto the ball for a 20-yard gain against the Vikings. He got up windmilling his right arm. A flag was thrown on the play for a personal foul, but the refs picked it up. Just the way Smith got up. Or jumped up.

“I’d seen him the whole time, so I was trying to decide on how I wanted to catch the ball – if I wanted to come back to the ball, or if I wanted to let it get to me,” said Smith about the hit. “Plays like that, it seems like time slows down and gives you a lot of time to think about things. I don’t know how I hung onto it, but I did.”

Sirianni pointed out some of his recollections on Smith getting hit hard and popping right up – the 2022 Super Bowl, a game in 2022 vs. the Cardinals, and a 2023 game against San Francisco.

“We threw a little screen to him on third and 14 in the San Francisco game and he broke through three tackles and got a first down,” said the coach. “And we were struggling a little bit at the time, and brought life to everybody…showing that toughness, those are the things we talk about all the time. It can bring that energy to a football team, and I think he consistently does that. And he keeps getting up, and he keeps fighting. I know he gets hit sometimes like that, but he delivers a lot of blows as well.”

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: