After 10 seasons manning the middle for the Philadelphia Eagles in which Fletcher Cox won a Super Bowl and made six Pro Bowl teams, the franchise is releasing him. According to Mike Garafolo, the Eagles are designating the defensive tackle as a post-June 1 transaction, which helps them with their current cap situation.
For Cox, his $18 million salary for 2022 would have been fully guaranteed after 4 PM ET today. Well, that is no longer the case now that general manager Howie Roseman has decided to let him go.
However, the team could still look to bring him back at a reduced rate. For now, he’s free to sign with any team.
Who might Fletcher Cox sign with? Other than simply re-joining the Eagles, which remains a possibility, we break down four possible free agent destinations for the accomplished defensive tackle.
Related: NFL salary cap 2022: Where all 32 teams stand
Fletcher Cox landing spots after release from Philadelphia Eagles
- Arizona Cardinals: Last year we saw GM Steve Keim go all in, acquiring several stars. While it got the Cards to the playoffs, they fell short of their ultimate goal. Still they did add former Eagle Zach Ertz, who’s already begun recruiting Cox to the Desert. They didn’t struggle to generate pressure in 2021, but pairing him with J.J. Watt on the defensive line may be too good to pass up.
- Baltimore Ravens: Now that Za’Darius Smith has backed out of his deal with the Ravens, they still need to find a way to create more pressure. Of course they don’t play the same position, but talent is talent. With Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams hitting free agency, Cox could step right in as a starter, bringing the front seven dominance back to B-More.
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- Denver Broncos: Why not continue to stack the roster in pursuit of a Super Bowl? Sure they’ve already added D.J. Jones in free agency, but players such as Cox don’t become available every day. There’s no reason why he can’t steal the starting role from Dre’Mont Jones and give the Broncos a fearful front.
- Kansas City Chiefs: Instead of having to chase around Patrick Mahomes, why not join him? Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Fletcher Cox all on the same line? Nasty. The Chiefs do have a need, as Jarran Reed is a free agent.
Any time an interior defender with 58 career sacks like Cox becomes available, there’s bound to be widespread interest in bringing him aboard.
- Other potential Fletcher Cox landing spots: Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys