The Eagles have no choice but to bench one veteran who has worn out his welcome among fans despite being a valuable veteran and an NFC champion.
2018 fourth-round pick Avonte Maddox, who has spent every season of his career in Philadelphia, has not enjoyed a good season by his standards. While the Eagles lead the NFL in opponent yards per pass attempt (5.5) by a wide margin, Maddox has been a negative.
Rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean look like foundational pieces Maddox does not.
3rd & 7: Lamar Jackson hits former Eagle Nelson Agholor who couldn’t get his second foot in bounds.
Avonte Maddox in coverage. pic.twitter.com/HU0gDsSomR
— DIE-HARD 🦅 REALTOR® (@Eaglesfans9) December 1, 2024
During the season, Maddox has 15 tackles. He’s played just 39% of the snaps, the lowest of his career, and is clearly on the latter portion of his time with the organization.
Behind the two rookies, the Eagles don’t have significant depth in the secondary. Those issues were among the main reasons Philadelphia flamed out early in last year’s postseason. General manager Howie Roseman did a masterful job correcting those problems, giving the team a real chance to return to the Super Bowl this year.
Avonte Maddox gets beat (again) but the Eagles get lucky that Nelson Agholor dropped a beautiful pass by Lamar Jackson.
GET MADDOX OFF THE FIELD!
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) December 1, 2024
Unfortunately, it appears Maddox shouldn’t be apart of that resurgence outside of situational moments. He’s still a valued member in the locker room but his contributions to the secondary have lacked between the numbers.
This is a guy who has more than earned his spot in Eagles lore. While there are better options available on a per-snap basis, Maddox is capable of delivering one more epic play when it matters most.
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