After months of trade rumors and speculation, the Philadelphia Eagles have released veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. $18 million of Cox’s contract was going to become guaranteed at 4 P.M., which was a leading cause to the release.

The move is a post-June 1st designation, but Cox is free to talk with other teams immediately. Although he was released, the hope is that Philadelphia and Cox can work out a restructured contract in hopes of bringing him back on a smaller price tag.

With the post-June 1st cut, Philadelphia would save $2 million in cap space while being hit with $12 million in dead cap. The contract is far more complex than that, with numerous cap analysts themselves saying they aren’t able to work out the specifics.

Based on the wording of tweets, it doesn’t seem like Cox’s time with the Eagles has come to an end just yet. During the 2021 season, Fletch was the centerpiece of trade deadline discussions, but Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni kept him in the loop the whole time.

At 31-years-old, Cox had arguably his worst season with Philadelphia, but he could improve with the recent addition of Haason Reddick if he returns. If not, it’s a great opportunity for the Eagles to get younger upfront and allow Milton Williams a shot to start alongside Javon Hargrave.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports