Eagles Might Demand $22.5M Star ToAccept Pay Cuts or Get Cut

admin | February 21, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary overhaul may involve more than just replacing one of their starting cornerbacks under new coach Vic Fangio.

The Eagles have the opportunity to sign Super Bowl hero L’Jarius Sneed, who is currently with the Kansas City Chiefs, in free agency. However, rebuilding a secondary plagued by bad tackling down the stretch may necessitate more cap cash than Philadelphia presently has at its disposal.

According to Pro Football Focus, cornerback Avonte Maddox, who signed a four-year contract worth $22.5 million on November 20, 2021, is likely to be asked to accept a pay cut or be dismissed this summer.

“The Eagles may not want to complicate an already difficult secondary situation,” Brad Spielberger writes for PFF. Despite signing Darius Slay and James Bradberry last offseason, the team struggled to get enough from their veteran starters, even when healthy. Maddox appeared in just four games in 2023 after logging 457 snaps in 2022, so the Eagles may attempt to negotiate a pay cut or let him go later in the summer owing to his lack of availability in previous seasons.

What a Restructure Would Mean for Eagles, Avonte Maddox

While no athlete likes to take a wage reduction, Maddox is coming off an injury-plagued 2023 season in which he played only five games.

Maddox was sidelined for 15 weeks due to a shoulder ailment, but was forced to miss his return in Week 17 due to an arm injury.

Given Maddox’s total of 12 tackles in five games last season, the time may be appropriate for Roseman and the Eagles to contact him about a contract renegotiation.

Reworking Maddox’ deal might give the Eagles more financial freedom, since they are presently slated to have only $19.93 million in cap space, as well as some stability for Maddox in 2024.

However, if the Eagles decide to part ways with Maddox, doing so after June 1 will save approximately $7.117 million in additional cap space while incurring a $2.56 million dead-money charge.

Why Keeping Maddox Makes Sense for Eagles

If the Eagles want to replace at least one starting outside cornerback, having some continuity in the secondary could be beneficial in a key season for head coach Nick Sirianni’s club.

Maddox is a reliable slot cornerback in the NFL when healthy. In 2022, he limited opponent wide receivers to 10.5 yards per reception in 307 coverage snaps, as reported by Pro Football Focus.

Injuries wrecked havoc on the Eagles’ cornerback room as a whole during the 2023 season, on top of Maddox’s own troubles to stay on the field.

However, given the stakes for this coaching staff, Sirianni and Fangio may prefer to stick with Maddox next season rather than rely on an upcoming rookie or inexpensive free agency deal at nickel cornerback. Especially with the anticipated transition at cornerback following a dismal collapse in the second half of the 2023 season.