PHILADELPHIA — Seated from an elevated podium inside the auditorium at the NovaCare Complex, Eagles veteran defensive tackle Fletcher Cox reminisced on his journey to Super Bowl LVII.
For Cox and a handful of Eagles — Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Isaac Seumalo, Brandon Graham, Rick Lovato, and Jake Elliott — it’s their second trip to the Super Bowl in five seasons.
“This feeling never gets old,” Cox said. “It means a lot. I’ve been cherishing every moment. The moment is right now. I’m soaking it all in. I’m letting the guys know, ‘we have the chance to do something special. We really do.’ It’s going to start with us. We have to have a good practice today and carry that momentum to Arizona.”
Cox’s reemergence in the 11th year of his storied career is significant. During coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s first season at the helm in 2021, Cox posted near-career lows with just 35 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3 1/2 sacks. In March, for salary cap reasons, the team released and re-signed him.
This season under Gannon, Cox has rebounded nicely while also benefiting from quality depth and talent across the defensive line. Cox has started in all 19 games, including the playoffs, recording 48 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and eight sacks.
“It’s always hard when you come from a bad season,” Cox said. “You always wonder how you’re going to approach it, how the team is going to approach the next year. So far, we’ve been doing a good job at it. Obviously, it’s Nick’s second year. He’s letting the leaders lead the team, and we’re going from there.”
For Cox, a four-time All-Pro selection and six-time Pro Bowler, his main message to teammates before they head to Arizona this weekend revolves around maintaining their individual routines. A hectic Super Bowl week includes extra attention, pleasantries, and responsibilities involved.
With his leadership and guidance — specifically aimed toward younger players — Cox is hoping to limit a majority of those distractions before the Eagles kick off against the Chiefs on Sunday Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
“We just have to stay on our same routine,” Cox said. “It’s going to be hard. You’re not in your normal building, you wake up in a hotel everyday. It’s just, ‘try to stick to your normal routine. Don’t change nothing.’ We need to make sure if we’re watching film here at 8 a.m. with a teammate, make sure you’re doing the same thing. For me, I do cardio everyday. So I’ve been looking for a place for me [in Arizona] to do cardio every morning before my day gets started.
“It’s little things like that I’ve been trying to tell the guys — just stay the same.”
