Trade talks were inevitable going into the 2021 offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Coming off a horrendous season, the Eagles wanted to focus on younger players — not merely because they were looking for the epitome of health, but because they were desperate to cut their salary cap debt. Philadelphia’s balance sat at $41 million, and unfortunately, the highest-paid players were in the line of fire.
Among them was veteran Brandon Brooks, who signed a four-year contract extension in 2019 worth $54.2 million. On Thursday, Brooks reacted to the previous trade rumors, stating that they didn’t bother him.
A BRANDON BROOKS TRADE: NO TRUTH IN THIS RUMOR
After admitting that the rumors were true, Brooks didn’t seem to take it personally.
“How do I feel about it? This is a business, man. The second you lose sight of (that) is the second, I don’t know; it gets to you. The only thing I wish about that, actually, was instead of hearing it from my mom — my mom being like, ‘Hey, where are we going?’ — it would have been nice to get a phone call (from the team) saying, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on.’”
Brooks, who is coming off of his second Achilles injury in the last three years, is now ready to get back onto the field. The 31-year-old guard stated that he would have been prepared in January if the Eagles had made the playoffs.
“The reason I practiced the last week of the season…was basically, if we had gotten to the playoffs, I would have played in the playoffs. That was the reason I practiced. So, when I got cleared in December, I was cleared-cleared, good to go.”
The Eagles are now finishing up their second week of spring workouts, and Brooks is confident in his ability to return as an NFL elite.
“I think the biggest thing that everyone is forgetting is that I tore my Achilles before, and when I came back, I was the best, period. So, with that being said, what tells you that it’ll be different this time? That’s exactly how I feel. He added, “I don’t use it as fuel because a trade doesn’t make me doubt myself. It is what it is. If I have to go somewhere else and be the best… I’ll go somewhere else and be the best.”
BROOKS’ FUTURE WITH THE EAGLES
Rather than a trade occurring, the Eagles restructured Brooks’ contract back in March. The restructure saved the team $7 million on their salary cap, leaving $7 million for Brooks to take home for the year. Next year, his salary cap hit rises to $19.4 million.
Brooks was ranked the best guard in the NFL in 2019. Recently, Pro Football Focus ranked him as No. 8 going into 2021, despite an absent 2020 season.
The three-time Pro Bowler will now enter his sixth season with The Birds. He will re-join a solid offensive line consisting of Jordan Mailata, Isaac Suemalo, Jason Kelce, and Lane Johnson.
