Super Bowl Champion Eagles Face Tough Decision With Jordan Hicks

Hook'em / Flickr

NFL

Super Bowl Champion Eagles Face Tough Decision With Jordan Hicks

 

Hicks has one year remaining on his rookie year, entering a “prove it” year after having a season-ending injury in two of the last three seasons. The Eagles middle linebacker rebounded from a slow start to the season, while having 28 tackles and a fumble recovery in seven games before rupturing his Achilles and ending his year. When Hicks is on the field, he’s extremely productive.

In his first 24 career games, Hicks had 100 career tackles with 14 pass deflections, seven interceptions, four fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He’s just the fifth player in NFL history to put up those numbers through the first two years of his career and the first linebacker to accomplish the feat. Hicks totaled 163 tackles, seven interceptions, and two sacks in 31 games over three seasons since the Eagles selected him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

 

In Hicks’ only full season (2016), he finished with 86 tackles, five interceptions, 11 pass deflections as opposing quarterbacks had just a 53.7 passer rating when the ball was thrown in this direction. That’s what the Eagles get out of Hicks when he’s healthy. If Hicks is healthy in 2018 and puts up those numbers, someone will pay him starting linebacker money.

Hicks is entering the final season of his rookie contract, set to earn a little more than $2 million. The Eagles don’t seem to be in a hurry to sign him to an extension, and that likely has to do with his lengthy injury history.

I believe that Jordan will stay healthy heading into his fourth year and will once again put the league on notice. This is the year that will define Jordan’s legacy with the Eagles.