The Philadelphia Eagles have moved on from Ryan Mathews, releasing the running back on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Mathews spent most of the offseason recovering from neck surgery and missed the beginning of camp. He was released after passing a physical.
Ryan Mathews released after 2 years with Eagles
A neck injury prevented Mathews from participating in training camp.
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
“We wany to thank Ryan for his contributions to the Philadelphia Eagles over the past two seasons,” the Eagles said in a statement. “We spoke today and had a productive conversation about his future and the direction of our team going forward. First and foremost, we are glad that Ryan is healthy and has been cleared to return to football activities, but given the current state of our running back position, we feel like it is best for both sides to go in a different direction. We wish him all the best as he continues his career.”
Philadelphia will head into the remainder of preseason with LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, and rookie Donnel Pumphrey on the depth chart.
Mathews entered the league as a first-round pick with the San Diego Chargers in 2010. He was intended to be the heir apparent to 2017 Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, but Mathews struggled to stay healthy and never quite lived up to his draft billing in San Diego.
After leaving the Chargers in 2015, Mathews signed a three-year, $11 million deal with the Eagles. Then-head coach Chip Kelly planned to make him the key part of a 1-2 punch with Sproles. Mathews was fairly productive in the role, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring seven touchdowns on 126 touches, but he still had injury problems, missing three games.
When Doug Pederson took over for Kelly in 2016, Mathews played a somewhat bigger role and set a career high with nine touchdowns, but he was decidedly a committee back next to Sproles, Smallwood, and Kenjon Barner. Mathews also suffered a severe neck injury, which ended his season early. He missed most of the offseason program recovering from surgery, while the Eagles signed Blount to more or less take his spot.
Mathews might still have something to offer as a short-yard specialist, but he turns 30 in October and has a long injury history to worry about. At best, he’ll likely have to settle for a one-year deal with the regular season right around the corner.
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