Source: Eagles agree with slot corner Avonte Maddox on a one-year contract
Maddox, 28, was released by the team in March after being limited to four regular-season games last year due to injury. But he's back on a reworked deal.
A longtime member of the Eagles secondary is remaining with the team for 2024.
The Eagles agreed to terms with Avonte Maddox on a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday. ESPN was first to report the news. The terms of the contract have not been released.
Maddox, 28, was released from his previous contract before the start of the new league year last month, making him a free agent. The nickel cornerback missed the majority of the 2023 season because of a torn pectoral muscle and was originally set to have a $9.6 million salary-cap hit this season, which was the final year of his deal.
Last season, Maddox played in just four regular-season games and the Eagles’ lone postseason contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, posting 12 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble in the regular season. The Eagles had difficulty identifying Maddox’s long-term replacement between his Week 2 injury and Week 16 return. They cycled through various options in the slot, including veteran outside corner James Bradberry, 2023 undrafted free agent Eli Ricks, midseason free-agent signing Bradley Roby, and safety Sydney Brown.
The Detroit native was a fourth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2018 out of Pittsburgh. Although he established himself as one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks, he has dealt with various injuries ailments throughout his career and has missed time in each of his last four seasons due to injury.
In 2022, Maddox played just nine regular-season games, missing the rest while recovering from ankle, hamstring, and toe injuries. He returned from his late-season toe injury in time for the NFC championship game and the Super Bowl.
Through six seasons, Maddox has played 64 games (38 starts) of a possible 99 and posted four interceptions, 31 pass breakups, eight forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three sacks, and 250 tackles.
Maddox’s return gives the Eagles an option to compete for the starting nickel cornerback role in training camp. Their depth at the position includes Zech McPhearson, who missed the 2023 season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Eagles also signed Tyler Hall in free agency. Hall, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Eagles still have questions to address at cornerback this offseason, particularly regarding the starters on the outside. For now, Darius Slay and Bradberry rank at the top of the depth chart. This year’s draft class also features a deep pool of cornerback talent that could pique the Eagles’ interest. Going into the draft from April 25-27, the Eagles possess eight picks, including three in the first two rounds (Nos. 22, 50, and 53).