Eagles Pick Up 5th-Year Option On Cox

The Eagles have picked up the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, the team announced.

Will Brinson of CBSSports.com was first with the report.

The decision was a no-brainer and doesn’t change much about Cox’s future. He’s now under contract with the team for two more seasons. The Eagles will pay Cox about $7.799M in 2016. They can still work on a long-term deal with Cox at any time.

Last year, Cox had a breakout season and was one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL. The coaching staff credited him with 70 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, 14 hurries and a forced fumble. The numbers don’t tell the whole story with Cox. He was constantly blowing up run plays and was responsible for many of the sacks his teammate capitalized on.

Cox made the transition from 4-3 defensive tackle to 3-4 defensive end after Chip Kelly and Billy Davis took over. He showed flashes in 2013 and put it all together last season. Cox is 24 years old.

For those wondering, the move has no impact on whether Cox can be traded or not. He’s just under team control for another season.

For more on how the fifth-year option works for first-round picks, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com has a good primer up.