Alshon Jeffery's fall from grace has become complete, as it is being reported that the team is releasing their former #1 receiver.
Three seasons ago, Jeffery was king of the world (or just of Philadelphia). The Eagles finally had a star wide receiver that seemed unselfish and would work with the team for a common goal of winning a Super Bowl. After playing all of 2017 with a torn rotator cuff, Jeffery came up big in the postseason with three total touchdowns to help the Eagles win their first-ever Lombardi Trophy. He was deemed a hero for his toughness to play through the season with that injury and still perform at a high level.
Jeffery's 2018 season was delayed as he recovered from offseason surgery, but he was still productive in the 13 games he played. The start of his downfall was in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game, when he let a ball slip through his hands and get intercepted as the offense was trying to drive down the field to take the lead and secure a spot for their second consecutive NFC Championship Game. Even though he made a mistake, he was still int he good graces of Eagles fans, who let the mistake go because of everything he did the previous year.
2019 was when Jeffery hit rock bottom. He started the season with three touchdowns in his first three games, and everything was looking fine. Then after a rough patch of consecutive blowouts, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported an anonymous player's comments that were detrimental to Carson Wentz and the rest of the offense. The dots were eventually connected back to Jeffery. Fans started to turn on him, and his play on the field took a hit as well as he looked like he was running with cement in his cleats. Injuries also caused him to miss six games, and a torn achilles made him miss for than half of the 2020 season.
After everything that went on during his time in Philadelphia, Jeffery's Eagles legacy will be a unique one. He ended up playing in 46 games as an Eagle, recording 171 receptions (35th in Eagles history), 2,237 yards (37th in Eagles history), and 19 receiving touchdowns (T-22nd in Eagles history). His three receiving touchdowns in the playoffs are the 3rd-most in team history, and his 364 receiving yards in the playoffs are the 4th-most in team history.
