A Super Bowl hero might be on his way out of Philadelphia, as the team announced they are letting Corey Clement test free agency.
Since Clement was not tendered, that means a team can sign Clement without the Eagles getting a chance to match that exact offer to keep him around. There's still a chance he could return to the Eagles though, especially if he does not get interest elsewhere or if he thinks his best chance at a successful career will still be in Philadelphia.
Joining the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2017, Clement impressed in the preseason enough to make the Eagles 53-man roster. He had his breakout game against the Denver Broncos during the 2017 regular season, where he scored three total touchdowns and cemented himself as a permanent part of the rotation at running back. He made his name on a global scale in Super Bowl LII, where he recorded 100 receiving yards, had a receiving touchdown, and played an important role in The Philly Special to help the Eagles claim their first Super Bowl in franchise history. NBCSports Philadelphia broke down his historic his Super Bowl performance was:
"Clement's 100 yards are third-most in Super Bowl history by a running back. He's the second Eagles running back with 100 yards in a playoff game. Keith Byars had 103 against the Bears in the Fog Bowl in 1988."
"The only running backs in Super Bowl history with more receiving yards are James White of the Patriots, who had 110 last year against the Falcons, and Roger Craig of the 49ers, who had 101 against the Bengals in 1988."
"His 55-yard catch broke the record for longest Super Bowl catch by a running back set by Marshall Faulk with a 52-yarder from Kurt Warner for the Rams against the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta."
"Clement's 22-yarder is the third-longest TD by a running back in a Super Bowl, behind a 51-yarder from Steve Young to Ricky Watters for the 49ers against the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season and a 33-yarder from Joe Montana to Carl Monroe for the 49ers against the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX after the 2004 season."
That big-game performance was supposed to be a catalyst and jump-start his career to help turn him into a key running back for the Eagles for years to come. Instead, injuries derailed his 2018 and 2019 seasons which meant he put out little-to-no production. The team doesn't want to risk sticking with the injury-prone Clement, which is why they are allowing him to test the open market.
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