Former Eagles Super Bowl-winning safety released by the Houston Texans
Watch football long enough. Watch these Philadelphia Eagles, and emotion becomes part of the deal at some point. Nostalgia is a birthright. There’s no escaping the emotional portions of a game most of us have played or enjoyed since we were old enough.
When Jalen Mills was last part of the Eagles‘ organization, Doug Pederson was still pacing the sideline, but many of us never really lost track of what our ‘Green Goblin’ was doing.
Jalen Mills’ final snap as an Eagle came in Week 16 of the 2020 regular season. He has since played for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. This summer, he was part of the Houston Texans roster until they released him on the final day of roster cuts.
His final game as a Bird unfortunately doubled as a 37-17 loss to the hated Dallas Cowboys. He battled COVID one week later, so he missed the Week 17 tussle.
Two days after the 2021 New Year came one of the final losses of the Pederson coaching era. The Washington Football Team came to Lincoln Financial Field with playoff hopes. Jalen Hurts played well, so he was benched in crunch time. Remember, this was a game the Eagles didn’t want to win.
You remember that regular-season finale, don’t you? January 3rd, 2021… It was a night best remembered for a game Philadelphia lost on purpose to maintain a favorable draft position. They ticked off the New York Giants, as Big Blue needed the Birds to win to qualify for the postseason. Instead, Washington won and punched their ticket to the playoffs.
Things were never the same after that. Philadelphia moved off Doug Pederson. Mills was allowed to walk. Nick Sirianni was hired, and the Birds drafted DeVonta Smith thanks to their January tank job.
Since then, Jalen Mills has spent his recent playing days in the AFC, but his NFL career is currently on pause. Frankly, we hope he gets an opportunity somewhere. Who can’t forget the finger-wag or the green mohawk? Jalen Mills was born in Dallas, Texas, but he is and has always been Philly to the core. Guys just seemed to pick their shoulders up and play with more energy whenever he was on the field,