The Philadelphia Eagles are still riding high after taking home the Lombardi Trophy with a 40-22 win. As the celebration winds down, the team is already taking steps to prepare for their next season. We know with the NFL Draft coming up, the Eagles are making roster adjustments to stay on top. The team is working its way to retain key players and see how they can improve further. As they aren’t satisfied with just two Super Bowl wins.

On Tuesday, the Eagles dropped the news that they are officially cutting ties with Nick Gates. Gotta say it’s a bit of a shocker that he was out after just one season. The guy suited up for nine games and even started in the regular-season finale. Yes, we know that he was expected to provide depth on their offensive line. Unfortunately, a groin injury that happened before the Super Bowl cut his season short and landed him on injured reserve. I mean, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. He had to watch his team take down the Chiefs from the sidelines.

As per @ZBerm, the Eagles made this move as they are shaping the roster for next season.

And now, Nick has gone all silent. Yeah, nothing. No tweets, no Instagram posts, not even a goodbye message. Maybe he’s weighing his options, or maybe he’s still trying to wrap his head around it all. And honestly, who could blame him? One minute, he’s celebrating an Eagles win with his team, shirtless, crushing pizza at the parade. The next we hear, he’s out. That’s the brutal side of the NFL. One day, you’re in the fight, and the next, you’re looking for a new home.

The Eagles now sit at about $18 million underneath the current cap with projection for it climb up to $265M and $275M. With these numbers, the Eagles can for sure can look at a few signings. And, if rumors are to be true, Howie Roseman will try to make linebacker Zack Baun stay. After all, he had one hell of a rookie season with the team, with 151 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 pass deflections, and 1 INT. Combine these amazeballs numbers and Baun was named a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro with fifth rank in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

For the Draft, the Eagles have options, but they need to look for a versatile lineman to step in, as Gates’ departure does leave a gap in the depth chart. 

Nick Gates’ journey from a rookie to an NFL veteran

Nick Gates wasn’t just a one-position guy when he first started his career. He was an undrafted free agent with the Giants in 2018. Who played guard, tackle, and center, basically wherever the Giants needed him. During his four seasons with the Giants, he played in 44 games and started 29 of those.

Then, bam, 2021 hit, and he suffered a brutal leg injury just two games into the season. It was bad, like career-threatening bad. But Gates? He wasn’t done. He proved himself enough to land a $6.8 million contract extension in 2020. He became a full-time starter, playing all 16 games that season before suffering a devastating leg injury once again in 2021.

After his setback, Nick landed a three-year, $16.5 million contract with the Washington Commanders in 2023. But, that didn’t last long. And he could only play in 13 games and started 10 of them. In 2024, the Commanders took him out of the team since they were trying to clear some cap space.  The Eagles then picked him up last summer, and we saw him play in nine regular-season games. He started once in the season finale against his former family the Giants. But now, piling on the disappointment, his time in Philly is also over. 

After his release, Nick is all set to hit free agency again in March. So, he can definitely approach the teams looking for some depth in their offensive line with a talented key player. And since he is only 29, Nick has some years left in his career to make a lasting impact in the Big League and a name for himself. All he needs to do is stay healthy and wait for the right opportunity to knock on his doorstep.