Nolan Smith reportedly has surgery after tearing triceps in Super Bowl Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith reportedly played throu

[time2rock]

Nolan Smith reportedly has surgery after tearing triceps in Super Bowl

Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith reportedly played through a torn triceps in Super Bowl LIX.

By Reuben Frank • Published February 21, 2025

 

Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn left triceps injury he suffered during the Super Bowl, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

They reported that Smith will be "ready for the 2025 season.”

It’s unclear when Smith got hurt, but he played only 30 snaps after averaging 60 in the Eagles’ first three postseason games. It was his fewest snaps since before Brandon Graham got hurt against the Rams in Week 12, when Smith began playing significantly more.

Smith had 4.0 sacks against the Packers, Rams and Commanders, the most ever by an Eagle in a single postseason but didn’t have a sack in the Eagles’ win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans two weeks ago. He was also credited with no tackles after recording 16 in the first three postseason games.

Smith, a 1^st-round pick in 2023, had a breakthrough 2024, with 6 ½ sacks over the last 12 regular-season games along with four in the postseason for a total of 10 ½ sacks in his last 16 games.

Those 4.0 sacks are 2^nd-most in NFL history in a single postseason by a player 23 or younger. Greg Townsend of the Raiders, who later played for the Eagles, had 4 ½ in 1983 at 22 years old. 

Smith also had half a sack against Tampa in the 2023 wild-card game and his 4 ½ total sacks are 3^rd-most by a player before his 24^th birthday, behind only the Chiefs’ George Karlaftis III (8.0) and the Texans’ J.J. Watt (5.0).

Smith wasn’t the only Eagles edge rusher who was playing with a torn triceps. Graham played 13 snaps 11 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn triceps. 

Three members of this year’s team – Graham, Josh Sweat and Smith – have the most sacks in Eagles postseason history, Graham with 5 ½, Sweat with 5.0 and Smith with 4 ½.

With Sweat facing free agency and Graham turning 37 in April and considering retirement, Smith, Jalyx Hunt and Bryce Huff are the only edge rushers under contract for 2025.

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/nolan-smith-surgery-torn-triceps-super-bowl-lix-chiefs/650745/

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Incredible effort by Smith if that is confirmed to be true (no reason to think it won’t be).

I think the lower snap count was impacted by a few things though? Firstly of course the injury. But also BG taking 14 snaps (because Huff wasn’t taking any). And then them sitting starters late in the game.

[EaglesAddict]

That's incredible by Smith.  Kudos to him for toughing it out! 

Since it appears we will be relying on him in a big way moving forward, I just hope he can hold up physically.  He had a pec tear in his final college season, some kind of shoulder issue after that, and now this.  All that within like 2.5 calendar years.

[time2rock]

1 hour ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Incredible effort by Smith if that is confirmed to be true (no reason to think it won’t be).

I think the lower snap count was impacted by a few things though? Firstly of course the injury. But also BG taking 14 snaps (because Huff wasn’t taking any). And then them sitting starters late in the game.

I laugh every time I think about or talk about this with friends.  I mean how often is it in THE championship game you are in position to "rest starters"?!?! 

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

56 minutes ago, time2rock said:

I laugh every time I think about or talk about this with friends.  I mean how often is it in THE championship game you are in position to "rest starters"?!?! 

 

Absolutely crazy right! I mean just think about that. You sit your starters in a game where after you have what 5-6 months to recover with no games at all.

[time2rock]

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Absolutely crazy right! I mean just think about that. You sit your starters in a game where after you have what 5-6 months to recover with no games at all.

Well that was 100% about giving the backups time on the field in the Super Bowl as a reward for all their hard work all season (not actually resting the starters lol).  

But also why risk serious injury to any player in what was essentially meaningless time.