Happy trails.
Former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby is retiring from the NFL, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Darby hasn’t played for the Eagles since 2019 but he was a starter for them during their first-ever Super Bowl-winning season in 2017.
The trade that the Eagles acquired Darby in played a significant role in their championship success that year. By sending Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Darby, these two major developments followed:
1) The Eagles opened up a slot receiver role for Nelson Agholor, who had a turnaround season after previously looking like a bust.
2) The Eagles shifted Patrick Robinson back to nickel cornerback, where he thrived after mightily struggling on the outside in training camp that summer.
Darby was limited to just 11 games (including playoffs) in 2017 due to injury issues (a constant problem throughout his entire career). But he did have three interceptions and a key block (read: he got totally destroyed by Jerick McKinnon, but, hey, it was an effective impediment!) on the aforementioned P-Rob’s epic pick-six in the NFC Championship Game that sparked “38 to 7.”
Patrick Robinson is an Eagles legend.
Shoutout to him on a terrific 11-year career. pic.twitter.com/ilYSnc8m6m
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) August 10, 2021
After failing to establish himself as a long-term starter in Philly, Darby left the Eagles to join the then-Washington Football Team in 2020. He then spent two years with the Denver Broncos before returning to the East Coast as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Darby returned to The Linc as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. He signed with the Houston Texans earlier this year in March before recently calling it a career.
All told, Darby made 113 starts in 124 games played over 10 seasons. According to Over The Cap, he has a career earnings of about $42.5 million. Not too shabby.
Though he was hardly a huge fan favorite in Philly, Darby will always be a member of the Eagles’ first Super Bowl win.
The Darby retirement news made me wonder: how many members of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII team are still active in the NFL?
Of the players to log at least one snap for the Eagles in that game, these ones are currently under contract with an NFL team and are set to play in 2025:
- OT Lane Johnson (Eagles)
- K Jake Elliott (Eagles)
- TE Zach Ertz (Washington Commanders)
- WR Mack Hollins (New England Patriots)
- OG Isaac Seumalo (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- DE Derek Barnett (Houston Texans)
Not many left!
Though, there are some free agents who could conceivably sign with a team to play in 2025:
- WR Nelson Agholor
- DB Jalen Mills
- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
- CB Rasul Douglas
- LS Rick Lovato
