Philadelphia Eagles second-year linebacker Nolan Smith had a relatively quiet day in the team's Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He did not record a single tackle and had just two quarterback hits on Patrick Mahomes.
It turns out, there was probably a very good explanation for why he did not have a huge game.
He tore his triceps at some point in the game but still managed to play through it and finish the game.
He underwent surgery for the injury this week but should be ready to return by the time the 2025 season begins.
The fact he was able to even stay on the field is impressive and also a testament to how much players will tolerate and play through for a chance to win a Super Bowl.
Smith played 30 defensive snaps in the game.
He was a first-round pick of the Eagles in 2023, No. 30 overall, and took on a significantly larger role in his second season. He finished the year with 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, eight tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits during the regular season. He is one of the many on-the-rise stars on an Eagles defense that underwent a gigantic turnaround in 2024 to help drive the team to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles had six starters on their defense this season who started at least nine games and were age 24 or younger. Smith is one of the youngest players in that group. It is not only a great defense, it still has a chance to get better as that core group starts to reach its prime years in the NFL.
Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz
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