The late-season downfall of the Philadelphia Eagles was sharp and drastic, and early reports this offseason suggest it could soon get much worse.

It’s no secret that centre Jason Kelce’s future is up in the air after years of toying with the idea of retirement, but Philly’s defensive anchor could be right behind him.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported that it is believed that after 12 years as an Eagle, star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will retire at some point this offseason.

GM Howie Roseman said at the NFL Combine that the door is wide open for both Cox and Kelce to come back for another season, but that “you never want to see them wearing different colours.”

Cox has 70 sacks in his 12 seasons in Philadelphia and has played at least 14 games in every season.

Replacing him would be tough, though the Eagles have the luxury of having two in-house options being groomed.

Philly selected former Georgia Bulldogs Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter with the 13th and 9th picks in their respective drafts over the last two years.

Both Davis and Carter have shown flashes of dominance in their brief careers, but it would still be difficult to replace Cox’s stability.

Davis has been inconsistent thus far and Carter still has concerns off the field, so it would be interesting to see how each would respond to stepping into a more prominent role on the defence.

Cox posted 33 tackles and five sacks across 15 games in 2023 on a $10 million salary.

If he does decide to hang up his cleats, he has six Pro Bowl selections, one All-Pro selection, and a Super Bowl ring to look back on.