A league source confirmed to ESPN, Eagles linebacker Miles Jack has informed the team that he is retiring.
Jack, 27, signed a one-year contract with Philadelphia on Aug. 6 and received first-team reps on his first day in training, but he had a relatively uneventful training camp and fell down the depth chart in recent days.
Jack was considering retirement earlier this season after being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in March and had thoughts of going to trade school to become an electrician or plumber. But his high school friend, Arizona Cardinals safety Boda Baker, convinced Jack to train with him in Scottsdale instead to try and extend his NFL career.
That three-month effort led to a workout with the Eagles, who were looking to freshen up uncertain linebacker room with the veterans. They signed Jack and Zack Cunningham to one-year deals on the same day.
“That’s how life goes,” Jack said. “One week you’re on the couch playing ‘Call of Duty’, the next week you’re playing with [NFC] Champions.”
Since then, Cunningham has released the depth chart and has a chance to start against Nakobe Dean, while Jack has fallen out of the mix.
A two-way standout player at UCLA, Jack was a second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He started 95 games over seven seasons with the Jaguars and Steelers, recording 617 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
It’s been a longer and more productive career for Jack than many expected, with questions about what’s been described as a degenerative knee condition coming out of college.
NFL Network first reported the news of Jack’s retirement decision.
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