20 August 2023 , 22:32
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NFL linebacker Myles Jack could be about to take up a trade by becoming an electrician or a plumber after retiring from American Football.
Jack, 27, only signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles a fortnight ago. However, the seven-year veteran is said to have told the team he is calling time on his career, per NFL Network, after one preseason game.
Despite this being such a sudden development, it should perhaps not come as much of a surprise to the Eagles organisation. Jack said after signing that he considered enrolling in trade school earlier in the offseason after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers halfway through his deal.
Despite earning around £40 million during his career, it is not about the money for the former UCLA standout. Instead, he is keen to keep himself busy away from football as, in his own words, "Time waits for nobody."
"I like to work," he told reporters earlier this month. "I couldn't sit at home. I've been blessed to make a lot of money. I could retire and sit at the house.
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"I want to be innovative. If a zombie apocalypse came, I want to be able to build something."
It seemed he would become part of building something in Philadelphia this summer following an offseason retooling. “That’s just how life goes," Jack surmised after signing. "One week you’re on the couch playing 'Call of Duty,' the next week you’re playing with the [NFC] champions."
Jack's Eagles career lasted just one preseason game
The Eagles were equally counting on him, with defensive coordinator Sean Desai speaking highly of the NFL veteran during training camp, explaining: "Obviously, for a while, we've studied his tape coming out of college and evaluated him there, watched him play his time in Jacksonville (with the Jaguars) and Pittsburgh and then got to visit with him when he came and worked out."
"We felt good," he added. "We're fortunate that he's part of us right now."
The suddenness of the move may be behind this swift U-turn. A day after answering a FaceTime call from Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, he was in Philly for a practice.
"That’s how it goes,” he said. “Here’s your playbook, and [two days later] you’re out here practising.” Jack barely bought enough clothes with him for the workout. “I went to [clothes store] Ross and bought me some white T-shirts, and I’m here."
Therefore, packing up his belongings in Philly will not take too long. He only brought a bible, two pairs of socks and sweats, plus some drawers, in his packed bag.
He will return to Jacksonville, the city he still calls home over a year after being cut by the Jaguars following six seasons with the franchise. With the Jaguars, he was the last standing member of the short-lived Sacksonville Defense. After never being traded, Jack could now be about to take up a trade himself.