Winning a world championship is the hardest thing to do in sports, and it takes a great amount of dedication, hunger and desire, not to mention sacrifice.
Oftentimes, players will have to endure painful injuries on the way to a potential championship that otherwise could easily cause them to sit out.
That is especially true in the NFL, which is as much a grown man’s league as there is on the sports landscape.
One Philadelphia Eagles defensive star recently showed just how much he was willing to play through in pursuit of a title.
“Eagles pass rusher Nolan Smith tore his triceps in the Super Bowl LIX win over the [Kansas City] Chiefs, and played through it in the second half, per me and Mike Garafolo. Smith, who performed in the second half on one arm, had surgery on Wednesday and will be ready for the 2025 season,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport wrote on X.
#Eagles pass-rusher Nolan Smith tore his triceps in the Super Bowl LIX win over the #Chiefs — and played through it in the second half, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
Smith, who performed in the second half on one arm, had surgery on Wednesday and will be ready for the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/Atmq0pcXkV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 21, 2025
The Eagles did a masterful job on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes by not only harassing him but also shutting off his options downfield. It was a masterclass no team had put on against him since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Smith didn’t have a single tackle in this game, but he did have two quarterback hits.
During the regular season, he was second on the Eagles with 6.5 sacks and also contributed 11 QB hits and eight tackles for loss.
He turned 24 years old last month, and with a successful recovery could be due for another big jump in his production in 2025.
NEXT: 1 Eagles Star Claims ‘Everything Has To Change’ On Offense
