Fletcher Cox says his decision to retire wasn't easy. Will the Philadelphia Eagles great end up in Canton?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- First, it was Jason Kelce. Now another long-time and beloved Philadelphia Eagle has officially retired.
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox held his official retirement press conference on Tuesday.
It wasn't the epic pre-written speech we saw from Kelce, but this goodbye was as on-brand to Cox as we could get – honest, from the heart, no-nonsense – exactly how he played every game.
In Philadelphia, fans expect the players of their favorite teams to work hard and leave it all out on the field.
And after 12 seasons of doing just that, Cox has officially retired from the NFL.
"This decision was not easy," Cox said. "And I knew at some point it was time for me to retire — it's obviously the reason I'm here today. It comes with a lot of emotions."
Perhaps it was not an easy decision because Cox was still playing at a high level and staying healthy.
Over his 12 years with the Eagles, he missed just 6 regular season games.
"This game can mentally and physically take a toll on you and I've enjoyed it at the highest level," Cox said. "And I felt like I gave this game all I could give."
Cox finishes his Eagles career as a 6-time Pro Bowler and 1-time All Pro. He totaled 70 sacks over 188 games and won a Super Bowl.
Is that enough to make the Hall of Fame?
"I gotta get in the Eagles' Hall of Fame first, so that might help me," Cox said. "But yeah, it's something I think about. Hopefully one day I'll put on a gold jacket, I look forward to it."
And after a stellar career that could end up with a spot in Canton, how does Cox want to be remembered?
"When people look back at my career, I want them to look at the way I played the game," Cox said. "The honest way I played the game – that's what I wanna be looked at as."
