Nolan Smith’s first Super Bowl was apparently a painful, albeit joyous experience. That’s because the Eagles linebacker and former first-round pick recently underwent surgery after playing the second half of Philadelphia’s 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs with a torn triceps, according to NFL Media.
Smith sustained the injury during the game but didn’t allow it to keep him off the field. He is slated to be ready for the start of the 2025 season, per the report.
Despite the injury, Smith still played in 54% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in the Super Bowl. He was credited with two of the team’s hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was hit early and often that night by the Philadelphia’s defense.
Smith was part of one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history, as the Eagles gave up just 23 yards in the first half and did not allow the Chiefs to convert on third down until there was just over a minute left in the third quarter. The Eagles defense didn’t allow a score until they had built a 34-0 lead.
The Super Bowl capped off what was a successful season for Smith, who had eight sacks in his final 11 games of the 2024 campaign. Smith had four sacks in the Eagles’ first three playoff games that included two sacks in Philadelphia’s wild-card win over the Packers.
“Nolan has just continued to get better,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said of Smith during the Eagles’ playoff run. “His teammates love him. He plays hard as I’ve ever seen anybody play, and this dude is a physical, physical, physical guy.”
Smith is also a tough guy, given the fact that he played the second half of the Super Bowl with his serious injury.
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Jeff Kerr
