Talk about wear and tear.
Eagles pass-rusher Nolan Smith tore his triceps during the biggest game of his life and played through it — even though it meant only using one arm.
NFL Network reported the news Friday evening, describing the 24-year-old’s relentlessness to pull off his first Super Bowl title in a dominant 40-22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 2025.
The second-year linebacker underwent surgery Wednesday and will be ready to return for the 2025 season.
According to WIP94, Smith went back to the Eagles locker room about 30 seconds before the rest of the team at halftime.
In the game, he recorded two quarterback hits and no tackles, playing 30 of the Eagles’ 56 defensive snaps.
In the first half, he was a big part of the Eagles’ relentless defense that only allowed the Chiefs to get 23 total yards across the first 30 minutes of Kansas City’s third consecutive Super Bowl appearance — one that it wished turned into a historic three-peat.
The four-man pass rush also sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a record six times without blitzing once.
It was the most sacks the star endured in a single game of his career (regular season or playoffs).
Smith, the 30th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, was in a limited role before earning more playing time due to a triceps injury to veteran Brandon Graham.
He made his time worth it.
In the week after Graham was injured up until the Super Bowl, Smith recorded seven sacks.
He also had a career-high 63 snaps in the 55-23 NFC Championship victory over the Commanders.
In his second year, Smith recorded 10.5 sacks, four of which came in the playoffs.
