Nolan Smith underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn triceps sustained in Super Bowl LIX, an NFL source confirmed to The Inquirer.
NFL Network first reported the news. Smith is expected to be ready for the 2025 season.
The 24-year-old Eagles outside linebacker appeared to suffer the injury late in the first half while rushing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Smith did not start the second half, making his first appearance after halftime with just 2 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Smith played 12 snaps through the injury in the second half out of 33 total snaps. He contributed two quarterback hits in the Eagles defense’s stellar performance against the Chiefs, contributing to the team’s second Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
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Smith, the Eagles’ No. 30 pick in the 2023 draft out of Georgia, had a breakout season in his second year. His workload increased from 16% of the defensive snaps in his rookie season to 55% in 2024, seeing a particularly pronounced uptick in snaps following Brandon Graham’s triceps injury in Week 12.
Smith was more productive with a greater responsibility in Vic Fangio’s defense. In 16 games (10 starts), the Savannah, Ga., native collected a career-high 6½ sacks, 42 tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. His dominance continued into the playoffs when he generated four sacks in four games, which tied Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis for the postseason league-high.
Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this report.