Philadelphia Eagles veteran offensive guard Brandon Brooks announced he is retiring from the NFL during a press conference Wednesday morning.
“My body was telling me it was the right time,” Brooks said before adding: “You were there for my brightest days, and my darkest ones.”
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Brooks tore his pectoral last season and was placed on injured reserve. Brooks has been open in discussing battles with mental health and anxiety issues.
Brooks ended his press conference by reading a quotation: “Defeat is never fatal. Victory is never final. It’s the courage that counts.
In advance of the announcement, Brooks’ contract was restructured, according to NFL Players Association records. The restructured deal lowers Brooks’ compensation and makes it easier for the Eagles to maneuver financially, creating $12.38 million in additional salary cap space in 2022.
Editor’s Note: The remainder of this article was first published at 9:30 AM ET on Wednesday.
Brandon Brooks’ restructured contract
A former Houston Texans third-round draft pick from Wisconsin, Brooks now has a $7.059 million cap figure in 2022. Additionally, he has a $1.12 million non-guaranteed base salary. In 2023, he’s due a non-guaranteed $11.6 million in base salary with a $15.947 million cap figure.
In 2024, Brooks has a non-guaranteed $13.4 million base salary and a $16.965 million base salary.
In the final year of his contract in 2025, Brooks has a non-guaranteed $20 million base salary and a $21.885 million base salary. The 2025 year is voidable. It will void automatically if he’s on the roster 23 days before the start of the 2025 league year.
His workout bonuses and training camp reporting bonuses were removed under the terms of the restructured deal. In 2019, Brooks signed a four-year, $71.956 million contract extension that included $32.911 million guaranteed.
The Eagles’ offseason situation heading into 2022
The Eagles were a surprising team that made a push late in the 2021 season. Ultimately, their Cinderella story came to a quick end at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round. Heading into the offseason, the Eagles are in an interesting position with several draft picks and a decent 2022 salary cap situation.
With Brooks’ restructured contract, the Eagles now have just north of $25 million in cap space. On the offensive side of the ball, they seem set for the most part. However, a good amount of that cap space may go toward addressing the defense. Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, Derek Barnett, Steven Nelson, Alex Singleton, and Genard Avery are all without a contract heading into 2022.