Eagles running back Ryan Mathews has herniated disc in neck
The Philadelphia Eagles won on Thursday night, but they lost running back Ryan Mathews for the final week of the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles delayed the New York Giants staking claim to a playoff spot with a 24-19 win Thursday night.
Running back Ryan Mathews had 18 carries for 46 yards and one catch for 16 yards in the game, before leaving with an injury in the third quarter. The injury was originally described as a stinger, but Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson cited a far more severe issue on Friday.
Pederson: Ryan Mathews has a herniated disk - C6, C7. "A pretty major deal."
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 23, 2016
Ryan Mathews herniated disc (c 6/7) sounds serious. Pederson says it looks like surgery for the RB.
— Jillian Mele (@jillianmele) December 23, 2016
Mathews has a herniated disc in his neck, and he will obviously miss the Eagles regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. His availability for next season is now in serious doubt too. If the C6 and C7 vertebrae sound familiar, it’s in a similar location to the neck injury that sidelined Peyton Manning for the entire 2011 season, required multiple surgeries and cast doubt on his ability to ever play again.
Pederson did not want to speculate on Mathews’ immediate future with the Eagles, but 2017 is the final year of his contract. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes Mathews has a $5 million cap hit with $4 million savings if he’s cut. has offered the salary cap ramifications attached to Mathews.
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Beyond next season, and with Manning’s case as a precedent, it’s possible Mathews never plays football again. It’s also worth noting he will turn 30 next October, which is the typical age where running backs begin to decline.