Eagles Veteran WR Calls It A Career

DeVante Park's run in Philadelphia lasted just over two months.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker (1) tries push off New York Giants cornerback / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

PHILADELPHIA - Veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker has called it a career and informed the Eagles that he plans to retire.

The 2015 first-round pick was set to play his 10th NFL season in 2024 and first with Philadelphia after signing a one-year, $1.21 million deal as a free agent on March 14. 

On the day the Eagles started Phase III of offseason work with on-field OTAs, Parker reversed course, telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he wanted to spend more time with his family and four children.

“I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them,” Parker said. “I want to be there for them whenever I can.”

Parker, 31, seemed like an out-of-character Eagles signing. While the team needs an upgrade at WR3 to better complement A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds Parker is not a potential slot option and more of a contested catch type of player at this stage of his career.

He ends his career with 369 receptions for 5,266 yards and 27 touchdowns, playing his first seven seasons in Miami after the Dolphins selected him No. 14 overall out of Louisville in the 2015 draft.

His last two seasons were spent with New England and he had 33 receptions for 394 yards in 2023 for the Pats.

Parker topped out with 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and nine TDs for the Dolphins in 2019. One of his best games in his career came against the Eagles that season when he snared seven passes for 159 yards and two scores in a 37-31 Miami win.

The Eagles are expected to start with Parris Campbell, also a one-year free agent signing for slightly more at $1.3M, in the slot with rookie fifth-round pick Ainias Smith as a potential long-range solution. Star punt returner Britain Covey is a wild card as a flex option due to his size but may be given an opportunity as well.

Parker was certainly the most accomplished option outside the numbers as a backup for Brown and Smith but there was hardly a guarantee that he was going to make the 53-man roster. 

The Eagles signed a host of young players with imposing size, including Joseph Ngata, a 2023 undrafted free agent out of Clemson who spent time on the practice squad last season, as well as Austin Watkins (6-3), Shaq Davis (6-5) and Jacob Harris (6-5).

The Eagles also drafted the 6-6, 231-pound Johnny Wilson in the sixth round of April’s draft out of Florida State and really like his upside.

Parker isn’t planning on taking some time before deciding what’s next.

“I’m just going to take things slowly,” he told Schefter.

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