Pair Of Eagles Backups Plotting Their Return To New York

It's not all about Saquon Barkley's homecoming when it comes to the Week 7 matchup between the Eagles and Giants.

Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Jack Stoll (89) reacts to his first down catch against the Buffalo Bills during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – The big storyline this week is Saquon Barkley returning to New York to play the Giants for the first time since signing a three-year free-agent contract with the Eagles in March. Lost in that wildfire are two Eagles backups also returning to meet the team they used to play for.

The two backups won’t grab the headlines, but both offensive lineman Nick Gates and tight end Jack Stoll have different takes on seeing the Giants again wearing different uniforms. Gates spent four years with the New York Giants. Jack Stoll spent a handful of months with them.

Gates’ take is simple, and somewhat surprising given his lengthy stay in New York. He said he didn’t circle the game on his calendar because he stays in the moment.

“I just try to pay attention to the week we have, and don’t get too far ahead, or look too far behind,” he said.

Stoll left the Eagles last offseason thinking there were greener pastures in the swamplands of North Jersey, and signed with the Giants. That was a swing and a miss.

“Hindsight is 20-20, and I think it was the wrong decision,” he said. “If I could go back in a time machine, I would obviously say that was a terrible thing to do.”

He said business decisions got in the way of his returning to the Eagles after last season, decisions that now seem frivolous. So, when the opportunity to return to Philly presented itself, it was a no-brainer.

“It’s one of those deals where if I could go back and do it all over again, I obviously wouldn’t have left,” he said. “But like I’ve said to a lot of people, sometimes you have to touch the fire to know you can’t do it. I got that out of my system. Every teenager rebels a little bit.”

Stoll signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2021 and earned a role as the backup to Dallas Goedert.

With Goedert likely to miss some time with a hamstring injury, Stoll could again have a big role in the short term as Grant Calcaterra's backup after returning not long after the Giants cut him out of training camp.

While Gates my not have circled this game on his calendar, it sounds like Stoll did.

“It’s exciting,” he said about playing the Giants. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to. I’ll tell you what, I’m bringing a little something extra when we go there, no doubt.”

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