Giants Country

NFC East Watch: Eagles Release Former Giants OL Nick Gates

The former New York Giants center was one of a slew of offensive linemen released by Philadelphia ahead of the regular season.

Stephen Lebitsch

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Nick Gates (61) blocks New England Patriots safety Joshuah Bledsoe (24) during the first half at Gillette Stadium.
Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Nick Gates (61) blocks New England Patriots safety Joshuah Bledsoe (24) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

For former New York Giants center Nick Gates, rebuilding his NFL career has been a long process spanning visits with three different organizations in the NFC East. Now, the latest of  New York’s divisional rivals has cut him from their ranks ahead of the 2024 season.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles released the seventh-year veteran as part of their obligatory moves to shorten their 90-man roster to 53 players before the league’s 4 p.m. roster deadline. Gates, who signed with the team on July 30th, was on a short list of 10 players who received the bad news, including four offensive linemen and two former Giants wide receivers, Parris Campbell and John Ross.

The move by the Eagles became just the latest obstacle for Gates, an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska who has seen his professional dreams crushed from the jump by significant injuries. Even so, it wasn’t too long ago that they got off to an inspiring start in his first full run with the franchise in East Rutherford. 

The Giants signed Gates in May 2018 after he went undrafted as a three-year starter with the Cornhuskers. He would spend his entire rookie season on the team’s injured reserve list with a foot injury before earning some limited work as a right guard and swing tackle during the 2019 season. 

Then, in 2020, New York decided to try Gates out for their starting center role, which was a fairly new position for the young man. The then 25-year-old would beat out his competition at camp for the job and become one of the most proficient pass blockers on the Giants' starting front, allowing zero sacks and just 16 total pressures in 1,015 snaps the entire year.  

Unfortunately, things would go sideways for Gates, who signed a two-year extension with the Giants the previous offseason when he suffered a season-ending lower leg fracture early in the 2021 season. 

The injury was so gruesome that it was uncertain whether Gates would ever be able to touch a football field again, an incredible feat he eventually achieved in 2022 by playing in another 368 snaps at left guard and center. 

Gates left the Giants before the start of the 2023 league year and was quickly picked up by the rival Washington Commanders, who made him their starting for their first seven games. He would struggle in that span of 641 snaps, as he allowed a career-high five sacks and 21 pressures for a dismal 61.4 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF, and was subsequently benched and released by the team the next offseason. 

The beleaguered player was seeking to finally find a new home in Philly this season, but with the Eagles plans to run Cam Jurgens at center with swing depth behind him, it just wasn’t in the cards. The Giants are not currently in the market for depth at the center position, so it’s back to the drawing board for a guy whose career has been a story of both triumph and running into roadblocks.

Published
Stephen Lebitsch

STEPHEN LEBITSCH

“Stephen Lebitsch is a graduate of Fordham University, Class of 2021, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications (with a minor in Sports Journalism) and spent three years as a staff writer for The Fordham Ram. With his education and immense passion for the space, he is looking to transfer his knowledge and talents into a career in the sports media industry. Along with his work for the FanNation network and Giants Country, Stephen’s stops include Minute Media and Talking Points Sports.

Home/This and That