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Nolan Smith undergoes surgery for injury he played through in Super Bowl LIX

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•about 13 hours•

JakeMRowe

Nolan Smith
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former Georgia standout Nolan Smith put his Bulldog toughness on display in Philadelphia’s 40-22 win over Kansas City, thwarting the Chief’s attempt at a three-peat. According to NFL.com insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Smith sustained a ruptured triceps during the game and played through it.

The Savanna, Ga. native underwent surgery a few days ago to correct the ailment. Smith expected to make a full recover in time for the 2026 season.

The second-year EDGE rusher broke out in his second season with the Eagles, mainly with his showing in the playoff. He started 10 of 16 games played in 2024 with 42 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 11 hits on the quarterback and 24 quarterback pressures. He also had one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and batted down a couple of passes, all during the regular season.

Once the post-season rolled around, however, Smith ramped his game up a couple of notches. In four playoff games he racked up 16 total tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, and six hits on the quarterback. He did so while sharing the defensive front with former Georgia standouts Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. The latter had a sack in the Super Bowl.

Expectations will now be very high for Smith going into his third season with the team. A strong season would kill two birds with one stone. Getting the Eagles to pick up his fifth year-option puts a ton of money in his pocket but that action would also turn his fourth season into a fully-guaranteed portion of his rookie deal.

Philadelphia selected Smith with the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Smith served as one of Georgia’s look-to leaders during a pair of National Championship runs. The second saw Smith miss the final half of the season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. Despite the injury, Smith opted to delay and any all NFL Draft prep until the season was over, electing instead to stay with the football team day-to-day.

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