Thinking about Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills as he turns 25

We look at the curious case of Jalen Mills as the Philadelphia Eagles watch their ‘Green Goblin’ turn 25 years old on April 6th.

It’s been quite an interesting 2019 already. Well hasn’t it? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Springtime, and April is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining months we’ve seen. It began with the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, playing the greatest April Fool’s Day prank in NFL history. It will conclude with the 2019 NFL Draft. If you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, the first Saturday also has some special significance because it’s Jalen Mills birthday.

‘Birds’ fans respectfully refer to him as the ‘Green Goblin’. The Eagles wished him the happiest of birthdays.

Take a look:

That’s when it dawns on you. We haven’t discussed this guy in quite some time. Maybe that’s because a foot injury in Week 8 sidelined him for four weeks before the Eagles officially placed him on the team’s IR (injured reserve), effectively ending his season.

Then again, it could be because some of the young guys popped off the screen, lessening the blow a little. Cre’Von LeBlanc and Avonte Maddox paid immediate dividends in 2018, and that eased the minds of Eagles fans somewhat.

It just felt like the future was secure, but we all still knew the Eagles needed to strengthen their secondary.

Much of the Eagles fan base had made up their minds that Ronald Darby was no longer in the long-term plans of this team, but no one told the Eagles that. Darby signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract to remain in Philly on March 15th. Everyone expects the Eagles to draft a corner at the end of April, and that makes us all wonder what the plans are for Mills.

2019 is the final year on his rookie deal. He’ll make a little over $2 million, and if Philly doesn’t hammer out an extension, he’ll become a free agent. There have been no discussions of extending him past that (not publicly anyway), and with most everyone’s last memories of him being the guy who often got beat on double moves, fans have become frustrated with him somewhat.

Philly doesn’t seem as though they’re one-hundred percent certain that Mills is the answer at starting corner or as a backup. Once upon a time, he was a second-round talent that the Eagles were hoping we’d one day look at as a steal. Now, he’s auditioning for his job in 2019 (if the Eagles don’t use him as trade bait).

We all wish him a happy birthday because we love him. We all love him because he’s an Eagle. We hope he succeeds because we’re both human and fans of his. Year for the ‘Goblin’ is on the horizon. How will he respond? We’ll all know soon enough.