Eagles Sign Veteran Lineman Matt Pryor to One-Year Deal

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Philadelphia Eagles have signed veteran offensive lineman Matt Pryor to a one-year contract, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia on March 26. The Philadelphia Inquirer was the first to report the news.

Pryor, 30, was originally drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Texas Christian University (TCU). He played his first two seasons in Philadelphia before joining the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears over the course of his NFL career.

In his six seasons in the league, the 6-foot-7, 332-pound lineman has appeared in 92 games, with 39 of those as a starter. His versatility allows him to play both guard and tackle positions effectively.

Last season with the Bears, Pryor played in all 17 regular-season games and recorded a career-high 15 starts. Although he played both left guard and right tackle, 89% of his snaps were taken at right guard. ProFootballFocus ranked him as the 21st-best guard in the NFL for the 2022 season, just behind Mekhi Becton at No. 20.

The signing comes at a crucial time for the Eagles, as the only open position on their offensive line is right guard following Becton’s departure to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The main contender for the right guard role is Tyler Steen, a former third-round draft pick. The Eagles also acquired former first-round pick Kenyon Green, who has faced challenges in his early career. Pryor is expected to compete for the starting right guard position and strengthen the Eagles’ depth on the offensive line.

In August 2021, the Eagles traded Pryor and a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft to the Colts in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the same draft. At that time, it appeared unlikely that Pryor would make the Eagles’ roster, leading the team to seek a trade. However, he has successfully maintained his place in the league since that trade.

During his two years with the Eagles, Pryor participated in 27 games and made 10 starts, all occurring during the 2020 season, which marked Doug Pederson’s final year as head coach. Although he has never played under current head coach Nick Sirianni, Pryor has previous experience with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who has been with the team for several years.

Pryor was selected as part of a notable 2018 draft class for the Eagles, which is regarded as one of general manager Howie Roseman‘s best. After trading out of the first round following the Super Bowl victory, Roseman secured players like Dallas Goedert in the second round, Avonte Maddox, and Josh Sweat in the fourth, Pryor in the sixth, and Jordan Mailata in the seventh round.