Monday, January 10, 2011

David Akers Hints That His Career with the Philadelphia Eagles May Be Over

I don't think I've ever seen David Akers have a worse game as a professional kicker than today.

Actually one. He missed three field goals against the Atlanta Falcons earlier this season. But the Eagles won that game 31-17 so it really didn't matter.

Today, Akers missed two kicks he never misses.

He was wide right on a 41-yard field goal early in the first quarter. And he missed a 34-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.

These kicks ultimately cost the Eagles a victory, as the Eagles fell 21-16 to the Green Bay Packers.

But I was shocked to hear Akers' postgame remarks.

“For a player, it’s the worst thing that can happen,” Akers explained. “I misplayed the first one trying to drive it into the wind and I just kind of pulled the second one. That’s the way it goes. Looking back now, after a nice run, it’s not the way I wanted to go out as an Eagle.”

Wait a minute...who said anything about going anywhere?

Nobody seriously believes that Akers is going to get cut after one bad game.

He's easily the best kicker in franchise history. He's coming off a Pro Bowl season. He's 36, which means he had several more years left. He's a kicker not a football player.

So why did Akers imply that this could be the end of the run for him?

Safety Quintin Mikell, who is tied with Jamaal Jackson as the longest tenured Eagle, hinted that Akers has been going through a difficult week.

This is what Mikell said:

“David’s been great kicker for a long time. He’s gone through a lot this week, and he has some stuff going on, and for him to even be out here was big. I love Dave, and he fought through a lot today and this week. I’ll just leave it at that,” Mikell said.

“He took it hard. Dave is a serious guy and he takes his job seriously and my heart goes out to him, because he’s dealing with a lot of stuff this week, and he came out and he fought and he did as well as he could. He was going through a lot this week.”

It's none of my business what personal matter Akers is dealing with, but apparently it is severe enough that he implied he might not be on the Eagles next season.

Or maybe he doesn't think he'll be in football. I don't know.

Let's just hope that Akers gets his personal business straightened out, because I now wonder if that affected him on the field today.

In fact, I bet it did.

For the Eagles to continue to compete for a Super Bowl title, they will need Akers to be their kicker.

Western Conference C.D. Chivas USA Colorado Rapids FC Dallas

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