Eagles rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr.'s strong preseason debut began with special teams impact

Trotter had a special teams tackle and sack in his preseason debut

By Jeff Kerr Aug 10, 2024 at 11:21 am ET• 3 min read

BALTIMORE -- Playing under the lights didn't do Jeremiah Trotter Jr. any favors.

Trotter Jr. was anxious playing in his first NFL game. Even being the son of a Philadelphia Eagles legend, there were some butterflies in Trotter Jr.'s stomach as the fifth-round rookie awaited his opportunity to proved he belonged in the NFL. 

During the middle of the second quarter, Trotter Jr. got that opportunity.

Trotter Jr. entered on punt coverage, finding himself downfield and putting himself in position to make a play on Baltimore Ravens punt returner Damarion Williams. After Nakobe Dean missed the initial tackle attempt, there was Trotter Jr. wrapping up Williams and preventing Williams from turning a 7-yard return into 10+ yards. 

"It felt good," Trotter said with a smile. "That was my first play out there. So, coming out there and making that play, backed up, and it felt great. I thank God. I thank my teammates, but I also felt really good getting in the game and that being one of my first plays out there."

That special teams tackle set the tone for Trotter's impactful NFL debut, as he finished with five tackles and a sack in Friday's 16-13 win over the Ravens. With the sack, Trotter also recorded a pressure and quarterback hit, seeing time with the second team at inside linebacker.