The Philadelphia Eagles were just hours away from a pivotal showdown at SoFi Stadium when everything inside the team hotel took a sudden and devastating turn.
Late Sunday afternoon, team officials confirmed that one of the Eagles’ young offensive playmakers had abruptly left the team after receiving a life-changing phone call from home.
Witnesses said the player had stepped away from the team’s pregame walkthrough to answer a buzzing phone on the table beside him. When he returned, he didn’t say a word. He simply grabbed his backpack, exchanged a brief nod with a staff member, and quietly walked out of the room. Teammates watched, stunned and silent.
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That player was second-year running back ShunDerrick Powell, a 2024 sixth-round pick from North Alabama — a dynamic, quick-burst runner who had earned a growing role in Kellen Moore’s offense and become one of the most promising young backs on Philadelphia’s roster.
Before departing for the airport, Powell shared a short, emotional message privately with several teammates:
“Football can wait. My mom can’t. I need to be with her… thank you for understanding.”
Head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the team moments later, speaking with visible concern and empathy.
“Family comes first — always. ShunDerrick made the right decision. We’ll stand with him, and we’ll play for him tonight.”
Powell’s sudden departure comes at a critical time for the Eagles, who are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football — a high-profile road game with early playoff implications. Losing a key rotational back so close to kickoff forces Philadelphia to adjust rapidly, both strategically and emotionally.
Yet inside the locker room, frustration has been replaced by unity.
A veteran offensive lineman summed it up softly:
“He gives everything he has every week. If he’s leaving before a game like this, it means his family needs him more than we do. We’ve got his back.”
The Eagles will take the field at SoFi Stadium with a heavy heart, knowing one of their own is facing the hardest moment of his life. For Philadelphia, tonight is no longer just about football — it’s about supporting a teammate when he needs his team the most.
