Andrew Gardner got to start a couple games at right tackle because Allen Barbre got hurt. He’s gotten to start a couple games at right guard because Todd Herremans and Matt Tobin got hurt.
It’s not how he planned on getting his first four career starts, thanks to injuries to his friends and teammates, but he was ready when he got his shot, and now, for the first time in his six-year career, he’s a starter.
And the Eagles are very lucky to have him.
Gardner, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound, 28-year-old journeyman, is one of the more unlikely stories on this 9-3, first-place team. He’s gone from camp longshot to starter on a playoff-bound team. Gardner has helped solidify the Eagles’ O-line with some very solid play the last two weeks after Tobin was forced to leave the Green Bay game with a concussion. Tobin is now healthy again, but Gardner isn’t going anywhere.
In his four starts — two early in the year at right tackle, the last two at right guard — the Eagles are 4-0 and averaging 36 points and 441 yards per game.
It’s not all Gardner, obviously. But he has been very good. Better than anybody could have expected.
After being released five times in his career and bouncing around six teams in six years, Gardner has found a home.
NFL
“More than anything, I just feel blessed,” he said. “It’s been a great opportunity for me here, and there were some points in my career, early especially, where it was like, 'Is this going to happen or not?'
“I thought I may as well just kind of make a career for myself as a backup in Houston without ever really getting a chance to get on the field, and I always felt like all I wanted was just an opportunity to show that I can play, and I’m just really thankful to have that opportunity here.
“I don’t love how it had to happen, with guys getting hurt and stuff like that, but I really enjoy having a chance to make a meaningful impact here and show that I can make a meaningful contribution. It’s really been the best year of my career, and I’ve been really enjoying it.”
It would take too long to go through Gardner’s entire journey from Georgia Tech to the Eagles, but he had stints with the Dolphins, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2009, the Ravens, the Vikings, the Bengals and the Texans before landing in Philly this past summer.
As the last guy on the roster or a practice squad guy, you’re asked to fill in wherever you’re needed. And getting moved around constantly early in his career has paid off here, where the Eagles counted on him to back up either guard spot or either tackle spot.
Not having a home for five years forced him to develop a versatility that wound up making him very valuable.
And when you don’t get your first NFL start until after your 28th birthday, and you’ve already been cast off by five teams, you certainly learn to appreciate the moment a little bit more.
“I think maybe if you come in your career a high draft pick, starting in high school, starting in college, starting in the pros right away, maybe you take it for granted a little bit about how hard it can really be,” he said.
“But that’s certainly something that’s not going on with me, because I’ve been grinding a long time to get on the field and it’s truly satisfying to finally get a chance to play and show that I belong in this league.”
Gardner played in just eight games with no starts in his first five seasons. Now he’s pretty much indispensable on a line decimated by injuries all year.
“I think he’s just consistent,” Chip Kelly said. “He’s one of those steady-Eddie guys. You know what you’re getting from him all the time. He’s on his feet, he’s a real smart player, he is versatile, can play a couple different positions.
“I think he and Lane are starting to really get in sync in terms of playing together and understanding what’s going on. I think the last two games he’s played really well.”
The Eagles’ offensive line had its best day of the year Thursday in Dallas, battering the Cowboys' defense for 33 points and 464 yards.
Amazing that the Eagles are fourth in the NFL in offense and fourth in scoring with an offensive line that’s been in constant flux, with seven different starting lineups and 15 different combinations of lines used at some point during the season.
Gardner said one product of the constant change on the O-line — Evan Mathis missed seven games, Jason Kelce missed four, Lane Johnson missed four, Barbre and Herremans have been lost for the year — is that the linemen who have been healthy all know they have to be ready at a moment’s notice to play anywhere.
“I’ve been in places where it’s just those five guys and sometimes you’ll see guys start to check out a little as the year goes on,” Gardner said. “Then when they find out they have to play, they try to play catch-up, and they’re not ready.
“But that’s not a problem for us. Everybody has been very professional, everybody comes in prepared every week as if they’re going to play, because it’s been like that. And everybody takes a lot of pride that they personally had a big impact on the season.”