Going to another team after injuries limited him from being special with the Tennessee Titans was not easy, but offensive lineman Chance Warmack has obtained a silver lining – especially now that he is with the Philadelphia Eagles.
An alumnus of the University of Alabama and first-round pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, Warmack is heading to his first-ever Super Bowl after helping the Eagles get a 38-7 win on Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
He signed a one-year, $1.51 million deal with Philadelphia on March 9, 2017, but six months later he inked an extension through 2018.
Warmack, an offensive guard, assisted quarterback Nick Foles to a stellar performance in replacing the starter, Carson Wentz. Foles completed 26 of 33 passes (78.8 percent) for 352 passing yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. He posted a quarterback rating of 95.8, a passer rating of 141.4 and navigated the Eagles to 456 yards on an average of 7.1 yards a play.
With Warmack, head coach Doug Peterson saw his group account for 27 first downs while converting 10 of 14 third down attempts against Minnesota.
Before losing Wentz to a season-ending injury, Warmack aided him to a monster year with 3,296 passing yards and 33 scores.
Philadelphia ended the 2017 regular season with the National Football League’s seventh-best total offense (365.8 ypg) and third-best rushing offense (132.2 ypg). It fell just outside the top-10 in passing offense at 3,737 yards, which was good for 13th in the league.
In two playoff games, Warmack and the front line has protected Foles in throwing for 598 yards on 49 of 63 completions – 77.8 percent – with three touchdowns and no turnovers.
Prior to the NFL, Warmack was an exceptional left guard for Alabama from 2009-12.
He cleared the way for four 1,000-yard running backs – including Mark Ingram in 2009 as he totaled 1,658 yards rushing on 271 carries with 17 touchdowns to win the Heisman Trophy.
Despite his birth in Michigan, Warmack grew up in Atlanta (Ga.) and attended Westlake High School before coming to the Crimson Tide. He was a valued member on three BCS national championships teams (2009, 2011-12) and a pair of Southeastern Conference title squads.
He hopes to add a Vince Lombardi Trophy to the list.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
