This Day in Eagles History: Philadelphia Releases Brian Westbrook

On this day in 2010, the Philadelphia Eagles made one of the most gut-wrenching roster moves of the Andy Reid era — releasing Brian Westbrook, the franchise's all-time leader in yards from scrimmage.

Let that sink in. The Eagles cut their most versatile, most electric, most complete running back in franchise history. Not traded. Not a mutual parting with a farewell press conference. Released. Just like that, 9,785 yards from scrimmage — the most any Eagle had ever accumulated — walked out the door.

If you were an Eagles fan in the 2000s, you loved Brian Westbrook. You didn't just appreciate him — you LOVED him. He was the guy who made Andy Reid's West Coast offense hum. He was the safety valve, the home run threat, the third-down magician who turned dump-offs into touchdowns. Westbrook wasn't just a running back. He was a weapon that defensive coordinators lost sleep over.

The Villanova product — a local kid, by the way, which made it sting even more — arrived in Philadelphia as a third-round pick in 2002 and immediately changed the game. Remember that punt return touchdown against the Giants in 2003? The one where he weaved through the entire coverage unit like they were standing still? That play alone should have a statue outside the Linc.

Westbrook was the engine behind four consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances from 2001 to 2004. He was Donovan McNabb's best friend on the field. In 2007, he put up a career-best 2,104 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns, earning First-Team All-Pro honors. The man was a problem for every defense in the league.

But football is a brutal business. Two consecutive concussions in 2009 — one against the Chiefs in Week 4 and another against the Redskins in Week 6 — essentially ended his time in midnight green. He was placed on injured reserve and only appeared in nine games that season. The writing was on the wall, but reading it still hurt.

When the Eagles officially released him on February 23, 2010, it marked the end of an era in the truest sense. Within months, Donovan McNabb would be traded to Washington, and the entire identity of the franchise would shift. The Reid-McNabb-Westbrook Eagles were over.

Westbrook bounced to San Francisco for one forgettable season before retiring. But his legacy in Philadelphia is cemented. He's in the Eagles Hall of Fame. He still holds the franchise record for yards from scrimmage. And every time you see a running back catch a swing pass and turn it into a 40-yard gain, you're watching Westbrook's blueprint.

Sixteen years later, this one still stings. Brian Westbrook deserved better than a February release. But that's Philly sports for you — the city loves hard, remembers forever, and never forgives the front office for cutting a legend loose. Rest easy knowing this, though: no stat sheet will ever capture what B-West meant to this franchise. He was one of us.