With ten games officially on the books, it’s hard to argue that the Philadelphia Eagles Rookie of the Year Award should go to anyone other than Quinyon Mitchell, the first-round cornerback out of Toledo who has played 96 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Originally taking second-team snaps behind Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers over the summer, Mitchell made his debut in Brazil in Week 1 and has pretty much been on the field for every snap since, blanketing opposing receivers with shocking effectiveness for a rookie while showing an impressive eye for playing the position despite his college ball on a Mid-American Conference team.
So how has Mitchell been able to lock in with the Eagles in a way even Terrion Arnold, his fellow first-round pick from back in April, hasn’t just yet? Well, part of it has to do with the mentorship of Slay, who has been alongside him on the field and in the locker room a season long.
Discussing how Slay has helped a player like Q learn to play at the game’s highest level, Nick Sirianni credited his veteran CB for taking his new teammate under his wing, even if he was quite literally drafted to take his job as Philly’s CB1 of the future.
“Yeah, I think I’ve said this plenty of times here – I can’t say enough good things about [CB Darius] Slay and the leader he is. He’s been voted a captain three years in a row now,” Sirianni told reporters. “And the reason being, he’s just such a good leader, such a good teammate. I think that’s something that you don’t get to hear about Slay enough. You hear about the special play that he has. But man, he always has the best interest of his teammates at heart. Good heart. Just a great teammate.
Interesting stuff, right? Well wait, it gets even more interesting, as the Eagles’ head coach had plenty more to say on the subject.
Sirianni credits Slay and Quinyon Mitchell for working well together
Continuing his comments on the connection on and off the field between Slay and Mitchell, Sirianni not only credited the former for opening himself up to mentoring his rookie future replacement but also the Toldeo product for being a sponge.
“So I think that when you’re a young player like [CB Quinyon Mitchell] Q, and somebody that plays the same position as you has taken you under their wing, that’s a special deal. Especially a player of the caliber that Slay is, who Q has probably been watching since he was ten years old. Did I age Slay that much? Yeah, probably 10, 12 years old, which is crazy, right? And Q being humble to take advice from a guy that’s done it at a high level,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So I think the relationship is cool because it’s two guys that both [have] no ego involved. Trust me, when Slay and Q get out there, they think they can cover anybody. And they can cover anybody, so they have the ego in that. Which all good players do. But they’re able to put that aside. And Slay is saying, ‘How do I help my young teammate get better for the good of the team?’ And Q is saying, ‘Hey, man, this guy with all this good knowledge is willing to help me out. How do I listen to it?’ So it’s really cool. I admire that first and foremost with Slay, and Q has done a nice job of putting his head down and working. Appreciate you asking that question because it gives me a chance to brag on both those guys and the type of people that they are.”
Could Mitchell and Slay have an antagonistic relationship like Bret Farve and Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady and Jimmy Garapolo? Sure, but it’s a credit to both players that they are willing to work together for the better of the team, as that sort of mentality is how you win a Super Bowl.
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