Akers faced family health issues
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Akers faced family health issues
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
David Akers was dealing with a lot more than just kicking field goals on Sunday.
The Eagles kicker, of course, missed two crucial field goals in the Eagles' 21-16 playoff loss to the Packers. But Akers' mind may have been elsewhere. Several of his teammates after the game alluded that the kicker was dealing with personal matters in the week leading up to the game.
His agent, Jerrold Colton, said Monday that the matter was a "family health concern."
"David makes no excuses," Colton said. "He is an intensely private person when it comes to his family. It was a family health concern with one of his family members. That's all it is."
Colton said that he could not go into further detail.
Akers, who is in the last year of his contract, intimated after the game that he did not expect to be back with the Eagles next season. A 12-year Eagles veteran, he made the Pro Bowl this season for the fifth time in his career.
He missed two big field goals against Green Bay, though, the last a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also was wide right on a 41-yarder in the first quarter.
"We can all count," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Those points would have helped."
Colton said that he and the Eagles have held contract talks, but that the expiring collective bargaining agreement had put those conversations on hold. He said that Akers wants to remain with the Eagles and that he is not considering retirement.
Akers, the longest-tenured Eagle, connected on 32 of 38 field goals in the regular season and had a league-high 143 points.
"Looking back now, 12 years, it's been a nice run," Akers said after the game. "It's not really the way I wanted to go out as an Eagle."
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sorry, but wherever Vick goes, goes the karma of all of those dead dogs who didn't get the numerous, not second, chances of Vick and his cronies....get used to losing!— marcamp- Comment removed.
- Akers, here are two things I have for you: "ED REED"— PhilMar
- Field Goals are points and needed at precise times and not just taken for the sake of getting points during a game. Andy Reeds choice as to when to take a field goal or go for the first down is very poor and over his tenure he has proven this.This is the reason why he will not take the game to the next level— tamgin43
- did anyone notice that Akers never made any excuses for the misses? Of course not, that's just not in his makeup... why everyone is giving him grief I have no idea...— tvalleras
- Akers is still strong and consistent, even though he had a hand, or foot, in this loss. He's pretty stable, for a kicker, and PK is way way down the list of needs for this team. But given the circumstances, how do you try to kick a FG in teh swirling wind when down by 11? ugh, the list is too long and to familiar. Another winnable game slipped away. I know, the pack is overall a better team, better talent, but you cna say the same about New Orleans. It's about who wins the game, and once again, the gameplan and the execution leave us feeling like another opportunity missed.— Eephus
- One more thing. The final 3 games, Eagles were 0-3— PhilMar
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Happy that he didn't take the contract offered to him in December...Makes it that much easier to say good riddance to this non clutch kicker.— citysims- Cheap Eagles will not sign Akers. Another reason we will never win a super bowl under Lurie. Dont spend the cash. You get what you pay for. If you dont sign their offer then you are gone. Great way to run an organization.
