Eagles sign John Hightower to futures contract

After some delay, Philly is retaining their 2020 fifth-round pick.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed John Hightower to a futures contract on Thursday afternoon, according to an official announcement from the team.

The timing of this news is funny for me because I just wrote the following blurb about him for BGN’s Eagles position outlook series:

REGULAR SEASON STATS: 2 snaps

REVIEW: Hightower had some flashes in training camp but they were few and far between. Hightower spent most of the season on the practice squad, though he did get elevated for one game. Despite the Eagles often using one of their four weekly practice squad protections on him, they did not sign Hightower to a futures contract immediately following the season. Thus, he’s currently a free agent available to sign with any team. It’s a shame the 2020 fifth-round pick didn’t pan out after showing promise in training camp as a rookie.

But, as it turns out, Hightower isn’t done in Philly. Yet, at least.

It’s a little curious that it took over two weeks after the Eagles signed most of their practice squad to futures deals for Hightower to be re-signed. Maybe he wanted to see if he could catch on with another team but didn’t generate any interest? Just a guess.

In any case, Hightower is back with the Eagles. He’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot on the 2022 team, though he should be considered a long shot to make the team. He’ll need to demonstrate significant improvement in order to stick around.