The Philadelphia Eagles announced that they have added former Los Angeles Rams strength and conditioning coach Ted Rath as their new director of sports performance.
The Rams are coming off a disappointing 2019 NFL season after missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record. As a result, they have already ushered in some significant changes to their coaching staff this offseason.
Rath burst on to the scene as the team’s unofficial “get-back” coach during their Super Bowl run in the 2018 campaign. Aside from serving as the strength and conditioning coach, he also made sure to back up head coach Sean McVay to the sideline whenever necessary during games.
Although Los Angeles certainly endured their fair share of injuries this season, they have largely been one of the healthiest teams in football since McVay’s arrival. This can be attributed to the job Rath has done in helping to keep these players healthy.
It is safe to say that the Eagles are hoping he can bring the same approach to assist with restoring their roster back to full strength. Unlike Los Angeles, Philadelphia has had to deal with a significant amount of injuries over the last few years.
Following the departure of head physician Peter DeLuca and his staff, they finished as the most injury-plagued team in 2018 and are once again expected to rank near the bottom after what had transpired in the 2019 campaign. As a result, it was time that they made some changes to their medical department.
The Eagles opted to part ways with two notable members of their sports science team in Shaun Huls and Shireen Mansoori. Rath is now slated top replaced Huls as the director of athletic performance.
Experiencing this much turnover to the staff in one offseason is hardly ideal for the Rams. Regardless, they will need to find a way to make it work if they hope to open up the 2020 NFL season at SoFi Stadium in style.