Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Chris Long were among the many Eagles who paraded Tim Jernigan at his locker Monday following the team's practice and lifting session. On Thursday, Jernigan inked a four-year contract extension with Philadelphia that will keep him an Eagle through the 2021 season. Needless to say, it was a festive return for Jernigan after the bye week.

"It felt good that (Howie Roseman) believes in me, (Chairman and CEO Jeffery) Lurie believes in me. I'm definitely going to make them proud of me," Jernigan said. "I'm going to make sure they know they made the right decision."

Jernigan joined the Eagles via trade in the offseason and it only took him nine regular games to make a promising impression. As an Eagle, the fourth-year defensive tackle has racked up 19 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, 6.5 quarterback knockdowns, and 1.5 sacks. In signing the deal, Jernigan ensures that he and Cox will line up side by side for the next four years.

"That boy deserved it. He worked hard this offseason and everything is showing and I'm just happy we got a guy that's going to push up the middle to help Fletch," Graham smiled. "Then we got guys on the end that's going to rack up those sacks when they push them out."

With the addition of Jernigan, the Eagles sport the NFL's best run defense allowing the fewest rushing yards (66.4) per game. On the year, they've relinquished an impressive 42.5 yards per game to opposing teams' running backs.

"It's a blessing. The guys we have here, just to be able to come here and work with those guys, it's definitely a special group," Jernigan said. "Going out on Sundays, you have no choice but to be productive because you know the guys beside you are going to do exactly that, so they push me so hard. The same way they feel I make things better for them is the same way I feel about them."