Eagles place Shawn Andrews out to pasture with sore back

The Eagles sent two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Shawn Andrews out to pasture due to his persistent back problem in order to make room for quarterback Jeff Garcia, who was signed Monday.

The move has been heavily criticized due to early reports that listed Andrews’ condition as a “sore back” which certainly would not warrant placing the offensive lineman on Injured Reserve, much less retiring him to a western Pennsylvania horse farm.

Andy Reid spoke on Wednesday and insisted that the move had nothing to do with Andrews’ mental health.

“I think we did what’s best for both the team and Shawn by giving him a place to graze and get some rest,” Reid said. “He’s got a sore back and won’t be able to function the way he needs to this year, so we found a nice place for him where he can Tweet and get his Michael Phelps on in total peace and isolation. We think it’s a place he can finally be happy.”

Zaki is the Chief Rocka and senior writer for PhillyGameday.com.