Despite criticism, Brett Toth helps pave way for groundbreaking rushing effort by Eagles

This story originally appeared on Inside The Birds. 

PHILADELPHIA – In the days leading up to a game in which he was scheduled to make his first career start at center, Brett Toth was well aware of the outside perception.

The veteran offensive lineman has made a concerted effort to block out the noise pollution and combat over-thinking, but the social media comments intensified, and the chatter grew louder.

It became unescapable.

But the outside perception surrounding Toth, a seventh-year veteran valued by his team for being cerebral and for his versatility, is wholly misconceived. He came up through the ranks along the many Jeff Stoutland prodigies, like Jason Kelce, Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks and Isaac Seumalo.

He has mastered the art of dependability and adaptability, toggling throughout his career between tackle, guard and center. He’s received his proverbial master’s degree at Stoutland University, becoming a trusted resource with a firm grasp on the systems in place, versed in Stoutland’s tutelage and job requirements. As left tackle Jordan Mailata said, Toth has a “big brain.”

The standard, culture and rich ancestry of offensive line play under his legendary position coach also isn’t something Toth takes lightly.

But back to the outside perception. What isn’t taken into account amid the often-malevolent world of social media and various platform, is the human element.

Even for someone immersed in their profession and singularly focused on daily improvement, venom and misguided wrath from the outside can infiltrate one’s personal life.

Refraining from over-thinking is something Toth has been mindful of, though he admits it’s still a work in progress. He’ll wake up at night and hear the criticism.

“Bad snaps! Here come the bad snaps!” he said.

Catching a glimpse of the comments have become unavoidable.

“We as athletes, we know about that stuff,” he said. “It’s tried to go through my own personal life. Can’t even look on social media, because even people I don’t even follow … things show up. It pisses you off, and sometimes you just gotta channel different emotions to overcome the bad ones.”

Not that it was his objective, but Toth made the venom-spewers eat their words Sunday against the Giants, moonlighting at the controls of the Eagles’ offensive line against a formidable front led by All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

With the spotlight shining on his every move from the start of pregame warmups, Toth conveyed unwavering confidence as he went through his routine. He’d taken the full complement of first-team reps at center throughout the week and trusted his preparation as much as his linemates flanking him.

It was a culmination of years in the making, and he was primed to answer the bell.

Aesthetically, it was a stark contrast from the last time he faced the stout Giants front, not only in position – Toth played left guard in the previous meeting – but in execution. The game showcased his athleticism, as he climbed to the second level on reach blocks and did his part to pave the way in a ground game that rolled up 276 yards.

He also demonstrated assertion and poise in a big spot, orchestrating the line and directing traffic.

On Sunday, public consensus be damned, Toth was a key component to an offensive line that enabled the Eagles to produce a pair of 100-yard backs for the first time since 2013, when LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown accomplished that feat.

Allow Saquon Barkley to reintroduce himself😳pic.twitter.com/baVcICXieR

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) October 26, 2025

Saquon Barkley, who rolled up a wonderfully executed 65-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game, finished with 150 on the afternoon. His counterpart, Tank Bigsby, churned out 104.

“The guy comes to work every day,” Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson said. “And he’s a swing guy, so he never knows really what position he’s gonna play. A few weeks ago, he filled in for me at guard, now he’s in at center. The guy just comes and he works.

“He doesn’t have all the spotlight and stuff … I don’t even know if he was drafted. He may have been undrafted. I mean, the guy comes in, and he just wants to play football and be with his boys. Him coming in and doing that, really proud of how he played today. He’s just a guy that’s trying to help people.”

Toth said he channeled the disparagement in the form of anger to prevail. He became noticeably emotional while extending gratitude to those around him.

“I can’t thank them enough,” he said. “Unbelievable. Just always there for me.”

It’s been a winding traverse of a career for Toth, who signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He’s also spent time with the Cardinals and Panthers and he’s bounced between practice squads and active rosters.

For perspective, Sunday’s 38-20 win was just the 28th game in which he has appeared, and just the fourth he has started.

Only those closest to him can fully appreciate that Toth has taken the road less traveled, responding when his number was called, when his team needed him most.

But as Toth will tell you, he isn’t one to reflect. Rather than bask in the glow of a gutsy performance or take the opportunity to thumb his nose at skeptics, the 29-year-old was merely grateful to go home and see his wife and son, focusing on recovering for a short while before moving on to the next one.

“I’m proud of myself, for sure,” he said. “Excited to see my son and my wife, for sure, because they know what I go through. Excited to be a part of the guys, to be able – the good plays I did have – perform with them, as well. Just excited to just keep the momentum rolling through the bye week.”