Vinny Curry’s return was delayed by grief

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The Eagles got a late boost for their defense last week, when they brought back veteran defensive end Vinny Curry.

It might have happened sooner, but Curry wasn’t ready to think about football.

Via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, Curry said the loss of his half-brother in May to COVID-19 delayed his interest in getting back into free agency and finding a team.

Gerald Glisson died on May 3. The 46-year-old high school principal, who played football at Delaware State, was a role model for Curry growing up, and Curry said the loss made him wonder if he wanted to play at all.

“Absolutely,” he said. “That’s why I signed so late.”

“It went from a regular upper-respiratory infection to, the next thing you know — my brother’s a big dude, man, 6-foot-5, 300 — he couldn’t walk to the bathroom. The rest is crazy,” Curry said. “The passing of my brother has been hard on me. I just thought I should take my time with it.

“I didn’t even think about the game, honestly. But I started to get the itch [to play].”

He said he was encouraged when he talked to teammates after the Eagles facility reopened about the conditions there, and said he felt “very comfortable” there.