HOUSTON, TX- NOVEMBER 02: DeMeco Ryans #59 of the Philadelphia Eagles leaves the game after getting injured agains the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half in a NFL game on November 2, 2014 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Eagles won 31 to 21. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)

When DeMeco Ryans went down with a season-ending Achilles injury Sunday, his Philadelphia Eagles teammates emptied the bench, forming a circle around him and, in some cases, crying.

But they weren’t the only ones concerned.

After the Houston Texans 31-21 loss to the Eagles at NRG Stadium, linebacker Brian Cushing was seen pacing outside the Eagles locker room, asking several team officials how Ryans was doing and whether he could go in to see Ryans.

When the locker room opened for media after league-mandated 10-minute cooling off period, Cushing entered with them, presumably to be with his good friend and former teammate.

It was a heart-wrenching sight. Cushing, who missed his second straight game Sunday due to swelling on his twice surgically repaired left knee, hurting for Ryans, who may have played his last NFL down.

Cushing and Ryans played for three seasons in Houston, beginning with Cushing’s rookie year in 2009 and ending with Ryans being dealt before 2012.

Ryans was packaged with a third round draft pick that became Nick Foles and sent to Philadelphia for a third and fourth rounder that became Brandon Brooks and Ben Jones. This, after Ryans was figured to be done when he tore his Achilles the first time in 2010.

But after a down 2011 season, Ryans was reborn in 2012, and by 2013 became a heart and soul-type player for an Eagles defense that was charged with a difficult task: keeping up with head coach Chip Kelly’s go-go offense. He led the team in each of the last two seasons with 113 and 127 tackles, and had a team-high 39 tackles through nine games this season.

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