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The Eagles made sweeping changes to their medical staff in the offseason. Unfortunately, the bodies are still hitting the floor.
Philadelphia saw 10 guys miss practice on Wednesday for a variety of reasons, including three due to an undisclosed illness: G Jamon Brown, T Jack Driscoll, T Jason Peters. None of them were designated to the COVID-19 list so they could just be dealing with seasonal flu or another run-of-the-mill sickness.
However, it warrants monitoring after nine members of the Titans’ organization reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The Titans-Steelers game has been postponed to either Monday or Tuesday out of an abundance of caution. The Eagles are scheduled to play the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 5.
“For me, we know we’re in this pandemic,” head coach Doug Pederson said. “We’re in this world of testing and kind of our own little bubble here, so for me, I have to continue to sort of over-communicate the protocols that have been in place. I can’t let anything slip or slide from the standpoint of the messaging when it comes that way to the team.”
The other Eagles players missing from Wednesday’s practice were WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (calf), DT Fletcher Cox (abdominal), S Rudy Ford (groin), WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring), CB Avonte Maddox (ankle), CB Trevor Williams (rib). In addition, the team listed four guys as limited participants in the session: WR Alshon Jeffery (foot), Lane Johnson (ankle), RB Miles Sanders (glute), and C Jason Kelce who took his routine weekly veteran maintenance day. He carries no injury designation.
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Miles Sanders, Trevor Williams Causes for Concern
The most alarming name is obviously Sanders who had complained about “fatigue” in back-to-back games after sitting out most of training camp with a hamstring issue. He has been arguably the MVP on offense so far this season.
And losing Williams, the presumed starting cornerback opposite Darius Slay, would severely hurt the defense with Maddox expected to miss one to two weeks. It’s way too early for the triage unit.
“I think this is a physical game,” Pederson said. “I think these guys put their bodies at risk every week.”
The Eagles literally have 14 players carrying some kind of injury designation right now. That is almost 27-percent of their 53-man roster. Luckily, the team has an expanded practice squad of 16 players with some intriguing names down there.
Pederson protected four guys on Tuesday — WR Deontay Burnett, WR Travis Fulgham, C Luke Juriga, RB Adrian Killins — and they could be called into action. Keep an eye on newcomer Michael Jacquet who may be forced into action if Williams can’t go.
Nate Herbig, Matt Pryor Keeping Spots
Pederson confirmed that Nate Herbig and Matt Pryor would be keeping their spots at left guard and right guard, respectively. Prior to the injury report, the head coach mentioned that reserve guard Jamon Brown may see extra reps in practice but he’s now out with an undisclosed illness. Either way, Herbig and Pryor have shown enough to be counted on.
“The guys actually really settled in this past weekend, did a nice job in the game and so there’s no need to really shift too many guys around,” Pederson said. “Herbig has done an outstanding job for us starting out at right and then playing left, and Pryor filling in last week. So we don’t feel the need at this point.”
Pryor was responsible for that unfortunate false-start penalty last week that pushed them out of Jake Elliott’s range for a possible game-winning field goal. That was a mental error on special teams and the 351-pounder looked solid otherwise in both run and pass protection.
“He played a hell of a game, him and Herbig both,” starting right tackle Lane Johnson said of Pryor. “When something like that happens, you got to have short-term memory. It is what it is. You can’t go back and change it. Sometimes stuff like that, you learn the most from.”
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