Eagles Cut Veteran DB, Sign Jalen Hurts’ Former College Teammate

Getty Ross Pierschbacher has been signed to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

The Philadelphia Eagles have made a few roster moves ahead of their huge Week 11 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.

On November 13, the Eagles added center Ross Pierschbacher to the practice squad in a depth move. It will be his second stint in Philadelphia, as the Eagles also poached Pierschbacher off Washington’s practice squad in December of 2020.

To make room for Pierschbacher on the PS, Philly released veteran cornerback Kindle Vildor, who signed with the team on October 20.

Vildor played in 44 games (22 starts) for the Chicago Bears over the 2020-22 seasons. He landed with the Tennessee Titans earlier this year, but was released after appearing in two games. With his experience, Vildor will likely find a job on another team’s practice squad.

Ross Pierschbacher Has Multiple Ties to the Philadelphia Eagles

After versatile offensive lineman Julian Good-Jones was signed off Philly’s practice squad on November 7, the Eagles were left without an O-lineman on the 16-player group. Adding Pierschbacher changes that. It also gives them another offensive lineman capable of moving around on the line when needed.

Philadelphia’s newest addition to the practice squad also has a few interesting ties to the team’s current roster.

Pierschbacher, 28, played both guard and center at the University of Alabama, where Eagles offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland was part of the group who recruited him. Stoutland served as Bama’s offensive line coach then.

Pierschbacher also has ties to QB1 due to his past with the Crimson Tide. Jalen Hurts was the quarterback for Bama for three seasons, from 2016 until 2018, so Philadelphia’s newest O-lineman shouldn’t have a difficult time getting acclimated. He doesn’t have a lot of NFL experience, but he should be able to perform in a pinch.

“Ross is really smart, can make all the line calls, can play center or guard, either one,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said about Pierschbacher during a Senior Bowl practice back in 2019, via 247 Sports. “He’s got really good feet, he’s got quickness and I think the guy’s going to be a really good player for a long time.”

Ross Pierschbacher: Background & Playing History

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Pierschbacher displayed a respectable versatility on the line in college, playing over 1,600 snaps at left guard, 952 snaps at center and 75 at right guard, according to Pro Football Focus.

A fifth-round draft pick for Washington in 2019, Pierschbacher played in five games as a rookie. He failed to make the active roster in Year 2, getting signed to Washington’s practice squad instead.

After the Eagles nabbed him for part of the 2020 season, he spent his entire 2021 campaign on the New York Jets‘ practice squad.

Pierschbacher landed in Detroit with the Lions the following season in 2022. He alternated between the Lions’ practice squad and the active roster, playing minimally in three games for Detroit (19 special teams snaps).

So far over his NFL career, he has appeared in 11 games, playing on special teams only. It’s unlikely he will see any action for Philadelphia this season, but considering how many injuries the team has dealt with this season, additional depth isn’t a bad thing.