Getty Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat ranks third on the team in sacks (6) this year.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson updated the status on two key defensive players on Wednesday. First, the bad news: defensive end Josh Sweat is out with a wrist injury.
Sweat left last week’s game late in the first quarter and never returned to the field. The 251-pounder saw just four snaps on the afternoon, with Genard Avery (12 snaps) taking over his role as the team’s third edge rusher. He was recovering from “being chipped” in Week 14. Sweat had been enjoying a breakout season in his third year in the league, racking up six sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 38 total tackles (nine for loss). He ranks third on the team in total sacks.
Meanwhile, the Eagles will be getting shutdown cornerback Darius Slay back after he cleared the NFL’s strict concussion protocol. Slay, who was hurt in Week 14, missed last week’s game and watched Michael Jacquet and Kevon Seymour fill-in on the outside. DeAndre Hopkins burned the Eagles’ secondary for 196 yards in that one. Slay will draw the tough task of traveling with Dallas Cowboys stud Amari Cooper this week. He is still searching for his first interception in midnight green after signing a $50 million deal in the offseason.
#Eagles injuries updates: DE Josh Sweat (wrist) is OUT. CB Darius Slay (concussion) is good to go. WR Jalen Reagor will play. Punter Cameron Johnston is in concussion protocol. #FlyEaglesFly
Jalen Mills started at safety last week and then moved over to cornerback when Seymour went down with an injury. He’s been thrust into that kind of hybrid role multiple times this year and continues to thrive as a leader on and off the field.
“J is outstanding on the sideline. I mean, he’s intense. He’s competitive. He is always positive,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “I’ve really been impressed by his demeanor. He was a little bit more sort of fiery as a corner and as a one-on-one game out there, but he’s outstanding as a safety when it comes to communication on the sideline.”
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Brandon Graham Talks First Pro Bowl Nod
It took 11 seasons but Brandon Graham is finally heading to his first NFL Pro Bowl. There will be no actual game played due to COVID-19 restrictions but the thrill of “getting up on that well” — the Eagles post pictures of all their Pro Bowl players on a wall in the team facility, near the weight room — has rewarded a career of hard work. Graham discussed how he got the news and what it means to him during a Zoom call with Philly reporters on Wednesday.
“He’s had a long career and he’s been a very good player for a long time, but to get his first Pro Bowl nod, it sort of choked everybody up,” Schwartz said. “I think the fans know what kind of guy he is. He’s persevered through some tough times early in his career. He’s battled some injuries. He’s an incredibly hard worker. He plays with a lot of spirit, all the things that you respect about a player, Brandon Graham personifies. So, for him to get that nod was big.”
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