Getty The Philadelphia Eagles will be without A.J. Brown in the team's playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without star receiver A.J. Brown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles have ruled Brown out as the team begins its NFL playoff run.
“Eagles’ WR A.J. Brown, who worked hard in his rehab to try to make it back this week, is out for Monday night’s wild-card matchup vs. the Bucs due to his sprained knee, per sources,” Schefter detailed in a January 13, 2024 message on X. “Brown has made enough progress that, if the Eagles advance, he could return for the divisional playoff. But he’s out Monday night.”
All week, it appeared things were trending in this direction for Brown who did not practice. The good news is there appears to be growing optimism that Brown can suit up in the Divisional Round, if the team advances.
Eagles News: A.J. Brown Aiming to ‘Fully Heal’ in Order to Play in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs
The injury bug has hit Philadelphia hard heading into the postseason. DeVonta Smith has also been dealing with an injury, but the Eagles star wideout will be playing against the Bucs.
The news means increased opportunities for former Pro Bowler Julio Jones and Quez Watkins. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Brown’s sprained knee is “not a long-term issue.”
“Source on Brown: ‘He wants to fully heal as much as he can and give it a go next week,'” Fowler noted in a January 13 message on X.
Eagles News: Star QB Jalen Hurts Is Expected to Play vs. Buccaneers
The good news is things are trending in the right direction for Jalen Hurts. The Eagles quarterback is dealing with a finger injury on his throwing hand.
Hurts was able to practice late in the week. Philadelphia receiver Britain Covey described Hurts as “throwing lasers” as the quarterback returned to practice.
“For not throwing yesterday, we were all pretty concerned,” Covey told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think everyone was concerned. And then for him to go out there today and do it the way he did it, it was kind of a sigh of relief from everyone. Including himself I think.”
“… He wasn’t just throwing, he was throwing deep balls, he was throwing lasers,” Covey continued. “I don’t think it will be something that affects him. I haven’t asked him, but just seeing him in person doing it, it was a sigh of relief for all of us.”
Eagles vs. Buccaneers: Computer Projections Give Philly a 69% Chance to Win in Tampa
Brown playing in the Divisional Round necessitates a Philly win in Tampa which is not a guarantee. The Eagles sit as a 2.5-point favorite over the Bucs in the Monday night showdown.
Heavy Sports’ computer projections powered by Quarter4 are bullish on the Eagles chances. These projections has Philadelphia favored by six points. The computer gives the Eagles a 69% chance to win and advance to the next round.
The good news for the injured Eagles playing is that the team benefits from an additional day of rest with the game falling on a Monday. Brown is hoping the team takes care of business so he can play in the Divisional Round.