Getty The Eagles are expected to activate veteran Richard Rodgers to the 53-man roster for the playoffs.
The tight end position has been an under-the-radar concern for the Philadelphia Eagles this summer. Well, they can sleep a little easier tonight after veteran backup Richard Rodgers passed his physical.
On Wednesday, the team activated Rodgers from the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list. The 30-year-old had been placed there on July 27 with an undisclosed injury after reporting to training camp. Rodgers is eligible to practice immediately.
The 6-foot-4, 257-pounder isn’t expected to have a major role (if any) this season, but his presence fills a need. He has 147 career receptions for 1,529 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight NFL seasons during stints in Green Bay and Philadelphia.
The Eagles don’t have much depth behind starting tight end Dallas Goedert, not with Tyree Jackson recovering from ACL surgery. Jack Stoll – a surprise standout early in camp – has been the primary backup, with Noah Togiai and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside behind him.
#Eagles TE Jack Stoll just executed a perfect block as Jalen Hurts fed DeVonta Smith on the WR screen. During a real game, Smith would’ve been gone for 6.
Stoll shoved two defenders out of the way, and Smith had green grass all in front of him.
Meanwhile, rookie Grant Calcaterra pulled a hamstring and has missed two straight practices. Look for an injury update on the sixth-round pick when the team returns to the practice field on Thursday.
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Eagles Elevated Rodgers Prior to Wild-Card Game
Rodgers spent the majority of the 2021 campaign on the practice squad, but Jackson’s injury in Week 18 forced the veteran tight end into action. The Eagles elevated Rodgers prior to taking on Tampa Bay in the wild-card playoff loss last season.
The big news of the NFL today: Eagles TE Richard Rodgers passed his physical.
Rodgers will soon be on the field for his 5th season with the Eagles.
Rodgers was active for that contest where he saw 27 total snaps. Prior to the game, head coach Nick Sirianni talked about the trust the team has in Rodgers.
“As far as the plan for the tight ends, I think Richard Rodgers has done a good job every time he’s got an opportunity to play. He brings good veteran leadership,” Sirianni said at the time. “He brings great ability to block, not only in the first level, but at the second level as well, and so he’ll be the one that’s elevated up and ready to go.”
Jalen Hurts Not Supplying Any Mottos
Jalen Hurts has provided his fair share of fun analogies and metaphors in his two-plus years as the starting quarterback. A lot of those mind-twisting messages have been borrowed from Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
But Hurts didn’t want to tag the Eagles with a certain motto or mindset heading into the 2022 season. He’s taking everything one day at a time, striving for greatness brick by brick as the team lays the foundation.
“We are the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles, there ain’t much more to it,” Hurts told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro. “We are who we are and we’re going to embrace that. And we’re going take it day by day, and get better every day, you know what I mean? That’s who we are.”
“Effort will never be questioned.”
@jalenhurts sat down with @EaglesInsider for an exclusive one-on-one.