The Philadelphia Eagles are the only undefeated team in football. And look like the most complete team in the league. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, they are dealing with several key injuries on both sides of the football.
Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with a forearm injury and never returned. He downplayed the severity of it when talking to reporters while playfully hijacking James Bradberry’s interview. Turns out, there is no need to panic.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Slay has avoided catastrophe and “did not suffer a major forearm injury.” He could be ready to go in Week 5. Meanwhile, nickel corner Avonte Maddox was ruled out last week with an ankle sprain. He is “up in the air” for this week’s contest in Arizona, per Rapoport.
The Eagles’ offensive line took on a few major hits against Jacksonville. Starting left tackle Jordan Mailata left in the first quarter after injuring his shoulder while chasing down a pick-six. Jack Driscoll replaced him and held his own. The unit also saw starting right guard Isaac Seumalo go down with an ankle injury. Sua Opeta stepped in there. Both players were listed as questionable and never came back.
The team didn’t provide any additional updates immediately following Sunday’s game. Head coach Nick Sirianni did go out of his way to praise the offensive line for staying the course. They gutted it out as the Eagles rumbled for 210 yards on the ground, including 134 from Miles Sanders.
“But our offensive line, I’ll take them over anybody in this league. I love that group. They are gritty. They are grimy. They are tough. They are physical,” Sirianni told reporters. “And we had to play some guys today. You can see how good of a job that Coach Stout [Jeff Stoutland] does of developing guys and getting guys ready to play that might not play. Jack Driscoll, Sua [Opeta], those guys stepped in and did a really nice job.”
Eagles Add Tyrese Robinson to Practice Squad
Mailata underwent an MRI on his injured shoulder on Monday morning. Test results haven’t been leaked at this time. However, the Eagles set off a few alarms about his impending status by making a roster move. They are signing undrafted rookie Tyrese Robinson, according to The Inquirer’s Josh Tolentino.
UPDATE: The Eagles officially announced that Robinson was joining the practice squad. The team listed his position as a guard.
The 6-foot-3, 324-pounder started 38 games at guard and tackle for the University of Oklahoma. He was teammates with Jalen Hurts on the Sooners and started all 14 games during the 2019 campaign. Robinson was considered a “priority free agent” in 2022 after going undrafted. Here is a scouting report, via NFL Media:
He’s got strong hands and a powerful upper body but lacks the bend and base to stay firmly rooted to keep defenders in front of him. When he’s centered up and locked in on the block, the finish is sure to be an aggressive one. Robinson struggles to play with range and control in both phases of blocking and has a very limited ceiling as a pro.
Andre Dillard Close to Returning?
Andre Dillard is nearing the window to return after hitting injured reserve on September 6. His fractured forearm was supposed to sideline him for four to six weeks. Dillard told The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane that he should be back “pretty soon” so that would bode well for the Eagles should Mailata need to miss any extended amount of time. He’s at the five-week mark right now.
Other in-house options at left tackle include rookies Josh Sills (trained at guard) and Cam Jurgens (trained at center). Philadelphia also has Roderick Johnson and Jarrid Williams down on the practice squad.
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Eagles Sign Ex-Oklahoma Standout Amid ‘Up in the Air’ Injury Concern