Andre’ Sam’s bid for a roster spot took a painful turn Friday night, ending with the Eagles safety being carted off the field in the third quarter of the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Sam had been all over the field before the injury, building the kind of performance that can force a coaching staff to take notice. He went down after helping on a tackle of Bengals running back Kentrel Bullock, and trainers worked on him for a while as his teammates knelt nearby.
The scene got heavier when the medical cart came out. Sam was helped onto it by teammates and taken off the field to cheers from the Eagles crowd.
Before leaving, Sam had put together a stat line that matched the energy he was playing with: two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and three tackles against Cincinnati. He was around the football constantly, turning in the sort of night that made him look like a real long shot worth watching.
That was especially true given where he stood coming into the game. Sam, who went undrafted in 2024, has spent the past two seasons on the Eagles’ practice squad. But he had been making noise all summer at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, and Friday was another strong step in a late push for the 53-man roster.
The path was always steep. The Eagles are set to keep safeties Drew Mukuba, Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II, and with Sunday’s cutdown deadline approaching, Sam had been viewed as a dark horse for one of the final spots.
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James-Newby and Wisniewski are among the rookies sitting in a far less secure position, with the roster squeeze leaving them vulnerable to a cut or a move to the practice squad. Injuries and what these players have shown in preseason action are both part of the equation, but the Eagles also have to decide how much patience they want to extend with prospects who may need time before they can contribute. For a team trying to stay strong now while also thinking ahead, the back end of the roster is where those decisions get toughest. [Read more 🡒]