The Eagles’ week has been anything but quiet, and the latest injury and roster developments only added to the churn.
Jalen Hurts landed on the team’s final injury report with a calf injury, though he was still a full participant and is expected to play. With Philadelphia already dealing with a pile of absences, the margin for error gets even thinner if Hurts is limited. The source report suggests the Eagles may lean away from his running and try to keep him working from the pocket in shotgun to take pressure off the calf.
The offensive line took a major hit, too, with Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens no longer on the roster. Johnson retired from the NFL after 14 seasons with the Eagles, a run that included six Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections and a place among the four Eagles to win the Super Bowl. Jurgens, meanwhile, was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2027 seventh-round pick, with Philadelphia getting a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick in return.
At quarterback, the Andy Dalton experiment is over. The Eagles released Dalton, a move that appears to open roster space and could lead to him returning to the practice squad. Dalton’s lone pass this season ended in an interception in the Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The injuries and departures created opportunities elsewhere. Jake Majors, Carson Steele and Dameon Pierce were elevated from the practice squad for Week 5.
Majors is set to start at center, while Pierce will back up Shipley and Steele is listed as the third-string running back, with a likely role on special teams. The need for help is obvious: Drew Kendall is out with a knee injury, Saquon Barkley is out with a hamstring injury, and Tank Bigsby is on IR with a knee injury.
There was also sad news away from Philadelphia’s immediate roster picture. Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end and head coach, died at 86.
Ditka played for the Eagles in 1967 and 1968, catching 39 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns before finishing his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He later became best known for changing the tight end position and for leading the Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl title.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Sends Strong Message As Pressure Builds On Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts heads into a Week 5 road trip to Jacksonville with the Eagles asking him to manage a lot around him at once. Philadelphia will be without DaVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley, and Hurts has already had to work through injuries along the offensive line, a mix of absences that puts even more on the quarterback as the offense tries to stay on schedule.
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban also weighed in on Hurts, praising his character and resilience while pointing back to the tough path that shaped him. Saban revisited the 2018 national championship benching and said he was proud of how Hurts handled it, a reminder that the Eagles quarterback has already navigated high-pressure moments before and found a way through them. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Offense Is Sliding Into Territory Fans Never Expected
The Eagles offense has drifted into an uncomfortable place this season, the kind of stretch that has longtime observers doing a double take at numbers that used to feel unthinkable in Philadelphia. A team built around high expectations and a star-studded roster is now fighting through consistency issues that go beyond one bad day, and the concern is not just about scoring, but about how often the unit is failing to look like itself at all.
There is also the larger backdrop of the London trip, where the Jaguars have generally handled the spotlight far better than teams arriving with momentum problems of their own. For Philadelphia, the setting adds another layer to an already uneasy picture, especially with so much attention being paid to how the offense is functioning and what kind of correction can realistically come next. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Created A Roster Decision They Can't Put Off
The Eagles added tight end Zach Ertz and offensive tackle John Ojukwu from the practice squad ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Jaguars, a routine-looking move that carries a little more weight than it first appears. For Ertz, it gives Philadelphia another option at tight end for Sunday, while Ojukwu provides needed depth up front as the team shuffles through its game-week preparation.
But the bigger roster question is the one hovering in the background, because Ertzs elevation has now been used up and the Eagles cannot keep leaning on that pathway much longer. At the same time, the team is still working through Lane Johnsons retirement paperwork and the salary-cap mechanics tied to his status, which leaves Philadelphia with more than one roster issue it has to settle before these moves stop being temporary. [Read more 🡒]