The Eagles’ first injury report of the week came with a long list on Wednesday, and the biggest names on it were exactly the ones Philadelphia can least afford to lose heading into its Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Seven players were held out of practice altogether: Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Drew Kendall, Jonathan Greenard, Jihaad Campbell, Marcus Epps, and Hollywood Brown.
Barkley’s status is the most straightforward of the bunch. He hurt his hamstring in the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and is reportedly “ week-to-week.”
He should be unavailable against the Jaguars, though he’s not expected to go on injured reserve. That suggests Philadelphia is expecting him back before he’d have to miss four games.
With Barkley likely out and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve, the Eagles are down to Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce at running back, with Pierce getting called up from the practice squad on Wednesday. Carson Steele and Jaydon Blue are still on the practice squad as well.
Smith also missed practice, and he was spotted stretching on the sideline while the rest of the team went through warmups. The expectation here looks like a missed game this week, with a possible return in Week 6.
There’s also a new issue along the offensive line. Kendall’s knee injury wasn’t on the radar before Wednesday, and if he can’t go, the Eagles would be looking at their third different starting center in five games.
Willie Lampkin could end up at center, with Fred Johnson, Jake Majors, or Micah Morris at left guard. That’s far from an ideal setup.
Greenard’s ankle injury came out of Week 4, and he’s reportedly “ day-to-day,” which is usually less serious than “week-to-week.” The next checkpoint is Thursday’s practice. If he’s still out then, Sunday probably becomes a tough ask, though Week 6 could be in play.
Campbell was listed with a knee injury, and if he can’t suit up, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. looks like the likely replacement. There’s already been chatter about Trotter Jr. getting more run, and when asked about him earlier this week, Fangio said he “played very well.” Asked if Trot Jr. deserves more playing time, Fangio replied: “Possibly, yeah.”
Epps could be headed for a second straight missed game. If that happens, Michael Carter II would likely handle safety duties in the Eagles’ nickel looks alongside Andrew Mukuba, while Cooper DeJean remains at safety in base defense. Kenny Moore II is also in the mix as depth while he gets more comfortable at his new spot.
Brown appears on track to miss a third consecutive game. If he’s still not ready in Week 6, it would leave Philadelphia with a roster spot tied up by a player who might as well have been placed on injured reserve to cover four games. If Brown and Smith both sit, the receiver group would be Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, Britain Covey, and Elijah Moore.
There were some brighter signs on the limited side. Quinyon Mitchell, Zack Baun, Dallas Goedert, and Fred Johnson were all listed as limited participants.
Mitchell’s knee injury from Week 4 kept him from returning to that game, but he may be trending toward playing this week, or at the latest next week. If he can’t go, Jonathan Jones would start in his place.
Baun missed Week 4 while in concussion protocol, so getting him onto the field in a limited capacity is a positive step. If he clears the final hurdles, he and Trotter Jr. could start at off-ball linebacker, which would be a welcome boost for the defense.
Goedert practiced for the first time since his Week 2 knee injury, and he has a chance to play against Jacksonville. If he’s active, the Eagles could carry four tight ends on Sunday: Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Zach Ertz, and E.J.
Jenkins. That would make for an interesting snap distribution.
Fred Johnson was back after missing the last two games. With Markel Bell seemingly set to start for the recently retired Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson could serve as the swing tackle behind Bell and Jordan Mailata. He also could be asked to fill in at guard if Kendall can’t play and Lampkin shifts to center.
Jacksonville had a much shorter report. The Jaguars were missing only one player: starting safety Eric Murray, who is in concussion protocol.
They had seven players listed as limited, including Pro Bowl pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen. The rest of that group - Montaric Brown, DaVon Hamilton, Anton Harrison, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, Cole Van Lanen, LeQuint Allen Jr., and Jakobi Meyers - could still be in line to play Sunday, depending on how the next two days go.
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Stephen A. Smith only added to the controversy when he criticized the timing of Johnsons move, drawing a swift backlash from around the Eagles orbit. Former teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson was among those who pushed back publicly, and the response was strong enough that Smith later apologized. Even in a league that rarely slows down for anything, this became one of those moments that reminded everyone how quickly a football story can turn into a bigger conversation about respect, judgment and where the line is when it comes to mental health. [Read more 🡒]