Six Philadelphia Eagles players were listed as Did Not Participate on Thursday’s injury report, setting up a brutal Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. The report is a gut punch, with Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith headlining a growing list of major concerns for the Birds. This team is banged up, and going into an international game shorthanded is never a good look.
Who’s Even Left to Play?
Let’s break down the damage. Saquon Barkley is reportedly “week-to-week” with a hamstring injury, and yeah, he’s definitely on track to miss Sunday’s game. That’s a massive blow. The Eagles are left with Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce at running back. Head coach Nick Sirianni will have to decide if they’re comfortable with just two backs or if they’ll elevate either Carson Steele or Jaydon Blue from the practice squad for another option. Then there’s DeVonta Smith, who’s tracking to miss his second straight game, also with a hamstring issue. Not ideal at all. He *might* be able to suit up for Week 6, but that’s a whole other game.
The injury report keeps piling up: Jonathan Greenard is set to miss his third game this season, though he also might be able to return next week. Until then, it’s Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Arnold Ebiketie, and A.J. Epenesa holding down the edge rush duties. Marcus Epps is probably going to miss his second straight start, meaning Michael Carter II will likely play safety next to Andrew Mukuba in nickel packages, with Cooper DeJean stepping in next to Mukuba in base defense. And Hollywood Brown, man, he’s set to miss his third game in a row. Get this, he didn’t even play in Week 1 despite being active, so he’ll have zero snaps in four out of five games so far. It’s a rough start to the season for him.
The O-Line Mayhem That No One Saw Coming
Perhaps the most surprising news from Thursday’s practice involves the offensive line. Center Drew Kendall missed two straight practices with a knee injury, which pretty much screams that he won’t be playing against the Jags. With Sirianni’s supposed “competitive advantage” obsession, you’d think they’d keep this under wraps, but practice squad interior offensive lineman Jake Majors was getting first-team center reps during the media-attended part of practice. If that’s what we’re actually looking at for Sunday, the Eagles’ offensive line could roll out like this: Jordan Mailata at left tackle, Willie Lampkin at left guard, Jake Majors at center, Tyler Steen at right guard, and Markel Bell at right tackle. Yikes! Fred Johnson and Micah Morris are the only backup offensive linemen on the roster right now, with Majors being one of four practice squad blockers. That’s a lot of unexpected faces protecting the quarterback in a crucial game.
Oh, and Dontayvion Wicks is a new addition to the report, listed under Limited Participation alongside Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Dallas Goedert, and Fred Johnson. We’ll have to see what that means for his availability.
So, the Eagles are heading to London with a major chunk of their starting lineup sidelined or hobbled. They’re facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5, and with so many key players out, it’s going to be a real test of their depth and coaching. Who steps up in Saquon and Smitty’s absence? Can a new-look offensive line hold its own? This game is going to tell us a lot about what kind of team the Eagles are this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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