The Philadelphia Eagles are heading to London with a roster that looks more like a hospital ward than a football team. It is hard to stay above .500 when your best players are all sitting on the sidelines. The loss of key talent makes this Sunday matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars look like an uphill climb for Jalen Hurts.
A depleted offensive core
The news regarding the star players is grim. According to Yahoo Sports, the Eagles verified that wide receiver DeVont Smith and running back Saquon Barkley will sit out. Both players are dealing with hamstring injuries. It is even worse for the running game because Tank Bigsby is already on injured reserve. This leaves the team with very few options to move the ball on the ground.
The wide receiver room is also thin. The team will play without Marquise Brown, who is out with an ankle injury. The Eagles are down to five healthy receivers. Players like Dontayvion Wicks, Darius Cooper, and Makai Lemon will have to carry a much heavier load. Wicks is set to play even though he suffered a hamstring injury on Thursday. Head coach Nick Sirianni praised the toughness of Waks during a Friday morning press conference.
Chaos on the offensive line
The offensive line is currently in a state of total flux. The team is still reeling from the sudden retirement of Lane Johnson on Tuesday. Then, the trade of Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday left a massive hole in the middle of the line. Now, Drew Kendall is also out due to a knee issue. This means the Eagles are essentially playing with their third-string option at center.
Jake Majors will likely take over the starting role in the middle. Per Yahoo Sports, Majors is a 2025 undrafted rookie free agent with no regular season game appearances. He was recently moved up from the practice squad to fill the gap. The team also expects Willie Lampkin to step in at left guard. It is a lot of new faces to ask to protect Jalen Hurts against a tough Jaguars front.
While the offense is struggling, there is a small light at the end of the tunnel. The Eagles are getting some help on the offensive side of the ball. Dallas Goedert has officially returned to action following a two-game absence due to a knee problem.
Defensive shifts
The secondary will look different. Marcus Epps is ruled out with a groin injury. Because of this, the team will start Andrew Mukuba and Cooper DeJean in base packages. However, the defense also gets Zack Baun back after he missed last week’s game against the Rams due to a concussion. The ability to stop the Jaguars will depend on how well these rotating pieces can hold up under pressure.
Injury Report Summary:
- Saquon Barkley: OUT (Hamstring)
- DeVonta Smith: OUT (Hamstring)
- Marquise Brown: OUT (Ankle)
- Drew Kendall: OUT (Knee)
- Marcus Epps: OUT (Groin)
- Jonathan Greenard: QUESTIONABLE (Ankle)
