Eagles injury report: A couple key Eagles return during Dallas week originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
After missing the first practice day of the week, WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring), OLB Nolan Smith (groin) and LB Ben VanSumeren (concussion) all returned to practice on Thursday.
In fact, all 53 players on the active roster appeared to be practicing on Thursday.
DeVonta Smith’s addition to the injury report to start the week was a bit of a surprise. He came up huge in the second half against the Jaguars after A.J. Brown was ruled out with a knee injury. Smith had 78 yards and a touchdown on the Eagles’ 91-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Brown (knee) practiced for the second straight day as well. The Eagles have to be relieved that they avoided a major injury to their Pro Bowl wideout. The Eagles are 1-2 without Brown this year.
It’s also a big deal to get Nolan Smith back after a day off. He has become a big part of the Eagles’ edge rusher rotation.
All of the players who were limited to start the week — RB Saquon Barkley (rest), G Mekhi Becton (ankle), WR AJ Brown (knee), DE Bryce Huff (wrist), QB Jalen Hurts (rest), T Fred Johnson (knee), C Cam Jurgens (wrist), CB Darius Slay (groin), WR Ainias Smith (ankle), OLB Josh Sweat (hip), LB Jeremiah Trotter (hip) — were practicing again on Thursday.
Hurts was throwing during the early portion of practice open to reporters after a rest day on Wednesday.
Since Jordan Mailata (hamstring) has been on IR the last three games, the Eagles have been starting Fred Johnson at left tackle. Johnson is dealing with a left knee injury he suffered during the Jaguars game. During early O-line drills, Johnson eventually took some reps but after his knee brace was adjusted.
It’s worth noting that the Eagles got Mekhi Becton some reps at left tackle during this period. While Becton is the normal starter at right guard, he would be an option to replace Johnson if he can’t go and then Tyler Steen would replace Becton at right guard. It seems like the Eagles are preparing for that possibility. Their other option would be to play Jack Driscoll at left tackle.
While it’s rare in the last few years for a player to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol from Sunday to Sunday, it’s a good sign that VanSumeren is practicing because it means he’s moving through the protocol. He hasn’t played at all on defense this year but is a major special teams contributor and has carved out a role as a fullback in a limited package on offense.
The Eagles made a practice squad roster move on Thursday. They released fourth-string quarterback Will Grier and signed edge rusher Tarron Jackson. The Eagles initially drafted Jackson in the sixth round back in 2021. He played in three games for Carolina this season.
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