September 28, 2025
The Philadelphia Eagles placed three players — EDGE Nolan Smith, CB Jakorian Bennett, and WR Darius Cooper — on injured reserve this week. The Bucs have been hit hard by injuries so far this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Here's the Eagles' and Buccaneers' inactives, with analysis.
Sam Howell will be the emergency quarterback. Tanner McKee will be the QB2 for the first time this season after fracturing his thumb just before the start of the season.
The Eagles didn't call anyone up from their practice squad for this matchup.
• CB Adoree' Jackson: Jackson suffered a groin injury in the Eagles' Week 3 win over the Rams. It's not serious enough to land him on IR, but he will miss at least this game. Jakorian Bennett suffered a pectoral muscle injury, and is now on IR. Kelee Ringo will likely get the start at corner.
• EDGE Azeez Ojulari: Ojulari was a surprise healthy scratch Week 1, and he has remained inactive in each of the Eagles' first four games.
• OL Drew Kendall: The Eagles apparently like Brett Toth more as the backup center/guard.
• WR Xavier Gipson: The Eagles claimed Gipson off of waivers this week.
• EDGE Nolan Smith (IR, triceps): In 2024, Smith got out to a slow start, but the light seemed to come on for him after the Week 5 bye. In the 15 games he played from October on, Smith had 10.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and he did a lot of the dirty work in the defense like taking on pulling guards and burying them. He also led the NFL with four postseason sacks. He tore his triceps in the Super Bowl.
Smith entered the 2025 as the team's top edge defender. Through three games he has 10 tackles and 0 sacks. He "tweaked" his triceps injury, and will miss at least four weeks on IR.
• LB Nakobe Dean (PUP, knee): Dean tore his patellar tendon in the Eagles' Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers last season. As our Evan Macy detailed back in January, patellar tendon tears are more serious than ACL or Achilles tears. Dean began training camp on the PUP list and remained there to begin the regular season. He will miss the first four games, at a minimum. Rookie Jihaad Campbell is starting opposite Zack Baun, and has played well to begin the season.
• CB Jakorian Bennett (IR, pectoral): The Eagles traded for Bennett in early August at a time when existing corners Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo were struggling during training camp. Jackson ultimately won the CB2 job, but Bennett has filled in for him over Ringo when Jackson has been sidelined with injures during games.
• WR Johnny Wilson (IR, knee, ankle): Wilson is a massive receiver at 6'6, 228 who carved out a dirty work role as a physical blocker his rookie season in 2024, though sometimes he was a little too aggressive, as he committed four penalties (3 holding, 1 OPI). He wasn't much of a threat as a receiver, catching only 5 passes for 38 yards and a TD. He played a little over 400 snaps, and actually started four games.
• WR Darius Cooper (IR, shoulder): Cooper is an undrafted rookie free agent who was able to crack the 53-man roster after an impressive training camp and preseason. He had begun carving out a role as the "dirty work" receiver after Johnny Wilson was lost for the season.
• FB Ben VanSumeren (IR, knee): VanSumeren was poised to take on a bigger role in the Eagles' offense in 2025 as a full-time fullback, but he tore his patellar tendon on the opening kickoff of the season. His season is over.
Inactives for #PHIvsTB ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bZ25SKWmn9
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 28, 2025
• Evans injured his hamstring in the Bucs' Week 3 win over the Jets, and is going to be out multiple weeks, according to several media reports. He's been an Eagle killer of sorts, though perhaps not on the level of Larry Fitzgerald. In the Eagles' loss to the Bucs last season, Evans had 8 catches for 94 yards and a TD.
• QB Baker Mayfield, LT Tristan Wirfs, WR Chris Godwin, and DL Logan Hall — all starters — were all listed as questionable for this matchup, but they're all good to go.
• DT Calijah Kancey (IR): Kancey suffered a torn pectoral injury, and with be out for months, with a chance to return late in the season or in the playoffs. He led the team with 7.5 sacks last season.
• RT Luke Goedeke (IR): Goedeke is the Bucs' starting RT. Solid, unspectacular fourth-year player who was a second-round pick in 2022. 40 career starts. He was replaced in the lineup by Charlie Heck, a journeyman offensive line reserve who the Bucs signed this offseason.
• RG Cody Mauch (IR): Mauch is the Bucs' starting RG. He was an ascending guard whose season is over with a knee injury. He, too, was a Bucs second-round pick, in 2023. Thirty-six career starts. Against the Jets Week 3, Luke Haggard filled in at RG. That was Haggard's first appearance in an NFL game after signing with the Bucs as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. He did not make the Bucs' 53-man roster out of training camp, but signed back to their practice squad and was called up to the active roster before the Bucs' Week 3 game.
• WR Jalen McMillan (IR): McMillan is a second-year player coming off a productive rookie season, when he had 37 catches for 461 yards and 8 TDs. He has a neck injury suffered during the preseason.
• EDGE David Walker (IR): Walker is a rookie fourth-round pick who might have been a part of the Bucs' edge rusher rotation, but he suffered a torn ACL in training camp.
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