January 13, 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles listed eight players on their initial injury report in advance of their wildcard matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are a healthy team, with only five players on their injury report, and only two notable players on injured reserve.
Here's the Eagles-Buccaneers injury report, with analysis:
| Player | Injury | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Status |
| WR A.J. Brown | Knee | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| S Reed Blankenship | Groin | DNP | DNP | DNP | Questionable |
| S Sydney Brown | Torn ACL | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| QB Jalen Hurts | Finger | Limited | Limited | Full | - |
| WR Britain Covey | Groin | Limited | Full | Full | - |
| WR DeVonta Smith | Ankle | Full | Full | Full | - |
| CB Darius Slay | Knee | Full | Full | Full | - |
| RB D'Andre Swift | Illness | Full | Full | Full | - |
Thursday notes:
• Hurts didn’t throw at all during the brief media-attended portion of practice. That doesn't mean that he didn't throw after we got booted, but we usually see him throw.
• A.J. Brown didn't practice. That's a bad early omen for Monday night. DeVonta Smith looked good doing agility drills. He should be a go.
• Blankenship didn't practice, and Sydney Brown's season is over with the torn ACL. If Blankenship can't go, the Eagles could be starting Tristin McCollum alongside Kevin Byard.
Friday notes:
• Hurts threw during the media-attended portion of practice on Friday. He looked fine throwing it.
• No sign of A.J. Brown.
Saturday notes:
• A.J. Brown was ruled out. 😬
• Blankenship is listed as questionable, but he's more like to miss this game than play in it, given that he hasn't practiced all week.
• LB Nakobe Dean: Entering the 2023 season, Dean was the clear No. 1 linebacker on the roster, as the team was counting on him to take on a much bigger role than what he had as a rookie in 2022. That has not gone to plan, as he landed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury Week 1 against the Patriots. He returned Week 6 and played in four games before again suffering a foot injury that landed him on injured reserve for a second time this season. When he has played, Dean has been fine as a run defender and as a tackler (PFF has him down for 0 missed tackles), but he has struggled in coverage. PFF has him down for 13 completions on 14 targets for 120 yards.
• S Justin Evans: Evans was the Eagles' choice to start opposite Reed Blankenship to begin the 2023 season, as he beat out Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown during training camp for that opportunity. He started four games for the Eagles, and when healthy, was a competent player. He landed on IR with a knee injury, lost his starting job when the Eagles traded for Kevin Byard, and reverted to season-ending IR when he was unable to make progress toward a return.
| Player | Injury | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Status |
| QB Baker Mayfield | Ankle/Ribs | DNP | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| LT Tristan Wirfs | Illness | DNP | Limited | Full | - |
| LB K.J. Britt | Calf | DNP | Limited | Full | Questionable |
| DB Josh Hayes | Quad/Knee | Limited | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| DT Mike Greene | Calf | Full | Full | Full | Out |
| WR Chris Godwin | Knee/Rest | - | DNP | Full | - |
Thursday notes:
• Mayfield is banged up, but he is expected to play. Otherwise, the Bucs are a relatively healthy team.
Friday notes:
• Mayfield practiced, a step in the right direction for him and the Bucs.
• Godwin was an addition to the report, but with a "rest" classification.
Saturday notes:
• Mayfield is "questionable" to play, which raises an eyebrow. Even if he plays (as is still expected) he'll be hampered to some degree by his injuries.
• C Ryan Jensen (IR): During 2022 training camp, Jensen tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, and fractured his tibial head and cartilage, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. He somehow returned to play six months later in the Buccaneers' home playoff loss to the Cowboys, which turned out to be an ill-advised decision to rush back. The Bucs placed Jensen on IR late in August due to complications from his knee surgery:
The #Bucs will place C Ryan Jensen on season-ending Injury Reserve thanks to the complications from the knee injury that robbed him of nearly all of last season, GM Jason Licht announced. The injury is so significant that Jensen likely had played his last down in the NFL.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2023
• WR Russell Gage (IR): Gage is a solid No. 3 receiver who played four years with the Falcons before signing with the Bucs last season. He had 51 catches for 426 yards and 5 TDs in 13 games for Tampa in 2022. Replacing Gage as the No. 3 receiver is sixth-round rookie Trey Palmer, who had 39 catches for 385 yards and 3 TDs during the regular season.
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