We knew that The Eagles were battered and bruised as they started their weeks preparation for the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but we didn’t know just how badly. The extent of the teams injury problems was revealed today when seven players missed practice.
As expected, one of those was Quarterback Sam Bradford. After an AC Joint sprain and undergoing concussion protocol, Bradford still showed up to practice, he just didn’t take part. His arm wasn’t in a cast or a sling which is certainly an encouraging sign, but it’s still far too soon to estimate a date of return.
Another player who wasn’t fully active in practice was Jason Peters. Peters is still dealing with the back injury sustained a few weeks back and it remains unclear just when we will see him return to action.
Surprisingly, Connor Barwin missed practice for the first time this season. He isn’t showing on any injury report showed no sign of slowing down against Miami, being credited half a sack and five tackles. Bleeding Green Nation suggest this could just be a rest day. Walter Thurmond is predicted to be missing for the same reason. A huge game from him saw a leap of faith on Tannehill to give the team a safety and add to one of his six tackles on the day.
Jerome Couplin also missed practice after rumours of him potentially being placed on injured reserve start to intensify. The team worked out eight free agents yesterday so could already be looking for a replacement.
Ryan Mathews suffered a concussion on Sunday Night which means he could be absent from practice for a few days as he passes through the NFL’s concussion protocol. It’s not yet known if he will play this weekend.
Finally backup lineman Josh Andews didn’t practice after suffering a concussion last week, seeing depth at the position reduced even more.
It’s fair to say the Eagles have taken some hard knocks this week and it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few days as they prepare to host the Bucs.
Be sure to check back regularly for the latest Eagles news.
