The Philadelphia Eagles are 6-2 and riding a four-game winning streak into a road trip against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. While the Eagles are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, they are dealing with a few injuries ahead of a crucial stretch in Philadelphia’s regular-season schedule.
If the Eagles want to win the NFC East, they’ll need to extend their current winning streak in Dallas and beyond. Can Philadelphia overcome a lengthy injury report and win on the road against a division rival? We’ll find out in Week 10.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith Doesn’t Practice, Dallas Goedert Returns
After missing three consecutive games, Eagles starting tight end Dallas Goedert was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. Philadelphia’s backup TE Grant Calcaterra filled in admirably during Goedert’s absence, totaling eight receptions for 93 yards over the Eagles’ last three games.
Following practice, Goedert appeared optimistic about his chances to return in Week 10 against the Cowboys. According to Zach Berman of PHLY, Goedert will make his return to action in Dallas for the third consecutive season.
While the Eagles received encouraging news regarding Goedert’s status in practice, the team released a lengthy injury report on Wednesday.
Wednesday's Injury Report#PHIvsDAL pic.twitter.com/dcJ8EQMdDi
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 6, 2024
Eagles linebacker/fullback Ben VanSumeren did not participate in practice due to a concussion, which he suffered against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. Yet, the absences of DeVonta Smith and Nolan Smith were unexpected.
Considering that star wide receiver A.J. Brown missed multiple games due to a hamstring injury earlier this season, it’s certainly concerning to see DeVonta Smith miss practice due to the same injury designation.
Luckily for the Eagles, Brown was a limited participant during Wednesday’s practice. He initially suffered a knee injury against the Jaguars that forced him to miss time during the game. While there were initially concerns that Brown could miss additional games due to the injury, he appears on track to play in Week 10.
Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley Rest Ahead of Difficult Slate
Philadelphia’s lengthy injury report included nine starters listed as limited participants. Among those players, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley were listed due to rest.
Given Philadelphia’s upcoming slate of games, it makes sense for the Eagles to take advantage of resting starters whenever they can. They visit the Cowboys on Sunday before hosting the Washington Commanders four days later on Thursday Night Football.
Two divisional matchups within five days is quite a difficult stretch for the Eagles. While the Cowboys are expected to miss several starters in Week 10, including star quarterback Dak Prescott, it’s never easy to win a divisional game on the road.
According to multiple reports, Hurts arrived to practice late after talking with trainers. Upon stepping on the practice field, he was spotted talking to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, likely informing him of his limited participation status.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has not worked during the individual drills. When he came on the field, he spoke briefly to head coach Nick Sirianni, stretched, and watched from the side pic.twitter.com/tNOA6AzMUg
— Chris Franklin (@cfranklinnews) November 6, 2024
Hurts spoke with reporters after practice and stated that he is healthy and was limited due to a scheduled rest day. “I just do what I’m told,” he said when asked why he rested during Wednesday’s practice.
While Hurts deserved a rest day, no player on the Eagles is more deserving of a rest day than Barkley. In Week 9, Philadelphia’s star RB had 30 total touches for 199 total yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars.
Prior to practice, Sirianni was asked about monitoring Barkley’s workload following his performance last week.
“You try to take care of them and do what you need to do to win each and every football game,” Sirianni said. “You try to take care of them throughout the week.”
It’s clear that the Eagles were taking care of several starters during Wednesday’s practice. We’ll continue to monitor the status of Philadelphia’s star players as the week progresses.