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NFL Injury Updates: Eagles QB, Ford, Watts

December 29th, 2024 at 9:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles were able to pull out a dominant win over the Cowboys today despite playing nearly the entire second half with a third-string quarterback. Philadelphia started Kenny Pickett this week as usual starter Jalen Hurts continues to sit with a concussion, but rib injuries ended up taking Pickett out of the game, forcing Tanner McKee to make his NFL debut in the win.

Pickett came into the game with some rib issues, necessitating pain relief injections both before the game and at halftime. After taking a shot to the ribs early in the second half, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Pickett left the game headed for the X-ray room and did not return to the game.

McKee finished a game that was already very much out of hand, completing three of four passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns in his first game action after getting drafted in the sixth round last year. At 13-3, the Eagles are locked into the 2-seed. Even if the Lions lose tomorrow night, the No. 1 overall seed will be decided in the Vikings’ trip to Detroit next week. The loser will get the 5-seed, and Philadelphia will be the second-best division-winner no matter what.

With that in mind, it would be no surprise to see McKee start week 18 against the Giants. The team is risking nothing but further injury, and they’d likely be thankful for the opportunity to give both the starter, Hurts, and the primary backup, Pickett, an extra week of recovery.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Browns continue to deal with injuries in the offensive backfield. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and starting running back Nick Chubb are on injured reserve, and backup quarterback Jameis Winston was ruled out with a right shoulder injury before today’s game. Late in the first half of today’s loss to the Dolphins, Cleveland saw another backfield offensive player go down when running back Jerome Ford was landed on by right tackle Jack Conklin, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. Ford appeared to suffer an injury to his right foot and/or ankle and did not return for the remainder of the game. The Browns finished the game with Pierre Strong and D’Onta Foreman at running back. With the final game of the season coming against one of the league’s top rushing defenses in Baltimore, Cleveland may be fielding a third-string quarterback and running back in their season finale.
  • The Giants saw veteran defensive tackle Armon Watts suffer what looked to be a serious knee injury today, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The cart was immediately rushed out for Watts, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. While not likely to join IR like so many other defensive linemen on the team, Watts may have seen his last action of the season, regardless.

Eagles Activate Bryce Huff From IR

December 28th, 2024 at 5:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Eagles have activated defensive end Bryce Huff from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Huff landed on IR on November 22 with a wrist injury that required surgery. He was designated to return on December 18 and suffered no setbacks in his two weeks of practice, setting him up to return to the lineup on Sunday against the Cowboys.

The Eagles will be hoping that Huff can be more effective heading towards the playoffs than he was to start the year. After a career-high 10.0 sacks in 2023 earned him a three-year, $51MM deal in free agency, Huff only recorded 2.5 sacks over his first 10 games in Philadelphia. His snap count already began to decrease before his injury, but fellow edge rusher Brandon Graham has since gone down with a triceps tear. Huff’s veteran teammate might be able to return deep in the playoffs, but until then, the Eagles will need Huff to recapture some of his 2023 form.

Huff’s activation was one of several Eagles roster moves on Saturday; the team also waived defensive end Charles Harris to make room for Huff on the 53-man roster. With Jalen Hurts sidelined, the Eagles promoted Ian Book from the practice squad to the active roster so he can serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback.

Wide receiver Britain Covey was placed on injured reserve for the second time this year, ending his regular season. Covey will be eligible to return in the playoffs if the Eagles make the NFC Championship game. Running back Tyrion Davis-Price and linebacker Dallas Gant were also elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys.

Eagles To Start Kenny Pickett In Week 17

December 27th, 2024 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:37pm: The Eagles have indeed ruled Hurts out for their matchup with the Cowboys, according to the team’s official injury report. Pickett is expected to start with McKee backing him up. Book could be a gameday elevation to serve as an emergency third quarterback.

11:00am: Jalen Hurts sustained a concussion last week, and it does not look like he will be ready to return Sunday. Nick Sirianni said Friday (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane) that Hurts looks unlikely to play in Week 17.

This would lead to Kenny Pickett making his first start since midway through last season. Benched and then traded by the Steelers, Pickett replaced Hurts in Week 16 — a shootout loss that ended the Eagles’ lengthy win streak — and picked up a rib injury in the process. This led to the Eagles adding a reinforcement (Ian Book) at QB, but Pickett logged a full practice Thursday and would be good to replace Hurts if/when that time comes this week.

As Hurts did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, Pickett moved from limited to full participation over the past two days. The Eagles appear set to avoid a scenario in which they would need to go to third-stringer Tanner McKee, but the Hurts-to-Pickett drop-off keyed the team’s loss to the Commanders. That defeat dropped the Eagles to 12-3, in a year in which three defeats might not be good enough to land the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The winner of Week 18’s Vikings-Lions rematch may well obtain that coveted perch, but the Eagles have a bigger concern in the short term.

As Hurts closes out his fourth season as Philly’s starter, he has done well to rebound from an inconsistent 2023 campaign — one marred by a leg injury the QB played through. Hurts has been available throughout this season, accounting for 32 touchdowns (an NFL-high 14 rushing) and just five interceptions. This came after the one-time 2022 MVP frontrunner — before a late-season shoulder injury — threw 15 INTs last season. Hurts left Sunday’s game in the first half, and the Eagles blew a 14-point lead.

Philly and Pittsburgh agreed to the Pickett trade not long after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson. Disappointed by both the way his 2023 season ended and the Steelers replacing him with Wilson, Pickett was eager for a fresh start. He could not live up to his No. 20 overall draft slot in Pittsburgh and finished his second season on the bench behind Mason Rudolph. A sprained ankle initially sidelined Pickett in Week 12 of last season; he did not play again for the Steelers.

Pickett went 14 of 24 for 143 yards last week, throwing a touchdown pass and an interception in Washington. A DeVonta Smith drop cost the Eagles dearly, preceding the Commanders’ game-winning drive. That sequence, in what has been a top-heavy NFL year, may plant the Eagles as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. With the current format no longer giving second-seeded squads a bye, Hurts would have two weeks to be ready for a wild-card game.

Recoveries from concussions obviously vary, but this timetable would make Hurts a fairly safe bet of being cleared in time for the Eagles’ playoff opener. Sunday’s Cowboys rematch, however, will give Pickett another opportunity. The Eagles have the 2022 first-rounder signed through next season.

Eagles To Bring Back QB Ian Book

December 26th, 2024 at 10:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Dealing with multiple injuries at quarterback, the Eagles hosted Ian Book on a visit. That meeting will lead to a free agency addition. Book is signing with Philadelphia.

This is a practice squad deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. With Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol and backup Kenny Pickett dealing with a rib injury, the Eagles are suddenly vulnerable at the game’s most important position. Book profiles as insurance.

Book is making a return trip to Philly, having been with the team for just more than a year earlier in his career. The Eagles claimed Book off waivers from the Saints in August 2022 and carried him until moving on in August 2023. He will join Tanner McKee as healthy Philly QBs presently.

As he goes through the protocol, Hurts did not practice Wednesday. His availability for Week 17 is up in the air. Pickett logged a limited session on Christmas Day, but the former Steelers starter-turned-Hurts backup did not make it through his first extended 2024 appearance unscathed. McKee did not see any game action, but he would be the next man up if both Philadelphia’s starter and backup could not go against the Cowboys. The Eagles drafted McKee in the 2023 sixth round.

The Saints made Book a 2021 fourth-round pick, and he made an emergency start that season. A Saints team wrecked by COVID-19 turned to Book in a Monday-night outing against the Dolphins. It did not go well for the hosts that night, as Book threw two interceptions during the short-notice start. The Notre Dame alum has not played in a regular-season game since. The Eagles rostered him during their 2022 Super Bowl LVII season but did not keep him for the 2023 season, having drafted McKee to play behind Hurts and Marcus Mariota.

Book, 26, has bounced from the Saints to the Eagles to the Patriots to the Chiefs. He has not been with a team since being cut by Kansas City in August. To make room on their practice squad, the Eagles released DB Tariq Castro-Fields. The team also signed running back Lew Nichols to its P-squad.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 24th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.

The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.

Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New York Giants (2-13)
  2. New England Patriots (3-12)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
  7. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-11)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-11)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
  13. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
  15. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
  17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
  19. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
  20. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  21. Houston Texans (9-6)
  22. Denver Broncos (9-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
  24. Washington Commanders (10-5)
  25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
  26. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
  27. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
  30. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/24

December 24th, 2024 at 6:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor NFL moves, including elevations for tomorrow’s Christmas Day doubleheader:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles 

San Francisco 49ers

The Cardinals – who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday – will close out the season without either of their starting tackles. Both Johnson and Williams are dealing with knee injuries, and they will be shut down for the remainder of the campaign. The former was a full-time starter as a rookie last year and made 14 appearances in 2024 upon switching to the blindside. Williams signed a one-year deal in free agency to handle RT duties, but two separate knee ailments will limit him to six games played this year. The 27-year-old’s free agent stock will take a hit as a result.

Wallace has made 13 appearances in 2024, his first season with the Broncos. The veteran has handled part-time defensive duties along the way, while also chipping in on special teams. As Denver returns to health at the CB spot, though, Wallace will hit the waiver wire. Should he clear, head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos would like to re-sign him via a practice squad deal (h/t Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).

Fashanu exited the Jets’ Week 16 contest on crutches, and it was recently reported he would miss the rest of the season as a result. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Tuesday surgery to repair the first-round rookie’s plantar fascia would be needed, but the team has since clarified a procedure will not take place. Fashanu is expected to recover in full through rehab.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Suffers Concussion

December 22nd, 2024 at 6:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles suffered their first loss since September today, falling for just the third time this season at the hands of the division-rival Commanders. While Washington finally earned a win over a team with a current winning record, many will likely put an asterisk on the result because Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts only played for one and a half drives.

Hurts exited the game early in the first quarter after Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner brought him down following a 13-yard run. As Hurts was taken to the ground, his helmet made solid contact with the turf, triggering the officials to pull him off the field before the next play. This forced Philadelphia to send in backup passer Kenny Pickett, and shortly after, Hurts was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a concussion.

Concussions aren’t usually reported on too heavily. This is partially due to the fact that the range of recovery times for concussions is a wide span. We’ve seen plenty of players go through the NFL’s concussion protocol in days and not miss any time. This year, though, we’ve frequently seen examples of concussions landing player on injured reserve. If the severity of Hurts’ injury is anywhere near the latter situation, that could prove detrimental for the Eagles.

This is just speculation, as we won’t know the full situation until further tests are run. Should the injury affect Hurts’ availability in the coming weeks, it could cost Philadelphia a chance at a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs. And if he’s forced to miss more than two weeks, he could miss time in the playoffs, as well. The team is one win (or one Commanders loss) away from securing a home playoff game, so they may not be able to afford to rest Hurts, despite their remaining two games being against the banged-up Cowboys and the lowly Giants.

A little rest could do Hurts some good, though, as a recent report from John Clark of NBC Philadelphia discloses that a broken finger on Hurts’ left hand has been affecting his play, mostly his ball security. The division-winners that currently hold the 3- and 4-seeds in the NFC won’t be able to catch up to the Eagles’ 12 wins, so if Philadelphia is willing to accept the 2-seed behind Detroit (the Lions only need one win in their final two games to secure home-field advantage for the playoffs) they may be able to allow Hurts some time for rest and recovery.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24

December 21st, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/24

December 18th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Designate Bryce Huff For Return

December 18th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles generated interesting defensive end news Tuesday, with a Brandon Graham return in a Super Bowl appearance now on the radar. Through a shorter-term lens, the 12-2 team is close to having another key piece back.

Bryce Huff is returning to practice; the Eagles have started his 21-day activation clock. Philadelphia lost Huff in November, as a wrist surgery shut him down. The free agency addition has not yet clicked with his new team, but with Graham out for an extended period, any help will be appreciated from a surging team.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Although recent information has pegged the Jets as more interested in keeping Huff than initial reports suggested, the Eagles came in with a strong offer (three years, $51.1MM) early during the legal tampering period. Philly effectively swapped out Haason Reddick for Huff, trading the former to the Jets weeks later. Thus far, neither team has seen much in the way of production from the edge rushers. Reddick has a half-sack in seven games; Huff has 2.5 in 10.

Used as a pass rush specialist in New York, Huff had seen the Eagles reduce his workload before he hit IR. While Huff has yet to eclipse a 54% snap rate in an Eagles game, he logged only 32 defensive snaps over his most recent three games. The fifth-year pass rusher will need to do far more to justify the payday, but with Graham out, a door will be open to more work following this wrist procedure.

Huff finished with a Jets-high 10 sacks last season, helping Robert Saleh‘s third Gang Green defense to a third-place finish in yardage. The Eagles have shown tremendous improvement under Vic Fangio, having recovered from a disastrous 2023 finish on defense. After cratering during last season’s second half, Philly’s defense leads the NFL in points and yardage allowed. Huff will rejoin Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith on the edge for the Eagles, who have managed this remarkable rebound without rivaling the kind of sack production they generated in 2022. Smith’s 3.5 sacks sit second on the team — behind Sweat’s eight.

Philly will need to make it work with Huff, who has $16.75MM in guaranteed base salary on tap in 2025. If Huff’s slow start can be largely traced to this injury, the former Joe Douglas UDFA find could be an interesting wild card as the Eagles make a push to claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the second time in three years.

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