Several key players for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears are dealing with injuries ahead of their upcoming Black Friday game.
For the Eagles, safety Reed Blankenship exited Sunday’s game in Dallas after sustaining a hamstring injury. He described his condition as “a little sore, but it’s part of (football).” Blankenship said he would have been a limited participant if the team had practiced on Tuesday, though only a walkthrough was held. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio expects Blankenship to play against the Bears.
Rookie Andrew Mukuba, who replaced Blankenship during Sunday’s game, suffered an ankle injury on the final drive and is expected to miss some time. Head Coach Nick Sirianni stated Monday that Mukuba will “be out for some time.” Sydney Brown is set to start alongside Blankenship in the secondary. Brown commented on stepping into this role: “I’m just owning my role and doing what I need to do to be successful. It’s going to be amazing. It’s what I came here to do. I’m just embracing the opportunity for what it is. I feel horrible for Drew. He’s been having a great season so far. Doing a really good job in the secondary as a safety. I hate to see that as a young player. I can relate to him because I went through it. I know what he’s going through is a tough process, but he’s going to get through it and he’s going to be back.”
In addition, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson would have been a full participant Tuesday but remains under gameday concussion protocol evaluation following an injury sustained last week. If Jackson is not cleared before Friday’s game, Cooper DeJean may move from nickelback to outside cornerback while Michael Carter II could fill in at slot cornerback.
Blankenship praised Carter’s adaptability: “He’s very, very smart. He can play any position,” he said of Carter. “In the meeting room, he’s asking high-level questions and that’s what you want. He’s only been here for a couple of weeks and it feels like he’s been here for a long time just based off what he’s asking and what he’s doing on the practice field. If he has to play a lot, we’re very confident in that.”
Other Eagles who would not have participated Tuesday include punt returner Xavier Gipson (shoulder), defensive end Brandon Graham (groin), tackle Lane Johnson (foot), and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (shoulder/chest). Running back Saquon Barkley (groin), guard Landon Dickerson (knee), and Blankenship himself were listed as limited participants.
On the Bears’ side, two defensive backs—Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson—are close to returning from Injured Reserve status after missing significant time due to injuries earlier this season; both would have fully participated had there been regular practice Tuesday.
Gordon has played only two games this year due to hamstring and calf injuries while Johnson has appeared once because of groin issues; their possible returns come as other members of Chicago’s defense remain sidelined or questionable due to various injuries.
Former Eagle linebacker T.J. Edwards remains out with hand and hamstring issues along with several other Bears defenders including Ruben Hyppolite II (shoulder), Luke Newman (foot), Dominique Robinson (concussion), Noah Sewell (elbow) and Tyrique Stevenson (hip). Left tackle Theo Benedet appears likely to return after missing last week’s win over Pittsburgh with a quad injury.
Both teams conducted walkthroughs instead of standard practices on Tuesday; thus all participation designations are estimates rather than official reports.
