The Eagles once again failed to lock up the top spot in the NFC today, and they are facing injury questions with another key player.
Defensive end Josh Sweat was unavailable for much of the contest against the Saints due to a neck injury which required him to be taken to hospital.
Sweat suffered the injury while making a tackle on New Orleans fullback Adam Prentice, but was motionless on the field immediately after the play and for several minutes afterward.
ESPN’s Tim McManus notes that Sweat was carted off the field and taken to hospital as a result of the injury. Not long after he arrived, a team announcement indicated that he had movement in all of his extremities.
The hospital evaluation was deemed precautionary, the Eagles also stated. Per the latest update, he will be released later Sunday, an encouraging sign for Sweat.
The 25-year-old is less than one calendar year removed from a life-threatening medical condition which emerged during the postseason and forced him to miss Philadelphia’s first-round matchup with Tampa Bay.
Sweat managed one sack before having to exit the win over the Saints, and the Eagles totaled seven on the day. Philadelphia led the league in that department entering Week 17, in no small part due to the former fourth-rounder’s contributions.
He had posted a career-high 11 sacks before Sunday, which saw him record at least one for the sixth consecutive game. Sweat has also set new personal marks in tackles for loss (15) and quarterback hits (23).
That continues to represent a sold return on investment for the Eagles, given the three-year extension they signed him to last fall.
The Florida State alum was named a Pro Bowler for the first time in 2021, and has once again been a full-time starter on the edge after operating in a rotational role for his first three seasons in the league.
Philadelphia would sorely miss his production if he were to miss next week’s regular season finale (a game which, given this afternoon’s events, still has meaning for the NFC leaders) or any playoff action.
Further updates will be worth watching for given his importance to the Eagles as they prepare for a potential Super Bowl run.
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