Eagles Make Devastating Roster Move on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 4:22 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX to conclude the 2024 season, and are off to a 3-0 start to the 2025 NFL regular season. The team's latest win came in a rematch of last season's NFC Divisional round game against the Los Angeles Rams, who the Eagles beat 33-26.

While quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense get much of the shine, the defense has been impressive this season. They are tied for No. 7 in the NFL in touchdowns allowed in the red zone, giving up a touchdown just 44.4% of the time, and are also tied for No. 6 in turnovers forced this season with three.

However, in the teams victory of the Los Angeles Rams, Nick Sirianni's defense lost a key player on that side of the ball that will not be returning anytime soon.

As announced by the team on Wednesday, they have placed second-year linebacker Nolan Smith on the injured reserve list.

The 24-year-old linebacker strained his triceps against the Rams, which comes after he had surgery on the same triceps back in February.

The second-year linebacker whom the Eagles drafted with the No. 30 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft had 10 total tackles and a forced fumble on the season. According to PFF, he graded as the No. 35 player at his position through three games, posting an overall grade of 74.0.

As a result, the Eagles did add linebacker Lance Dixon to the practice squad.

The defending Super Bowl champs, who ESPN ranked as having the No. 4 strength of schedule, will continue to fight the gauntlet that they have to open the year. They will face off against another undefeated team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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