Eagles place key defender on IR

Philadelphia Eagles lose key defender for near future

Philadelphia will need to get by without its top edge-rusher for the foreseeable future, however. The team placed Smith on IR on Wednesday, with cornerback Jakorian Bennett joining the young sack artist in being sidelined for at least four games via an IR transition. Philly also placed wide receiver Darius Cooper on IR.

None of these injuries is believed to be season-ending, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s EJ Smith, who adds that surgeries are not expected for Smith, Bennett or Cooper. All would be eligible to return in Week 8, but with the Eagles’ bye in Week 9, an extra recovery week will factor into the club’s decision-making here. Indeed, The Athletic’s Zack Berman indicates the Eagles hope each will be recovered around the bye.

Smith tweaked the triceps injury he had surgically addressed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He suffered a strained triceps muscle in Week 3, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who indicates an injury absence that runs through Philly’s Week 9 bye is anticipated. An aggravation months later is certainly a storyline to follow for the Eagles, particularly given Smith’s impact on their pass rush. For now, the expectation is a midseason return.

The 2023 first-round pick suffered a triceps tear in Super Bowl LIX, joining Graham in suffering that injury during the Eagles’ February romp. Graham re-tore the triceps he rehabbed, and Smith has now aggravated his. The key difference here is that Graham did not undergo surgery during his speedy recovery, while Smith did go under the knife this offseason.

Who can step up for Philadelphia Eagles in Nolan Smith Jr.'s absence?

Despite their 3-0 record, the Eagles have struggled to pressure quarterbacks this season. They have three sacks in three games; Smith has yet to record one, while new starter Jalyx Hunt is also sackless through three games. More pressure will be on Hunt, a former third-rounder, now. 

The Eagles did make a key addition before Week 2, ending Za’Darius Smith‘s free-agency stay. The nomadic edge-rusher will be expected to play a bigger role moving forward. Smith, 33, has three double-digit sack seasons on his resume and recorded nine between stays in Cleveland and Detroit last year.

Tallying only one QB hit this season, Nolan Smith notched 6.5 sacks and 11 QB hits in 2024. The speed-rusher came up big in the playoffs, registering four sacks during the Eagles’ three NFC postseason games and two hits on Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. This represents a key year for Smith, whose fifth-year option will need to be exercised or declined shortly after the draft. How he fares to close out this season could well determine how Philly proceeds there.

The Eagles’ late-summer trade binge included a Bennett addition, nabbing him from the Raiders. Bennett has played a small part on defense early, logging only 24 defensive snaps. He started 11 games with the Raiders from 2023-24. A former UDFA, Cooper has only played 20 offensive snaps. He does not have a reception in his pro career yet.

Philly signed safety Marcus Epps, tight end Cameron Latu and cornerback Parry Nickerson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Linebacker Lance Dixon, cornerback Eli Ricks and wideout Quez Watkins are now on the practice squad.