Explaining Eagles' recent tough roster moves involving injured players

With the preseason officially underway after the Hall of Fame game, the Eagles made two transactions as the team prepares for its matchup against the Bengals.

With roster spots always up for grabs (including on injured reserve), the team has waived wide receiver Danny Gray and offensive lineman Marcus Tate.

More behind Gray and Tate's release from Eagles

Tate was an undrafted free agent by Philadelphia; however, he was initially waived and placed on injured reserve last week. Tate may have been considered a long shot to make the roster; however, with several hurdles already in his early professional career, his NFL window may be closing before it has even opened.

Gray is somewhat disappointing, as many in Philadelphia had high hopes that he could push for a larger role in 2025. Gray was originally a third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2022; however, he struggled to establish a role with the team, recording just one reception for 10 yards in his rookie season. Gray would spend 2023 on injured reserve with San Francisco before getting waived during final cuts in 2024.

He'd end up on the Eagles' practice squad, spending the 2024 season with the team in that capacity, and ultimately earn a Super Bowl ring with the team. Gray was recently dealing with a finger injury, forcing him to miss practice, and was waived after being placed on injured reserve.

Both Gray and Tate will be entitled to a settlement, as their injuries are likely not to be season-ending. NFL teams have five days to agree to an injury settlement once a player is released; otherwise, they will be placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season. Teams often compensate players for the time they are expected to miss due to injury and are unable to pursue employment with other teams.

Once a settlement is reached, Gray and Tate can begin working out for other teams with the possibility of being signed. If a settlement is not reached, players would be reverted to injured reserve and cannot be waived until they pass a physical.