The Philadelphia Eagles will face the New York Giants this Sunday without star receiver A.J. Brown and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens, both of whom missed the entire week of practice and have been officially ruled out.
In addition to Brown and Jurgens, the Eagles will also be without cornerback Adoree’ Jackson due to a concussion, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari with a hamstring issue, cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who has a pectoral injury, and defensive end Brandon Graham, who is not injured but will sit this game out.
Brown had a standout performance against the Vikings, catching 4 passes for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns, but began experiencing hamstring issues earlier in the week. Having been sidelined the entire practice period, he was seen working on a side field with a trainer at Thursday’s session. Jurgens sustained a knee injury in the previous game and only managed 15 snaps before exiting. Veteran Brett Toth is expected to step in as the starting center against the Giants.
Interestingly, although it seemed like Graham might return this week, the Eagles have opted to hold him out until after their bye week. He participated fully in practice, allowing him to ramp up towards returning for Week 10 in Green Bay while still being available on the sidelines for the first time this season.
With Ojulari and Graham unavailable, the Eagles will rely on a thin rotation of three healthy edge rushers: Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, and Patrick Johnson. It is anticipated that linebacker Jihaad Campbell will see significant playing time on the edge during the game.
Bennett and receiver Darius Cooper were both present during Friday’s practice, although Bennett has been ruled out. The defensive backfield will have Kelee Ringo starting alongside Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper’s status remains uncertain, as he needs to be activated from injured reserve by Saturday afternoon.
As the Eagles prepare for the Giants, they will need to rely on their depth and resilience to overcome these key absences on the field. The focus will be on how these adjustments play out and how the team can maintain its performance amid these challenges.