Eagles Activate Rookie Receiver For Week 8 Vs. Giants

PHILADELPHIA – A.J. Brown is out. Darius Cooper could be in.

The Eagles (5-2) activated the rookie receiver from injured reserve on Saturday, a day before the New York Giants (2-5) visit Lincoln Financial Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Cooper was put on IR after Week 3 after having played 20 offensive snaps and 17 special snaps in his first three career games. Without Brown, who was ruled out on Friday with a hamstring injury, perhaps Cooper will see some targets.

One obstacle is that he was listed as questionable with the same shoulder injury that sidelined him initially on Friday’s injury report. The Eagles likely wouldn’t have activated him if he wasn’t going to be available to play.

The Eagles didn’t have to release anybody to make room for Cooper because they had an open spot on their 53-man roster.

Perhaps An Offensive Role Awaits

Eagles rookie WR Darius Cooper goes through a drill. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

Cooper was one of training camp’s big stories after making the team as an undrafted free agent despite coming from a small school, Tarleton State. He played five seasons there, appearing in 48 games and collecting 3,185 yards on 164 touches (19.4 average) and 29 touchdowns. He was an All-American as a senior with 76 catches for 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He said Brown was a player he looked up to before becoming his teammate. At 5-11, 210, Cooper is a sort of mini-Brown, who is 6-1, 226 pounds.

The Eagles have receiver options to replace Brown on Sunday, obviously starting with DeVonta Smith, who is coming off a career-high 183-yard receiving day in Minnesota last week.

Smith will be option number for quarterback Jalen Hurts. After Smith, the Eagles have Jahan Dotson, John Metchie, and Xavier Gipson.

After beginning the season with three catches against the Cowboys, Dotson has made more than one catch in any game since. He’s had two games, including last week, where he didn’t have any catches. The other no-catch game was in Tampa during Week 4.

Metchie, who was acquired from the Texans on Aug. 17, along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a tight end Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round selection, has just four catches for 18 yards.

Gipson made his Eagles debut on kick returns last week.

A big target for Hurts, with Brown out, could be tight end Dallas Goedert, who had nine catches for 110 yards in the first meeting against the Giants. He has five touchdowns, which is tied for his career high.

More NFL: Eagles Entering World Without A.J. Brown In Week 8, Maybe Not For Last Time