Philadelphia Eagles Have Impending Roster Crunch Ahead of Rematch vs. Kansas City Chiefs

With three players eligible to return from injured reserve, the Philadelphia Eagles may need to make some moves to find room for them

It’s one thing to go and sign somebody from another team’s practice squad.

It’s another thing altogether to do it if you’re the Philadelphia Eagles. Signing another team’s practice squad player means having to keep him on the active roster for at least three games.

Therein lies the potential logjam for a team that could need to open some spots on the active roster as some of the injured reserve players begin to get well.

Cam Jurgens should be ready to return this week when the Eagles get back from their bye week with a Thursday practice as they prepare to fly to Kansas City for a Super Bowl LVII rematch against the Chiefs.

The 21-day window for the offensive lineman to return from IR was opened ahead of the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Dallas Cowboys leading into the bye.

Others on the IR who could be set to return sooner rather than later include receiver Quez Watkins (hamstring) and safety Justin Evans (knee).

Both Watkins and Evans are eligible to return for Monday night’s game in Kansas City if they are healthy.

If so, and the Eagles are inclined to activate them, that’s three players who will be eligible to return this week, currently, no open roster spots to slide into.

Cam Jurgens

Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today

That is expected to change.

• Linebacker Nakobe Dean will likely be placed on IR for the second time this season with a Lisfranc sprain, an injury that typically takes four to six weeks to heal. With the season now down to eight games, Dean’s absence could even run the remainder of the regular season.

• Tight end Dallas Goedert fractured his forearm against the Cowboys. There’s an outside chance he escapes IR, especially since the bye week gives him more time to potentially return before the required four games which are the minimum number a player must miss when placed on IR.

• Tight end Grant Calcaterra could also be a candidate for IR after suffering a concussion against the Washington Commanders. For a player like Calcaterra, who retired briefly after leaving the University of Oklahoma but decided to return to play and did so with SMU, his situation is about as up in the air as it gets.

“Whatever he needs from me, I'm here to listen,” said Goedert about Calcaterra, prior to the game against the Cowboys when Goedert fractured his forearm. “But, you know, that's not really my job to make decisions for him, you know. 

"And obviously, I love, love the guy, love him in the building and, you know, obviously want the best for him and his health, but that's a decision that he's got to make.”

Either way, if Dean, Goedert, and Calcaterra go on IR this week, that could open the door for the three waiting in line to return – Jurgens, Watkins, and Evans.