Robert Quinn's Knee Injury Could Open Roster Spot for Jordan Davis
PHILADELPHIA – Robert Quinn was fine all week.
The Eagles' defensive end never showed up on the team’s injury report. Until Friday.
A knee injury will keep the veteran pass rusher out of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, an perhaps longer.
The sudden injury could be exactly what the Eagles need to find a roster spot for Jordan Davis. An IR stint would mean Quinn missing four games with eligibility to return for the final two regular season games.
Davis appears ready to return right now.
“He's had a good week so far,” said head coach Nick Sirianni prior to Friday morning’s practice. “Obviously don't have to make a decision yet. I don't tell you guys about that stuff yet. But he's looking good. He's looking good and we're hopeful.”
The Eagles have until Saturday at 4 p.m. to activate Davis from IR. To do that, obviously, a spot has to open on the 53-man roster.
And that’s where Quinn comes in.
The veteran pass rusher acquired from the Bears a week prior to the trade deadline for a fourth-round pick has played five games. Though he is still seeking his first sack with his new team, he does have five QB pressures and two QB hits.
Still, it doesn’t appear as if safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will need to miss the four games required if put on IR. Sirianni wouldn’t confirm or deny anything when it comes to the availability of the league’s interception leader with six.
As it was, Gardner-Johnson was also ruled out for Sunday’s game, which was expected.
“We are getting more information back (Friday),” he said. “…obviously anybody in this scenario is going to be upset that they are potentially not going to be able to play for a couple weeks or this and that."
Sirianni said he spoke on the phone to Gardner-Johnson on Thursday night but preferred to keep the conversation private.
“He was still himself on the phone,” said the coach. “He was still Chauncey, right, and he was still bringing energy to the conversation, making me laugh. making me get excited to go again, and I really appreciate him being on this football team because obviously he makes a lot of plays.
“That's first and foremost and then secondly, he just brings a lot of juice to the team, and he's always ready to go. He's always excited to be there. We'll miss that while he's gone.”
WRs DeVonta Smith and Zach Pascal were limited during the week of practices with groin injuries, but they were listed as full participants on Friday and are a full-go vs. the Titans.
Also, linebacker Patrick Johnson was a full participant. He had missed some practice time this week with an ankle injury.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
