Eagles Andre Dillard Injured at Practice

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles backup left tackle Andre Dillard suffered a non-displaced fracture in his forearm during practice on Thursday, a league source confirmed to SI Eagles Today.

The 2019 first-round pick, who was the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason, is set to undergo more tests to decide if surgery is needed. The injury is not expected to be a season-ending one, however.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, fractures of the forearm can occur near the wrist at the farthest (distal) end of the bone, in the middle of the forearm, or near the elbow at the top (proximal) end of the bone.

Most cases of adult forearm fractures require surgery to make sure the bones are stabilized and lined up for successful healing.

The primary backup to star left tackle Jordan Mailata, Dillard started four games last season when Mailata missed time with a knee injury and then moved to RT when Lane Johnson left the team to deal with an anxiety issue.

Dillard played well over the short sample size and essentially convinced the Eagles that having that kind of depth was preferable to moving a valuable trade commodity even though the fourth-year pro is likely to walk in free agency next year for an opportunity to be a full-time starter.

With Dillard likely headed to short-term injured reserve, the Eagles' most likely option for a backup LT would be veteran Le'Raven Clark, who is currently on the practice squad.

Undrafted rookie Josh Sills persevered while asked to take snaps at LT in training camp when both Mailata and Dillard were in the concussion protocol, and second-year practice-squader Kayode Awosika also has LT experience both in college and in camp.

Jack Driscoll has extensive experience playing both right guard and right tackle but has never been asked to play LT to this point.

The Eagles starting offensive line - Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, and Lane Johnson from left to right - is intact after Kelce returned to practice this week after undergoing cleanup elbow surgery and is considered to be one of the best in the NFL.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen