Eagles Elevate Two For Sunday Vs. Panthers

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles finished a somewhat active day on the roster front by elevating two players from the practice squad for Sunday's game against the 3-9 Carolina Panthers.

Sam has been on the practice squad for the entire season and Sunday will mark his first NFL game. The Eagles needed help at safety because Reed Blankenship (knee) and Sydney Brown (knee) have been ruled out.

Earlier in the day the 9-2 Eagles promoted tight end E.J. Jenkins from the PS to the 53-man roster and placed starting TE Dallas Goedert on injured reserve.

Philadelphia has liked what Ben VanSumeren added as a fullback before the second-year player was lost for the season to a knee injury suffered in practice on Friday in front of a 24-19 win over Baltimore last week.

The Eagles utilized TE Grant Calcaterra a bit in the RB role against the Ravens but wanted a more traditional FB. Enter Blasingame, who was added to the PS this week and has played in 66 NFL games with Tennessee and Chicago. Blasingame also interned under Minnesota Pro Bowl FB as a rookie coming out of Vanderbilt in 2019.

Sam was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Eagles this spring after a seven-year college career that spanned McNeese State, Marshall, and LSU in 2023.

Sam, 25, proved he could play at the SEC level by being named LSU's Defensive Player of the Year when he finished with 83 tackles and three interceptions, something that put him on the NFL's radar.

Sam has been on the practice squad for the entire season and Sunday will mark his first NFL game. The Eagles needed help at safety because Blankenship (knee) and Brown (knee) have been ruled out.

Versatile veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox was working at safety this week and he and Sam will offer the depth behind starters C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Tristin McCollum, a first-year player who will be making his first NFL start in place on Blankenship.

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