Eagles Place Three Players On IR, Including Starting Edge Rusher

The Philadelphia Eagles will be without some key players when they go to Tampa in a Week 4 battle of unbeaten teams.

Eagles outside linebacker/edge rusher Nolan Smith was placed on injured reserve leading up to the team's Week 4 game in Tampa. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – Light rain began just minutes before the Eagles practiced on Wednesday. It poured bad news, though, right around the same time when the team announced that it was placing Nolan Smith, Jakorian Bennett, and Darius Cooper on injured reserve.

The injuries are not believed to involve any surgical repairs, per a team source, who also indicated that the belief is the three players will miss the next five games – at Tampa, home vs. the Broncos, at the Giants, at the Vikings, and home against the Giants.

The Eagles then have their bye week on Nov. 2 and track them to return possibly for their Nov. 10 Monday night game in Green Bay.

To take the three players’ spot on the active roster, the Eagles promoted from the practice squad safety Marcus Epps, tight end/fullback Cam Latu, and defensive back Parry Nickerson. They added cornerback Eli Ricks, receiver Quez Watkins, and linebacker Lance Dixon to the practice squad.

A report from NFL Media said that Smith aggravated the triceps he tore in the Super Bowl that required offseason surgery. Cooper had a shoulder injury against the Rams in the opening kickoff of the second half. Bennett’s injury has not yet been revealed.

Smith’s loss is a big one for a team already struggling to sack the quarterback. The Eagles have just three, ranking near the bottom of the league, tied with the Ravens, one ahead of the Titans, and two ahead of the Panthers.

Who Replaces Nolan Smith?

Ogbo Okoronkwo walks off the field after Day 10 at Eagles training camp. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Smith had yet to record a sack this season, but he is still one of the team’s best pass rushers and run defenders on the edge. The Eagles have depth at the position with Azeez Ojulari, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Patrick Johnson. All three were inactive against the Rams on Sunday, and neither Ojulari nor Okoronkwo has been active all season.

Adoree Jackson was at practice on Wednesday after leaving Sunday’s game with a groin injury. Bennett was the backup corner to him.

On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio revealed that he told Kelee Ringo at the end of training camp that his opportunity would come and be ready. The DC knew something then about what was to happen because Ringo will step into the top backup spot now, though he has yet to play a defensive snap in the first three games.

The news comes as the Eagles are trying to find a way to win in Tampa, a place where they have struggled, going 1-4 since Nick Sirianni became the coach in 2021.

Last year, the Eagles were without receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as well as right tackle Lane Johnson when they went to Tampa, also in Week 4, and lost 33-16.

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