Jalen Carter Headlines Eagles' First Injury Report Of Week 14

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles dropped their first practice report Thursday in advance of a Monday night showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

The big news developed earlier in the day when it was revealed that second-team All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter had a procedure on both shoulders that will keep the talented defender out against the Chargers and perhaps a game or two more.

Carter is believed to have had Platelet-Rich Plasma injections in both his shoulders to try to alleviate pain that could tie back to last season, when the rising star played 1,065 snaps through Super Bowl LIX, the most in the NFL for an interior defensive lineman.

Carter missed time in the spring and the summer with a shoulder issue and has tried to play through pain during the Eagles’ 8-4 start.

After a poor performance during a Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears, the decision was made to try to do something to get Carter in a better place for a potential postseason run.

Carter and second-team All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson (Lisfranc sprain) were the only two players on Philadelphia’s 53-man roster who did not participate Thursday.

Defensive Backfield Help?

Two players in the midst of their 21-day practice windows for a potential return from injured reserve: safety Marcus Epps (shoulder), and offensive lineman Myles Hinston (back) were both full participants.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio indicated that Epps could push to start at safety opposite Reed Blankenship on Monday night.

“He's an experienced safety. He's got good instincts, got good feel for the game,” Fangio said of Epps. “We'll have to get a feel and a barometer about where he is at missing the last four or five weeks, whatever it was.”

Four players were also limited on Thursday: Mike linebacker Zack Baun (hand), edge defender Jaelan Phillips (concussion), wide receiver Jahan Dotson (toe), and receiver/returner Xavier Gipson (shoulder).

Phillips spoke at his locker despite the concussion designation, a clear sign that he’s on track to play.

Philadelphia also made a small tweak to the extended roster by bringing back defensive end Titus Leo to the practice squad.

This is the third stint on the PS for Leo this season. He was first signed on Oct. 15 and released on Oct. 27. Then he was brought back on Nov. 13 and released on Nov. 14.

A Wagner College product, Leo was originally a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.

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