What to Make of Jonathan Greenard Starting the Season on Eagles PUP

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to start training camp with their No. 1 pass rusher out.

Jonathan Greenard will open training camp on the PUP list after suffering a pectoral injury while lifting weights prior to the start of training camp. The Eagles are saying this injury is not expected to be a long term issue.

PUP injuries in training camp are very vague. Players can be listed on the PUP list than taken off it at any time during training camp. per NFL rules.

In short, we don't know how long Greenard can be out. This is where the uncertainty creeps in.

The Eagles don't appear to be concerned with how long Greenard will be out, even if this is an early blow to the pass rush. Fortunately the Eagles are very deep at the pass rusher position and get by for a few weeks.

Make no mistake about it. If the Eagles want to win the Super Bowl, they need a healthy Greenard. Something he wasn't last year.

Why there is some concern regarding Greenard's injury

Greenard battled through a shoulder injury throughout last season, which resulted in surgery and ended his season. The Eagles kept Greenard out of team drills in mandatory minicamp as Greenard was recovering from that shoulder surgery, which wasn't a surprise.

This pectoral injury is a bit of a concern, especially with the injuries Greenard has experienced over the past 12 months in the shoulder/pectoral area. The Eagles have committed four years and $98 million to Greenard to be their No. 1 pass rusher, so they need to make sure he's good to go.

Greenard is a premium player on this team, and on this defense. If he's not healthy, the Eagles pass rush does take a hit.

The good regarding this injury

The regular season starts on September 13, which is 46 days away. That's over six weeks Greenard has to get ready for the season.

Greenard wouldn't have played much in preseason anyway and he's a veteran. He doesn't need to participate in a large portion of training camp, and would use that time to get into football shape.

"This is not a long term injury and this is nothing we're concerned about," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman Wednesday prior to the first practice. "We wanna be smart with all our guys and get them ready...One of the things we know about Greenard. He's gonna be ready to play."

If Greenard only misses a few weeks, it's not that big of a deal. The Eagles can afford to take their time here and make sure Greenard is ready for Week 1. In the meantime, they can evaluate the depth of their pass rush -- as there are battles going on for playing time behind Greenard.

Greenard is the one player on the pass rush that will be on the field at all times. The Eagles have to get him ready.

What this means for the rest of the pass rush

With Greenard out, the Eagles will roll with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt a steh starting pass rushers. Hunt is better on the right side of the line, so he would line up there. Smith would take the left side.

This does hurt Hunt's development. The Eagles wanted to see hunt play on the left side on the line since Greenard's strength is on the right side, and he will be playing there when he's on the field. If Hunt could hold his own on the left side, he would get the snaps over Smith in the rotation.

The Eagles could still do this, but it's always better to get a look with Greenard on the field with Hunt.

Philadelphia will also get a longer look at Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa, two players battling for the No. 4 pass rusher spot and looking for snaps in a crowded rotation. Epenesa is one of the intriguing signings this summer, as he was a very good rotational rusher for the Bills over the past few years.

There's also the possibility Brandon Graham could return, but the Eagles have not agreed to bring him back yet. The Eagles are keeping the talks with Graham between the front office and him.

For how long Greenard is out, the Eagles will give their pass rushers a long look this summer. There are plenty of reps to go around.

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