Three NFC East Teams Lose Key Players to Injury
As exciting as Week 1 of the NFL season was, it was also painful for three of the four NFC East teams who lost key players during the Kickoff Weekend action.
The biggest injury news to come out of the NFC East is the hand injury suffered by Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott injured his right thumb on his throwing hand in the fourth quarter when his hand collided with the hand of outside linebacker Shaq Barrett on a passing attempt. According to ESPN, Prescott wasted no time in having surgery, which the media outlet reported would consist of a pin and plate inserted into the area to stabilize the joint.
Prescott was originally projected to miss six and eight weeks while rehabbing, putting his return date around October 30 vs. the Bears. Either way, Prescott, whom Cowboy owner/general manager Jerry Jones said will not be placed on injured reserve, will not be available when the Cowboys march into MetLife Stadium on September 26 to play the Giants.
Cooper Rush is projected to take Prescott's place until he returns.
Over in Philadelphia, the Eagles lost pass rusher Derek Barnett to a season-ending torn ACL. Barnett was injured in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Lions, which the Eagles won 38-35. Barnett had taken part in 12 defensive snaps and recorded no tackles before going down.
Barnett was the 14th overall pick in the 2017 draft and recorded 5.0 sacks as part of Philadelphia's Super Bowl run. But thanks to injuries, Barnett only managed to notch 19.5 sacks between 2017-2020, after missing 16 games over that stretch.
Barnett played his first full NFL season in 2021 but only recorded 2.5 sacks. There was some question as to whether the Eagles would re-sign Barnett in the off-season, but ultimately he re-signed with the Eagles on a two-year deal worth $14 million.
With Barnett sidelined, the Eagles, who first face the Giants on December 11 this season, will turn to one or more of Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Tarron Jackson to fill the void.
And finally, down in Washington, the Commanders lost rookie defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis with a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 47th overall pick in April's draft, Mathis was counted on to play a big role along Washington’s defensive line after the Commanders cut Matt Ioannidis in March and could not re-sign unrestricted free agent Tim Settle.
Mathis, who played his college ball at Alabama, where in his final season he recorded 53 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and nine sacks, brought versatility to the Washington defensive front, where he lined up at the nose guard and the 1-tech.
The Commanders signed Donovan Jeter, who played his college ball at Michigan, to fill the open roster spot after placing Mathis on season-ending injured reserve. Jeter appeared in 37 career games with four starts during that span.
Jeter, who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, originally signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent this spring but didn't make the roster. Jeter recorded 38 tackles, 13 quarterback pressures, and 22 stops during his career at Michigan.
The Giants host the Commanders on December 4 in the first of their two annual in-season games.
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