October 13, 2023   2 MIN READ

Decimated Defense

Slay, Carter, Evans Out Against Jets; Cox Expected To Play

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Injury news isn’t great for the Eagles heading into their Week 6 road matchup at MetLife Stadium against the Jets,

Rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who sprained his ankle in practice this week, is out for the game, along with cornerback Darius Slay (knee), wide receiver Quez Watkins (hamstring), and safety Justin Evans (knee).

Evans was also placed on injured reserve, opening a spot on the team’s 53-man roster that was filled by the team signing cornerback Bradley Roby from the practice squad.

Jalen Carter

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles rookie DT Jalen Carter will be out against the Jets on Sunday from an ankle injury.

The veteran made his debut in last Sunday’s 23-14 win over the Rams after being elevated from the practice squad and had two elevations remaining before the team decided to sign him to the active roster.

Look for second-year corner Josh Jobe to replace Slay at outside corner alongside James Bradberry and for Olamide Zaccheaus to replace Watkins in the slot.

On the bright side, the Eagles are expecting the return of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who missed the Rams game from a back injury that required an epidural. Cox practiced in full Friday and carried no game status designation on the team’s final injury report.

Second-year linebacker Nakobe Dean also practiced in full Friday. He was activated into the 21-day practice window from injured reserve this week after missing four games from a foot sprain.

To be eligible to play against the Jets, Dean must be reactivated to the 53-man roster and the Eagles would need to clear space by either releasing or waiving someone or placing another player on Injured Reserve.

Watkins, who’s been dealing with a hamstring issue since Week 2, returned against the Rams after missing two games but aggravated the injury and could be out past Sunday.

Questionable to play against the Jets are rookie safety Sydney Brown, who’s been dealing with a hamstring injury, and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, who’s been nursing a triceps injury.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

About The Author

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Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.

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