Window Watch

The Philadelphia Eagles received some positive news on the injury front coming out of their Week 5 bye week, announcing on Monday that they have opened the 21-day practice windows for S Sydney Brown (Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform) and WR Ainias Smith (Reserve/Injured; Designated for Return).

GETTY IMAGES: Second-year safety Sydney Brown is moving towards a return to the lineup.

With their windows now open, the Eagles have three weeks to make a decision to either activate either, or both, players or shut them down for the remainder of the season.

In the case of Brown, 24, the second-year safety is returning from a torn ACL, suffered after covering a punt in the 2023 regular season finale at MetLife Stadium. The Illinois product always remained positive and optimistic with regards to the injury, intent on returning before the timeline. For his part, Brown has passed the eye test whenever spotted working on a side field, showcasing burst and fluidity.

Best described as a heat-seeking missile, Brown appeared in 14 games (six starts) as a rookie and logged a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Cardinals on New Years Eve. He’s wired in the mold of a throwback and should carve out a role on defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit once up to speed.

As for Smith, placed on injured reserve ahead of final cuts, the Eagles’ fifth-round pick in April’s draft struggled to string together much in the way of consistency throughout the spring and summer sessions, proving less-than-secure when fielding punts and encountering concentration lapses (and drops) throughout training camp.

On a positive note, however, Smith did begin to conjure some positive momentum as the summer progressed, coming up with a handful of positive plays and seemingly building confidence. Smith’s potential return becomes all-the-more interesting in light of the shoulder injury sustained to fellow wide receiver and punt returner Britain Covey. Even more so if rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean undertakes a more prominent defensive role coming out of the bye week.

Still, though, it’s tough to find a spot for Smith, at the moment, anyway, on the Eagles’ 53-man roster. It’s also unclear as to just how ready he is to help the Eagles on game day. Regardless, the positive news will be something to monitor in the coming weeks.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.