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The Eagles' already-thin cornerback unit was issued another blow during Philadelphia's Week 1 win over the Washington Redskins. According to head coach Chip Kelly, as reported by CSN Philly's Rueben Frank, Eagles' cornerback Bradley Fletcher suffered a concussion during Monday night's game. The concussion likely happened during a collision with a teammate on a tackle attempt in the fourth quarter of the game.
Fletcher started in Week 1 and is one of the Eagles' top secondary players, but a concussion leaves him uncertain for Week 2's home-opener against the Chargers on Sunday. If Fletcher is unable to play, the most likely replacements in the starting lineup would be nickelback Brandon Boykin or the newly-re-signed Brandon Hughes. Boykin played a lot on the outside in training camp and finished out against Washington in Fletcher's place on Monday night. Hughes, who is a four-year veteran, has played mostly on the outside for his career. He played well in relief of Nnamdi Asomugha in last year's Eagles-Giants Monday Night Football matchup in Philadelphia.
With Fletcher possibly out for a week, the Eagles will have five cornerbacks at their disposal. Rookie cornerback Jordan Poyer struggled in coverage in Monday's win and Shaun Prater is still learning the defense, so Hughes, Boykin and Cary Williams will have to handle the brunt of Fletcher's absence. Keep in mind that Fletcher must pass all of his concussion tests in order to get clearance for Sunday's game against San Diego. Concussions typically keep players out of at least one game.