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The bad news is that the Philadelphia Eagles will (unsurprisingly) be without two of their starting offensive lineman for the next couple weeks. The good news, however, is that a return date is in sight. Starting left guard Evan Mathis and starting center Jason Kelce are both expected to return in Week 10.
Kelce informed the media of his target date following the team's practice on Wednesday. The Eagles' center, who underwent sports hernia surgery last week, also revealed that he first started noticing abdominal pain during the team's season opener versus Jacksonville. The pain progressively got worse until it finally forced him out of action in Week 3. Filling in for Kelce in the meantime is backup center David Molk. Keep in mind that Kelce is still on the active roster but he's just not playing.
Mathis took to social media to reveal his return date. Mathis posted the following image on his Sqor page:
Mathis, unlike Kelce, is not on the active roster. He's currently on the team's injured reserve, designated to return list. The Eagles' All-Pro guard is recovering from an MCL injury he suffered in Week 1. Mathis is actually eligible to start practicing again as soon as Week 8 (if he's physically ready) but can't return to the active roster until Week 10. The Eagles will need to open up a roster spot once Mathis returns. Second-year offensive lineman Matt Tobin is filling in for Mathis at left guard.
The Eagles' Week 10 opponent is the Carolina Panthers. From now (Week 5) until then, the Eagles only play four games. The next two are set to take place in Philadelphia while the other two are on the road. Here's how Philadelphia's schedule shapes up:
Week 5 - St. Louis Rams
Week 6 - New York Giants
Week 7 - BYE
Week 8 - @ Arizona Cardinals
Week 9 - @ Houston Texans
If the Eagles can weather the storm can go 3-1 or even 2-2 in this stretch, they'll be 6-2 or 5-3 heading into Week 10 with a fully healthy offensive line (assuming no more injuries, jinx). From there, Philadelphia will be fully locked and loaded heading into the final stretch of their season.