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Here’s some not so good news. Philadelphia Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis suffered a quad strain in his plant leg (though Les Bowen reports it’s hip flexor) and is expected to be out for “several” weeks, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Rapoport notes that the Eagles will try out free agent kickers this week.
The injury occurred during the Eagles’ Week 1 game against the Washington Redskins. Doug Pederson opted to go for a two-point conversion late in the game because he didn’t feel comfortable with Sturgis trying to attempt the kick.
During his press conference on Monday, Pederson confirmed the Eagles will be working out some kickers this week. Rapoport said to keep an eye on Bengals practice squad kicker Jake Elliott. Mike Garafolo speculated Mike Nugent could be one of the players the Eagles look at. Nick Novak is another notable name on the market.. Former Philadelphia fan favorite Cody Parkey is NOT a free agent; he’s with the Dolphins.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles handle this situation when it comes to freeing up a roster spot. Philadelphia’s roster is currently at the 53-man limit. The Eagles will either have to cut someone or place someone on injured reserve in order to free up a spot for the new kicker. The problem with placing someone on injured reserve means they’re out for at least eight weeks. Note that NFL teams can only bring two players back from IR in the same season.
Though he hasn’t been perfect, Sturgis has been pretty solid overall since joining Philadelphia in 2015. 2016 was a career best for him. It’s not great that the Eagles will be without Power Sturge moving forward.