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Philadelphia starting linebacker Nigel Bradham was spotted wearing a cast as Eagles players were made available to the media in the locker room on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, Bradham revealed he broke his thumb during the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants on Sunday.
Nigel Bradham had surgery on Monday. He got a plate and six pins put in his thumb. He said the injury happened on the third play Sunday but he played through it. #Eagles
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) November 28, 2018
Ouch.
Despite breaking his thumb, Bradham was one of two Eagles defenders to not miss a single snap in Week 12. Pretty tough dude.
Moving forward, Bradham said he plans to continue playing. Eagles linebacker coach Ken Flajole is also expecting the 29-year-old veteran to be ready for Philadelphia’s Monday Night Football game against Washington.
LB coach Ken Flajole said he expects Nigel to play on Monday.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) November 28, 2018
The Eagles really need Bradham to be able to play.
Doug Pederson made it sound like the team will already be without Jordan Hicks, who is dealing with a calf injury, on Monday night. Bradham and Hicks both being out would leave the Eagles with just Nathan Gerry, Kamu Grugier-Hill (who also broke his thumb earlier this season), LaRoy Reynolds, and D.J. Alexander as the remaining linebackers on Philadelphia’s roster. Gerry taking over in the middle would be especially concerning given how much he’s struggled when he’s played.
So, hopefully the Eagles won’t be without Bradham on Monday night. While it’s true he hasn’t been having as good of a season as he did last year, he’s still a much preferable option to the alternatives.
The Eagles will release their first official injury report ahead of their Week 13 game against Washington on Thursday afternoon.