Darren Sproles finally back? NFL insider says he’d be surprised if Eagles running back isn’t active for Cowboys game

Eagles veteran running back Darren Sproles hasn’t played since Week 1 due to a hamstring injury but it sounds like he might be returning to the field on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

During an appearance on the 97.5 Morning Show, NFL insider Adam Schefter said he’d be “surprised” if Sproles isn’t back for this crucial Week 10 game.

I think we’ll see him this week. I think he’ll be back this week, because my understanding was that he was going to be back the week before the bye.

I think what they did was decide to give him one more week, just to make sure, and so they gave him that week and the bye week, two for one. And frankly, I’d be surprised if Darren Sproles was not active for Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys.

Further adding credence to Schefter’s sentiment is that the Eagles waived punt returner DeAndre Carter on Tuesday evening. The Eagles’ coaching staff has made it clear Sproles is going to resume that special teams role upon his return.

In addition to the value he brings as one of the more dangerous returners in the league, Sproles should provide a boost to an Eagles backfield that’s not exactly excelling right now.

Sproles is the Eagles’ most reliable back in pass protection and he can obviously contribute as a pass catcher.

It’s fair to question just how much the 35-year-old still has in the tank but Sproles didn’t look completely washed in Week 1. He had a big third down reception against the Falcons where he caught the ball short of the sticks and made defenders miss to pick up a crucial first down.

We should receive more information on Sproles’ status today since Doug Pederson has a press conference at 10:30 AM ET. The Eagles will then release an official injury report later today.

UPDATE: Sounds like Sproles WILL be back this week.

Also encouraging news on Lane Johnson: