Jordan Davis placed on Eagles’ injured reserve list

The Philadelphia Eagles placed rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis on injured reserve, according to an official team announcement.

This development was expected. Davis suffered a high ankle sprain during the Eagles’ Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The big man had to be carted off the field and was seen getting around via crutches and a walking boot after the game.

Nick Sirianni is often reluctant to reveal injury recovery timetables but one report indicates Davis could be out for “four-to-six weeks.” By going on IR, Davis is automatically out for at least Philly’s next four games. They are as follows:

• Week 9 — at Houston Texans (1-5-1)
• Week 10 — vs. Washington Commanders (4-4)
• Week 11 — at Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1)
• Week 12 — vs. Green Bay Packers (3-5)

The Eagles’ run defense, which hasn’t been awesome this season (tied for fourth most opponent yards per rushing attempt), figures to be tested in Davis’s absence. Philly be tasked with stopping the likes of Dameon Pierce, Antonio Gibson/Brian Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, and Aaron Jones/AJ Dillon. If Davis has to miss six games, the Eagles will also be without him against Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Yikes.

Losing Davis isn’t just about losing a quality run defender. His gravity, both figuratively and literally, is a valuable asset to the defense. He obviously takes up a lot of attention at his size.

The Eagles don’t necessarily have a seamless replacement for him. Javon Hargrave and Marlon Tuipulotu are the top contenders to see more traditional nose tackle snaps if the Eagles continue to use their five man fronts.

With Davis on IR, the Eagles now have an open roster spot to work with. It remains to be seen how they’ll fill it. A few options:

• They could sign practice squad defensive tackle Marvin Wilson to the roster for more interior depth. But they could also just use his three temporary elevations.
• They could sign practice squad defensive back Andre Chachere to the roster for more depth at nickel cornerback and safety. Josiah Scott is banged up and Chachere is out of temporary elevations for the season. Chachere is also a quality special teams player.
• They could activate tight end Tyree Jackson from the reserve/PUP list. The Eagles activated his practice window on October 26 but I think they might want to get him another full week of preparation before returning. It’s not like there should be a rush to have four tight ends on the roster, anyway.
• They could enter this week’s game with only 52 players on the roster. They did this a few times earlier this season. They then might look to fill the remaining spot by signing a player (such as a big-bodied defensive tackle) from another team’s practice squad.

Stay tuned to Bleeding Green Nation for more updates.