The Eagles are set to return to your TV this upcoming Thursday, as they get set to play the Steelers in their first preseason game. Along with their return comes the typical storm of injuries, though thankfully these bang-ups are fairly minor.
Andre Dillard Experiences Knee Sprain
According to Ian Rapoport, Andre Dillard has suffered a knee sprain and is being considered week-to-week. It’s a disappointing development for the former first-rounder, and this all but concludes the left tackle battle at camp. It’s not like Dillard was lighting it up when healthy:
watch andre dillard🔥 pic.twitter.com/c8l5iH73m4
— justin (@justinontwt) August 10, 2021
Jordan Mailata will walk away with the starting spot in hand, which should excite Eagles fans. He’s a potential long-term solution to left tackle, and could prove he deserves an extension with solid play this year.
It’s hard to say where the Eagles go from him in regards to Dillard. His value is at an all-time low, and they wouldn’t get much back for him. Keeping him as depth in case of injury, or in the event Mailata struggles, could be their best option.
K’Von Wallace Going Through Groin Strain
Like Dillard, K’Von Wallace is dealing with a week-to-week injury in the form of a groin strain. The second-year player is currently one of the starting safeties on the unofficial depth chart, but that’s only until Rodney McLeod returns from the PUP list.
Wallace will be the first safety up if an injury is to occur to one of the presumed starters, so his healthy is quite important.
The future at safety is also uncertain (Anthony Harris and McLeod are both free agents following the season) so Wallace needs all the time on the field possible to show the Eagles he’s capable of nabbing a starting role down the line.
Ryan Kerrigan Has Thumb Surgery
Mike Kaye reported that Ryan Kerrigan has elected for thumb surgery. However, it won’t keep him out for long. The time of recovery is anywhere from a week to 10 days, and Kaye said that Kerrigan should be ready for Week One.
Kerrigan is set to back up at defensive end behind Brandon Graham. The veteran has a pretty solid track record of staying healthy throughout his career, so I wouldn’t chalk this incident up as a sign of things to come.
Carson Wentz On Track For Week One
While he’s not on the Eagles anymore, keeping track of Carson Wentz’s status is very important for the Eagles, because it’s the difference between having two or three first-round picks in 2022.
As of right now, he is on track to play Week One after undergoing foot surgery, per Chris Mortenson. The original recovery timeline given to Wentz was anywhere from 5-12 weeks, so this development isn’t out of the blue.
Whether Wentz is able to revert to his old form after this injury is another question altogether, but that’s not important to the Eagles. As long as Wentz is able to play 75% of snaps (or 70% and the Colts make the playoffs), the Eagles walk away with a first instead of a second-rounder.