Cornerback Ronald Darby, who suffered a dislocated right ankle in Sunday's 30-17 win over Washington, expects to be back in the 2017 season, and that's good news for the Eagles' defense.
Darby, moving around the NovaCare Complex with the aid of a scooter, said he is "going off the timeline" provided by the team's medical staff saying he could return in "four to six weeks" after suffering the injury in the first half on Sunday. It was an ugly, non-contact injury that appeared far worse than it now appears.
And that's great for Darby.
"As long as I can get back, I'm going to be all right," he said. "I didn't know what to expect. It happened so fast. But I'm just happy it's going to be OK."
Darby said he is going to "support (the young cornerbacks replacing him) in any way I can" as he continues his rehab and gets closer to a return to the field. He said that the message from defensive back Jalen Mills that the Eagles dedicated the win to Darby "meant a lot."
"I told him he was going to get a pick (interception)," Darby said. "He got one, so that was good."
Since the injury, Darby has been rehabbing continuously and he said that he is "getting better." The family he had watching him at FedEx Field, not too far from his hometown of Oxon Hill, Maryland, "thought the injury was serious, so they're glad I'm going to be back."
In the meantime, the Eagles have a hole to fill. The positive news is that the hole won't be as open for as long as it looked like it might be when Darby went down on Sunday.
