The Eagles are back to full strength as wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tackle Lane Johnson are good to go for Sunday's matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
"I feel good, I'm 100 percent, and I'm ready to go," Brown said on Friday. He has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. In his only game of 2024, Brown had 119 yards on five receptions and a touchdown in the season-opening win over Green Bay.
"I'm so excited. I'm glad my first game back is in the Linc," Brown added. "I know the place is going to be rocking and we're going to try to get this thing turned around."
Brown suffered the injury during practice leading into the Week 2 game against Atlanta.
"It really was my fault how everything happened," Brown said. "I kind of overworked myself. That's who I am, I'm a worker and that was a moment where I just had to learn to work my mind more than my body.
"It was a freak accident, just fatigue, you know, doing stuff all the time, because I'm always trying to get ahead, so it was just a freak accident."
Smith, meanwhile, missed the previous game after he suffered a concussion in the Week 3 win at New Orleans. Smith was being held up by two Saints defenders when defensive tackle Khristian Boyd leveled the wide receiver from behind. No penalty flags were thrown, but the NFL fined Boyd for the hit.
"It feels good to be back out here around the guys," Smith said.
The Eagles have no injury concerns, as everyone participated fully in Friday's practice. That includes safety Sydney Brown (knee) and wide receiver Ainias Smith (ankle), who had their practice windows opened this week. If the Eagles activate either Brown or Smith or sign someone from the practice squad, there is an open spot on the 53-man roster.
Cleveland will be without starting center; Pro Bowl CB Ward questionable
While the Eagles have no players with a game status designation for Sunday, Cleveland has a whopping nine of them.
Starting with the defense, the Browns will be without their top two safeties in Grant Delpit (concussion) and Ronnie Hickman Jr. (ankle). Former Eagle Rodney McLeod Jr. is expected to start for Jim Schwartz's defense. Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward, who exited last Sunday's loss against the Commanders with a hamstring injury, practiced for the first time since on Friday and is questionable for the game.
The Browns will be without starting center Ethan Pocic, who suffered a knee injury against Washington. Nick Harris is in line to start. Cleveland will have starting right tackle Jack Conklin for the first time this season. He's been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Running backs Nick Chubb (Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform) and Nyheim Hines (Injured Reserve; Designated for Return), who both have been out due to knee injuries, will not be added to the active roster ahead of Sunday's game.
Another former Eagle, starting linebacker Jordan Hicks, is questionable with elbow and triceps injuries.
This is not on the injury report, but something to watch for the Browns on Sunday. They will have a new long snapper in Rex Sunahara after Charley Hughlett was placed on Injured Reserve. Sunahara has not played in an NFL regular-season game.
OUT
- RB Nick Chubb (Knee)
- S Grant Delpit (Concussion)
- S Ronnie Hickman Jr. (Ankle)
- RB Nyheim Hines (Knee)
- T James Hudson (Shoulder)
- C Ethan Pocic (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE
- LB Mohamoud Diabate (Hip)
- LB Jordan Hicks (Elbow, Triceps)
- DT Maurice Hurst (Ankle)
- CB Denzel Ward (Hamstring)
- *Note that Diabate and Hurst would need to be placed on the active roster.
Player | Injury | Game status |
---|---|---|
Reed Blankenship
|
Illness | Not_Listed |
A.J. Brown
|
Hamstring | Not_Listed |
Sydney Brown
|
Knee | Not_Listed |
Nakobe Dean
|
Ankle | Not_Listed |
Lane Johnson
|
Concussion | Not_Listed |
Ainias Smith
|
Ankle | Not_Listed |
DeVonta Smith
|
Concussion | Not_Listed |
Johnny Wilson
|
Concussion | Not_Listed |
"We good," linebacker Nakobe Dean said on Thursday when asked if he'll play against the Browns.
Dean is the only Eagle who has not yet been a full participant in practice this week. He has been limited with an ankle injury.
There were no changes to the Eagles' injury report on Thursday, which means that wide receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) and tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) are trending in the right direction for Sunday's game.
Brown has missed the last three games, while both Smith and Johnson missed the Week 4 game in Tampa Bay before the bye week.
In the locker room this afternoon, Brown told reporters that he would talk on Friday.
Full Participation
- S Reed Blankenship (Illness)
- WR A.J. Brown (Hamstring)
- S Sydney Brown (Knee)
- T Lane Johnson (Concussion)
- WR Ainias Smith (Ankle)
- WR DeVonta Smith (Concussion)
- WR Johnny Wilson (Concussion)
Limited Participation
- LB Nakobe Dean (Ankle)
Meanwhile in Cleveland, the injury outlook is not nearly as bright.
Five players have not yet practiced at all this week and another dozen Browns have only been limited.
Did Not Practice
- S Grant Delpit (Concussion)
- S Ronnie Hickman Jr. (Ankle)
- T James Hudson (Shoulder)
- C Ethan Pocic (Knee)
- CB Denzel Ward (Hamstring)
Limited Participation
- RB Nick Chubb (Knee)
- T Jack Conklin (Hamstring)
- LB Mohamoud Diabate (Hip)
- RB D'Onta Foreman (Ankle)
- DE Myles Garrett (Achilles)
- LB Jordan Hicks (Elbow, Triceps)
- RB Nyheim Hines (Knee)
- DT Maurice Hurst (Ankle)
- TE David Njoku (Knee, Ankle)
- RB Pierre Strong (Hamstring)
- T Jedrick Wills (Knee)
- G Zak Zinter (Knee)
Full Participation
- WR Amari Cooper (Rest)
- WR Jerry Jeudy (Knee)
- DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (Illness)
"It's always good to have your guys out there," Jalen Hurts said.
The quarterback enjoyed seeing some familiar faces in the huddle at practice on Wednesday as the offense was at full strength with wide receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) and right tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) all full participants in practice.
"I feel good this week. I had obviously an off week to recover," Johnson said. "I think we'd all like to start picking up our ability on this team to see what we can do. I think you've seen flashes of what this offense can do. We haven't been consistent. Glad to get A.J. back, DeVonta back, myself back, and see what we can accomplish."
Johnson, who missed the Week 4 game in Tampa Bay, doesn't have an easy matchup to acclimate to as he goes against 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
"He's like Julius Peppers' size, but has like a Micah Parsons, like a Von Miller-type movement," Johnson said. "You've got somebody who's 6-4, 280, whatever he is (listed 6-4, 272 pounds), and has the ability to bend like that. I haven't really seen anybody that could do that at that size. That's why he's so special. Consistently makes plays, run game and pass game. They move him all over, over me, over Jordan (Mailata), over the guard. I think they do a good job of moving him around."
Linebacker Nakobe Dean (ankle) was the only player who did not fully participate in practice as he was limited.
Safety Sydney Brown (knee) and wide receiver Ainias Smith (ankle), who had their practice windows opened on Monday, were full participants.
"I'm here to contribute and do whatever I can do to help the team win," Sydney Brown told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro on Tuesday. "I take it rep by rep, day by day. They will make the best decision for the team. I know that I'm going to compete. I know that I'm going to go out there and do my job and be smart and dependable and contribute to the core values of this football team."
Full Participation
- S Reed Blankenship (Illness)
- WR A.J. Brown (Hamstring)
- S Sydney Brown (Knee)
- T Lane Johnson (Concussion)
- WR Ainias Smith (Ankle)
- WR DeVonta Smith (Concussion)
- WR Johnny Wilson (Concussion)
Limited Participation
- LB Nakobe Dean (Ankle)