Head coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday afternoon at his day-after press conference that Ronald Darby's season is over after the cornerback tore his ACL in the third quarter of Sunday night's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
With 7:54 remaining in the third quarter, Darby was lined up on the left side of the defense covering Amari Cooper with the ball at the Eagles' 23-yard line. The wide receiver ran a 15-yard curl route. Quarterback Dak Prescott was flushed out of the pocket and Cooper went into scramble drill mode and ran up the sideline. As Prescott threw the ball out of bounds, Darby favored his right knee and was attended to by trainers on the field.
Darby was replaced on the field Sunday night by rookie free agent Chandon Sullivan. Pederson said that Sidney Jones, who missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury, is "day to day." If Jones plays this Sunday in New Orleans, he will start on the outside instead of in the slot. Jalen Mills missed Sunday night's game with a foot injury and is unlikely to play against the Saints, according to Pederson.
Acquired from the Bills in a trade during 2017 Training Camp, Darby led the Eagles in tackles (22) and pass deflections (7) in the postseason. He missed half of the year with a fractured ankle but still was tied for second on the team with three interceptions. In 2018, Darby leads the team with 18 pass breakups and entered last night's game third on the squad with 53 tackles. Darby is in the final year of his rookie contract.