5 Eagles who have to stop getting injured

A single of Buddy Ryan’s preferred prices was, “Durability is as crucial as capacity.” And in all probability just about every NFL mentor has stated a thing identical since then.

You can have all the expertise in the environment, but if you simply cannot keep on the field, it does not subject.

Which brings us to the 2022 Eagles.

Naturally, it is essential for everybody to keep healthful, and the Eagles made massive strides last calendar year in phrases of injuries. But there are a handful of Eagles who are at crossroads in their careers and most likely won’t be listed here much for a longer time if they hold receiving damage.

There is surely an component of luck associated, but there is a rationale some players rarely get hurt — Jason Kelce hasn’t skipped a activity in eight years, Fletcher Cox has skipped 4 video games in 10 seasons, Javon Hargrave has skipped two game titles in six years — and others are getting their way to IR each and every yr.

People are the guys we’re focusing on nowadays.

Jack Driscoll

Driscoll has proven in his two NFL seasons that he’s a functional and able offensive lineman, capable to engage in at a higher stage at possibly deal with or guard. He commenced four game titles at right tackle as a rookie fourth-round decide on in 2020, and 8 games at suitable guard and a person a lot more at suitable deal with past yr. 

But Driscoll has concluded both of those his NFL seasons on IR, and in equally conditions he was a starter when he obtained damage. He skipped two games as a rookie with an ankle personal injury suffered versus the Ravens and then landed on IR with a season-ending knee personal injury from the Saints sport. And then previous calendar year he spent the to start with 3 weeks of the year on IR with a pectoral pressure and the final five weeks with an ankle harm he experienced versus the Giants.

That is 4 significant accidents, three visits to IR and 14 skipped online games in just two seasons.

Driscoll has a possibility to be a component of this elite offensive line for a very long time, and his versatility genuinely makes him worthwhile. But the accidents are definitely a worry.

Davion Taylor

Like Driscoll, Taylor has finished his first two seasons on IR. And like Driscoll, Taylor experienced attained a setting up location and was enjoying perfectly previous 12 months when his time ended.

As a rookie third-spherical decide in 2020, Taylor played mostly on particular teams, and it was there that he experienced a period-ending knee damage throughout a recreation towards the Packers. 

Final year, Taylor had an early setback when he skipped a a good chunk of instruction camp and a couple early-period video games with a calf damage. He arrived back again and bought a likelihood to start out when the Eagles unveiled Eric Wilson, and he showed a lot of assure in six starts prior to a knee personal injury versus the Saints ended his next year.

The Eagles have because extra Nakobe Dean and Kyzir White, generating the linebacker area additional competitive. Taylor showed a good deal of promise very last 12 months, but he requires to stay healthier in Year 3 to get a prospect to construct on it.

Miles Sanders

Sanders is the top guy who has to remain healthy, and his financial foreseeable future depends on it. Sanders is plainly a proficient kid — his 5.1 career common is optimum in Eagles historical past by a operating again and eighth-highest in NFL historical past by a RB. He’s one particular of only six gamers in NFL historical past who’s begun his career with 3 straight seasons of 750 hurrying yards and at least a 4.6 regular.

But then there’s the injuries.

A hamstring pressure in 2020 training camp that charge him the opener. A knee sprain versus the Ravens that compelled him to overlook two online games. A knee sprain that stored him out of one particular recreation, and another knee injuries in the playoff decline to the Seahawks. Then final year an ankle harm versus the Raiders that sidelined him for three video games and hampered him in various other individuals, and then a broken hand that cost him two much more game titles and restricted him in the playoffs.

Sanders has missed eight video games over the final two a long time and been a lot less than 100 per cent in several other people. He’s due to turn out to be a totally free agent immediately after this year, and no make any difference how proficient a ball provider he is, if he doesn’t exhibit an potential to remain balanced, he’s not going to get paid like a major NFL back — by the Eagles or any person else.

Isaac Seumalo

Like Sanders, Seumalo goes into a deal yr coming off two personal injury-plagued seasons. Seumalo has tested to be a good interior linemen when he’s played, but he’s been constrained to just 12 games the very last two decades.

In 2020, Seumalo missed seven online games right after hurting his knee in Week 2 in opposition to the Rams and previous 12 months he missed 15 games soon after struggling the dreaded Lisfranc foot injuries in a 7 days 3 match from the Cowboys.

Immediately after Landon Dickerson proven himself as an elite left guard in Seumalo’s absence, the Eagles moved Seumalo to suitable guard this offseason, so he’ll get an additional shot to start off. But with no agreement outside of this yr, he’s obtained to establish he can stay wholesome as properly as engage in at a significant degree at a new situation.

Tyree Jackson

The Eagles showed how significantly they feel in Jackson by retaining him on the 53-male roster at final cuts final September even although they knew he was out until eventually mid-season with a damaged bone in his again, endured through a instruction camp follow. Experienced they set him on IR just before closing cuts, he would not have been ready to participate in all year.

He did participate in in the remaining nine online games, but in the meaningless typical-period finale from the Cowboys, immediately after catching a landing go in the very first quarter, he tore his ACL and then spent the offseason rehabbing. It is not acknowledged nevertheless when he’ll be capable to practice, but he didn’t take part in OTAs and watched from the sideline with a brace on his knee.

Jackson is a enjoyment experiment. He was a college quarterback at Buffalo, and at 6-7, 245 lbs . he’s an intriguing restricted close prospect. But he turns 25 this slide, and the Eagles have blocking specialist Jack Stoll and guaranteed-handed rookie Grant Calcaterra backing up Dallas Goedert. The Eagles need to have to see a thing out of Jackson quickly, and the only way that can come about is if he will get wholesome and stays nutritious.