The Philadelphia Eagles will open their postseason slate of games with a contest against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but they are dealing with some notable injury issues ahead of this one. Jalen Hurts managed to clear concussion protocol on Friday, and A.J. Brown returned to practice, but now a new issue has emerged with DeVonta Smith.
Smith has dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout the season, which resulted in him missing four games for the Eagles along the way. Smith seemed to be doing fine, but he ended up not practicing on Friday due to back tightness. Despite that, Philadelphia is still expecting the talented wideout to play against the Packers, indicating that they are simply being cautious with him ahead of their do-or-die game.
“DeVonta Smith isn’t practicing today. He has back tightness. He’s still expected to play,” Zach Berman reported in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Eagles not concerned with latest DeVonta Smith injury update
At this point of the season, everyone is banged up, but with the season on the line, it takes a lot for these guys not to play. Smith’s back may be bothering him, so the Eagles opted to give him the day off in order to ensure he will be good to go on Sunday. Of course, his injury status could change over the next 48 hours or so, but as of right now, Philadelphia doesn’t seem too concerned about his latest ailment.
If Smith ends up being unable to play, Brown would assume a larger role on offense, with Jahan Dotson stepping up to fill in the No. 2 wide receiver role. The hope is that Smith will play, and while the team doesn’t seem too worried about his status, it will be worth monitoring over the next day or so in the event something goes sideways for him.
