Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson missed Thursday’s practice due to a foot injury, raising doubts about his availability for Sunday’s game against his former team, the New Orleans Saints. His absence from Wednesday’s injury report leaves the timing of the injury unclear.
The Eagles’ Thursday injury report also listed wide receiver A.J. Brown (hamstring) and Johnny Wilson (hamstring) as non-participants.
Gardner-Johnson’s potential absence could pose a significant challenge for the Eagles defense, especially against the Saints’ offense, which has scored 91 points in their first two games, leading to a 2-0 start.
If Gardner-Johnson is unavailable, the Eagles’ options at safety are limited. Reed Blankenship is the only other starting safety, but they may need to elevate Tristin McCollum, who played only three defensive snaps in the season opener.
Another option could be moving Avonte Maddox to safety and starting rookie Cooper DeJean as the nickel cornerback, a position DeJean has been training for.
As for A.J. Brown, this marks his second consecutive day missing practice. He injured his hamstring last week and was sidelined during the Falcons game.
Reports suggest he could miss multiple weeks. Meanwhile, Wilson, who played through a hamstring issue against the Falcons, has now missed two days of practice, though he was seen training on a side field.
The Eagles will hold one more practice on Friday before announcing official game statuses for Sunday’s matchup in New Orleans.
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