October 29, 2017
The Philadelphia Eagles have released their Week 8 inactives. As noted in our injury report earlier this week, the Eagles head into this matchup down two major players in Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks, while the 49ers have their share of injuries as well.
Here's who will be out this week for each team:
• LB Jordan Hicks: Hicks wasn't off to his best season this year when he went down with a ruptured Achilles. Still, it's a big loss for the Eagles' defense, the ramifications of which we covered in depth earlier this week.
Don't get your hopes up with Hicks not being put on IR just yet. He's done for the season.
• CB Ronald Darby: Darby's injury was originally diagnosed as a 4-6 week injury, and this Sunday will mark seven weeks from when it occurred Week 1 against the Redskins. He was a limited participant in practice this week, and will sit this one out once again. Perhaps the Eagles are wise not to rush Darby back.
• DE Steven Means: A numbers crunch at DE leaves Means on the bench.
• DT Elijah Qualls: With Fletcher Cox and Beau Allen both active, Qualls is not needed.
• DT Justin Hamilton: More DT depth.
• OT Taylor Hart: Hart was signed this week to fill the spot vacated by Peters. He'll need some time to get re-acclimated to the every day rigors of the NFL before he'll be active on game day.
• WR Shelton Gibson: Gibson struggled mightily catching the ball in training camp, but the team felt like his ceiling was worth keeping him on the roster. Gibson won't be seeing the field anytime soon.
• LT Jason Peters: Peters tore his ACL and MCL against the Redskins. This is a potentially devastating injury for the Eagles, the ramifications of which we covered in depth earlier this week.
• RB Darren Sproles: Sproles is done for the season with a torn ACL. On the field, Sproles was the Eagles' most well-rounded running back, as he can run inside, run outside, be a weapon in the passing game, and he's easily the team's best back in pass protection. Obviously, because of his small size, however, Sproles has been never been used as a 'workhorse' type of back, but he was typically on the field in the Eagles' most crucial situations. He was also the team's primary punt returner.
With Sproles out, Wendell Smallwood is the player who most closely mirrors Sproles' skill set, and Kenjon Barner has assumed punt return duties.
• CB Sidney Jones: Jones was eligible to come off the NFI list after Week 6, at which point he would have been allowed to practice for three weeks before the Eagles will have to decide whether to add him to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the season. The Eagles still have a couple more weeks to decide to take him off the NFI list before his three-week practice period.
• K Caleb Sturgis: Sturgis was placed on IR with a quad injury suffered Week 1 against the Redskins. He was replaced by newly minted Philadelphia legend Jake Elliott.
• S Chris Maragos: Maragos suffered a knee injury against the Panthers, and was placed on IR. He was the Eagles' best player on their kick coverage unit on special teams, and served as the Eagles' special teams captain.
The Niners' most notable absence is Foster, who was a favorite of Eagles fans leading up to the draft. However, because of injury and off-the-field concerns, he slid to 31st overall. Foster is a very talented player, but he has only been able to appear in two games this season.
Otherwise, Brown is the Niners' starting RT, and Williams is their starting nickel corner.
• LB Malcolm Smith: Smith signed a five year, $26.5 millon contract with the Niners this offseason, but suffered a pectoral tear in training camp, and is done for the season.
• DE Arik Armstead: Armstead suffered a broken hand against the Redskins that required surgery. He's likely done for the season.
• OG Joshua Garnett: Garnett was a 2016 first round pick (28th overall) of the Niners in 2016 who played in 15 games as a rookie, starting 11.
• DE Ronald Blair: Blair is a second-year DE who showed promise as a rookie, when he collected 3 sacks.
• DE Tank Carrradine: Carradine doesn't have the best career numbers, but he's yet another Niners DE out for a substantial amount of time.
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