Nolan Smith Jr. is headed to injured reserve, a blow to the Eagles’ pass-rush plans. In response, Philadelphia dropped nine roster moves, upgrading some, signing others, and reshaping depth. The ripple effect matters.
The injury and implications
The Eagles officially placed Smith on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least four games. He’s expected to return after the team’s Week 9 bye. This stems from a re-aggravation of the same triceps that required surgery earlier in the offseason. Up until this point, Smith had totaled 10 tackles and forced a fumble across three games this season.
Losing Smith removes one of the top edge options. He was drafted 30th overall in 2023 and had a breakout 2024 season with 6.5 sacks. The Eagles must now reorient their pass rush rotation and depth chart without him.
The nine-move adjustment
Smith’s placement didn’t happen in isolation. The Eagles also placed cornerback Jakorian Bennett and wide receiver Darius Cooper on injured reserve. Bennett had been contributing as a depth corner, and Cooper is an undrafted rookie wide receiver.
To fill gaps, Philadelphia elevated several names to the active roster:
- Safety Marcus Epps was signed from the practice squad
- Tight end Cameron Latu joined the active roster, adding to tight-end/fullback flexibility
- Cornerback Parry Nickerson also moved up, giving extra secondary insurance
Meanwhile, three players were signed to the practice squad as depth stashes and future elevation candidates:
- Linebacker Lance Dixon
- Defensive back Eli Ricks
- Wide receiver Quez Watkins
Behind the scenes, the Eagles already carried seven edge rushers, a depth buffer that now proves essential. With Smith out, Jalyx Hunt, Za’Darius Smith, Joshua Uche, Patrick Johnson, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo need to step up. Reports suggest Hunt and Za’Darius Smith will pick up heavier workloads, with Uche likely seeing a bigger role.
Looking forward
This isn’t just shuffling names. Removing Smith as a reliable edge rusher changes how opposing offenses will attack Philadelphia: fewer disruptive pressures, more opportunity for chips and picks. The depth moves emphasize that the Eagles want to maintain flexibility and avoid overtaxing any single player.
The roster actions also show the front office and coaching staff are responsive — they didn’t wait. They added reinforcements, promoted from within, and adjusted the depth chart with intent.
If the replacements can step up — especially the promoted and practice squad guys — the Eagles can mitigate the damage Smith’s absence causes. Edge rush becomes thinner. Carrying seven edge players once looked like insurance; now it’s paying off. And at time where CB2 play is questionable, the secondary depth matters more. It remains to be seen if this ignites another Howie moment for reinforcements at the position.