Jalen Carter returns to practice and the Eagles are ‘hopeful’ that he’ll play against the Bills
The defensive tckle missed three games after undergoing a medical procedure on his shoulders. Carter hasn’t played since the Black Friday loss to the Bears.
Jalen Carter’s three-week hiatus while recovering from a pair of shoulder procedures may soon come to an end.
The 24-year-old defensive tackle returned to practice Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s penultimate game of the season against the Buffalo Bills. Before practice, Vic Fangio said the team is “hopeful” that Carter will be available to play.
The coordinator also noted that he’s going “full steam ahead” with the starting defense against the Bills, even though the Eagles have clinched the NFC East and could be locked into the No. 3 seed if the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears win their respective games on Sunday.
Carter hasn’t played since the Black Friday loss to the Bears. The following week, he underwent procedures on his shoulders, but he did not go on injured reserve and was considered week to week. Carter had been dealing with a shoulder injury since training camp and had played through the pain.
The Eagles’ defensive front has fared well in Carter’s absence. Fangio’s group has mustered a league-high 13 sacks in the last three games without Carter. The Eagles have limited opposing rushing attacks to 4.0 yards per carry, which is tied for the fifth-lowest clip in the NFL.
To bolster the interior defensive line, Brandon Graham has kicked inside, registering three sacks in his last two games. Jordan Davis has been dominant against the run (16 run stops in the last three weeks, according to Next Gen Stats). Byron Young is also playing a higher volume of snaps and making the most of them, posting 2½ sacks in his last three games.
Still, the Eagles will welcome back a healthy Carter. Even though he experienced a dip in production as a result of his injuries (two sacks in 10 games), Carter was named to his second Pro Bowl on Tuesday. He is listed as the lone Eagles starter on the initial NFC roster.
» READ MORE: Nakobe Dean is ‘iffy’ for the Eagles this week; Does Jalen Carter’s return impact Brandon Graham?
If Carter is cleared to play this week, he could use the final two games of the regular season to ramp up ahead of the playoffs. In Week 18 against the New York Giants last year, Dallas Goedert returned to action following a knee injury while the other starters rested.
“Every situation’s a little bit different, every injury’s a little bit different, every guy’s a little bit different,” Nick Sirianni said Monday. “So you do think about your past situations and when you’ve been through those things before, but you’re trying to do and trying to make the best decision for each guy and everyone’s just a little bit different. Just always trying to do what’s best for the guy and their health first and foremost.”
While Carter returned to practice, Nakobe Dean (hamstring) and Landon Dickerson were sidelined. Lane Johnson (foot) was not present.