Eagles cornerback Adoree’ Jackson doubtful vs. Bucs as opportunity knocks for Kelee Ringo

Eagles cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said Friday that his playing status for Sunday will come down to how his nagging groin injury responds over the next few days, perhaps as far as Sunday morning, but his status for the team’s Week 4 game vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially is doubtful.

The Eagles listed him as such on their final injury report Friday. He is the only player with a game-day designation, meaning the rest of the players on the 53-man roster are good to go.

Jackson was listed as a nonparticipant Wednesday before going through Thursday and Friday in a limited capacity. He said he tested the injury — which forced him to the sidelines in the fourth quarter last Sunday against the Rams — all week and was “doing most of the movements.” He said he’s feeling a lot better now than he was on Monday and will try to warm up this Sunday.

The determining factor, Jackson said, will be his level of explosiveness.

All signs, however, point to Kelee Ringo making his first start of the season and seeing his first non-special teams snaps of the season. For Jackson, the injury comes as he started feeling more comfortable. He struggled in the Eagles’ Week 1 win over Dallas, allowing five catches on seven targets for 103 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. But he responded well in the two games that followed, allowing just six catches across the two contests for a total of 49 yards.

“It’s always more frustrating when you feel like you’re putting the pieces together,” Jackson said. “It’s kind of like doing a puzzle. I see this piece, and I’m putting it there, but it’s not right.”

Assuming Jackson can’t go, the Eagles will be thin at cornerback. Ringo, 23, has limited playing experience in his first two NFL seasons. He will be thrown into the fire against a Bucs receiving group that is down Mike Evans but could get back Chris Godwin and features a talented rookie in Emeka Egbuka, who has 14 catches, 181 yards, and three touchdowns in his first three NFL games. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, however, is listed as questionable.

Ringo is the next man up because Jakorian Bennett is on injured reserve with a pectoral injury. With Jackson potentially out, the reserve corners behind Quinyon Mitchell, Ringo, and nickel Cooper DeJean will be Parry Nickerson, a 30-year-old veteran signed to the active roster from the practice squad this week who hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2023, and rookie Mac McWilliams.

Jackson said Ringo “has the tangibles, the height, the speed, the physicality. You see what he did at Georgia, what he’s done when he’s been able to get his play in here in the league, and what he does on special teams. I don’t think it’ll be anything different than that, just Kelee being Kelee.”

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Jackson was the only Eagles player on the active roster who was anything but a full participant at practice Friday. Linebackers Zack Baun (knee) and Jihaad Campbell (triceps) were upgraded after not practicing Wednesday and going through Thursday in limited capacities.

Lane Johnson (stinger), Will Shipley (oblique), and Tanner McKee (right thumb) were full go on Friday. It was McKee’s first full practice of the season, and he could be tracking toward dressing for the first time on Sunday.

For the Bucs, the injury report is rather lengthy.

Evans was ruled out earlier in the week, but Godwin (ankle), Mayfield (right biceps), and tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee), three other key offensive pieces, are all listed as questionable. Sunday would be season debuts for Godwin and Wirfs. Defensive end Logan Hall (groin) also is questionable, while safety Christian Izien, who mostly is a special teamer, is out with a quad injury.