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Eagles cut Cody Kessler and put Richard Rodgers on season-ending injured reserve

Eagles still have four quarterbacks on their roster after cutting Cody Kessler. Rookie Clayton Thorson is expected to wind up on the practice squad.

Eagles quarterback Cody Kessler holds the football during pregame warm-ups before the Eagles' final preseason game against the Jets. Kessler, who was cut Friday, didn't play in the game.
Eagles quarterback Cody Kessler holds the football during pregame warm-ups before the Eagles' final preseason game against the Jets. Kessler, who was cut Friday, didn't play in the game.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

The Eagles cut 24 players Friday, including quarterback Cody Kessler, and placed tight end Richard Rodgers on injured reserve.

Kessler’s fate was pretty much sealed early in the preseason after he suffered a concussion in the second preseason game against Jacksonville and the team brought in 40-year-old Josh McCown.

McCown completed 17 of 24 passes and threw two touchdown passes against Baltimore, which was more than enough to convince coach Doug Pederson that he should be Carson Wentz’s season-opening backup.

The Eagles still have four quarterbacks – Wentz, McCown, injured Nate Sudfeld, and rookie Clayton Thorson.

Sudfeld, who initially was supposed to be Wentz’s backup, broke his left (non-throwing) wrist in the first preseason game, against Tennessee, and is expected to miss at least the first two or three regular-season games.

Thorson, the team’s fifth-round pick in the April draft, struggled in both training camp and the preseason. The Eagles likely will release him and then sign him to their practice squad.

Another much less likely possibility is that they carry all four quarterbacks through Saturday’s roster cutdown, then put Sudfeld on injured reserve with the option to return after eight games, and carry Thorson as the third quarterback behind Wentz and McCown.

Kessler, who was signed by the Eagles in mid-May, played just 33 snaps in the preseason. He didn’t play at all Thursday night in the 6-0 loss to the Jets as Thorson played every snap.

He completed 7 of 15 passes for 57 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the preseason. Kessler, who has made 12 NFL starts, is a smart quarterback, but his arm is suspect.

Rodgers, 27, signed with the Eagles last year as a free agent, but he injured his knee and played in just seven games.

He was expected to be the team’s third tight end behind Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. But he suffered a foot injury in practice Aug. 19.

While the Eagles have yet to reveal the exact nature of Rodgers’ injury, it’s believed to be a ruptured Achilles.

Josh Perkins, who replaced Rodgers as the third tight end last year, is expected to do so again.

A rundown of the Eagles’ roster moves Friday:

Injured Reserve

TE Richard Rodgers

Waived/Injured

DT Aziz Shittu

Released

DE Kasim Edebali

DE Eli Harold

LB Hayes Pullard

CB Orlando Scandrick

TE Will Tye

Waived

WR Carlton Agudosi

S Trae Elston

C Anthony Fabiano

S Deiondre’ Hall

CB Ajene Harris

CB Josh Hawkins

QB Cody Kessler

OT Riley Mayfield

CB Jeremiah McKinnon

WR Marken Michel

RB Donnel Pumphrey

G Keegan Render

CB Sojourn Shelton

LB Alex Singleton

WR DeAndre Thompkins

S Jason Thompson

DT Kevin Wilkins

LB Chris Worley