Eagles rookie Nolan Smith ‘ready to go’ for his NFL debut; Haason Reddick adapting to protect thumb

Smith was dealing with a shoulder injury, but has not been on the injury report this week.

Eagles rookie linebacker Nolan Smith has been dealing with a shoulder injury sustained during a preseason game against the Browns on Aug. 17.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer / Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

Published Sep. 7, 2023, 5:23 p.m. ET

Edge rusher Nolan Smith’s seemingly perpetual smile grew a little wider when asked if he feels healthy enough to play on Sunday in the Eagles’ season opener against the New England Patriots.

“Does a bear [bleep] in the woods?” Smith replied after practice on Wednesday.

In Smith’s world, and perhaps in most cases, the bear does. Smith, the Eagles’ first-round pick (No. 30 overall) out of Georgia, had been dealing with a shoulder injury that he suffered during the second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 17, forcing him to exit early. After the game, Smith said he was pulled for precautionary reasons and mentioned that the injury was related to pectoral surgery he had in November.

He was sidelined during practice the following week and missed the final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. In speaking with the media, coach Nick Sirianni said on Aug. 29 that he didn’t want to set “unrealistic expectations” for Smith’s availability for Week 1.

However, Smith returned to practice on Aug. 30 and was not listed on the first two official injury reports of the season released on Wednesday and Thursday. Now, he figures to make his NFL debut when the Eagles make the trip up to Foxborough, Mass., to take on the Patriots.

“I feel OK,” Smith said. “I’m just ready to go. I’m still learning from seven [Haason Reddick] and five-five [Brandon Graham].”

Smith’s mentor Reddick is dealing with an injury of his own. The 28-year-old linebacker underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb in mid-August after initially suffering the injury during joint practices with the Browns. Reddick returned to practice on Aug. 28 and, like Smith, has avoided the injury report this week.

Since getting back into the swing of practice, Reddick has been experimenting with the type of apparatus he wants to wear to protect his thumb on Sunday. The Camden native and Temple alumnus will do whatever it takes to get on the field as he looks to improve upon his stellar 2022 performance when he led the team with 16 sacks (second in the NFL) and collected 11 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

“You take the hand, hey, wrap it up, we’ll find a way,” Reddick said on Thursday. “We’re going to be adaptable to that. At least, I have to be. That’s what it means to be adaptable. Go out there, whatever is thrown your way, don’t get flustered. Don’t get frustrated about it. Find an answer to it.”

While the Eagles’ defensive front is getting healthier, the Patriots’ offensive line is hurting. Projected starting right tackle Riley Reiff was placed on injured reserve on Monday after he suffered an apparent leg injury in the Patriots’ final preseason game against the Houston Texans. On Wednesday, the Patriots listed three projected starting offensive linemen on their injury report, including left tackle Trent Brown (illness), left guard Cole Strange (knee), and right guard Mike Onwenu (ankle). Only Brown came off the report on Thursday.

Despite the Patriots’ injuries and ailments along the offensive line, Reddick said he and his teammates on the defensive line are approaching them just as they would any other.

“It doesn’t matter who they put out there,” Reddick said. “Everybody’s taking the same approach, and that’s to go out there and be dominant.”

The Eagles visit the New England Patriots in the season opener. Join Eagles beat reporters Josh Tolentino, EJ Smith, and Olivia Reiner as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Foxborough, Mass.