The Philadelphia Eagles were down a couple presumptive veteran starters in Friday’s 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil, most notably cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
Limited in practice this past week due to a hand injury, Rodgers made the 10-hour flight to Sao Paulo with his teammates Wednesday before being ruled out a day later.
For those questioning the severity of Rodgers’ hand injury, wondering if he was more of a healthy scratch like rookie Jalyx Hunt, or essential DNP’s Kelee Ringo and Cooper DeJean, the fifth-year vet had this to say the day after Philly’s win:
You think I’ll come this far to be a Healthy Scratch???
I worked toooo hard all year and Training camp to be a healthy scratch bro. It’s football , injuries happen . I tried everything I could to be out there this week. I’ll rather be 100% then 50% for my team and the fans.
Rodgers wasn’t the only Eagles player defending himself on social media post-game. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson took to Instagram Live in a more humorous roast of fans throwing shade his way for missing a tackle on Packers running back Josh Jacobs.
The Eagles did enough on defense to give the team a chance, sticking to a somewhat unforeseen alignment in the secondary with rookie cornerback Quinyon Micthell on the outside opposite Darius Slay, and defensive back Avonte Maddox sliding to nickel. Considering Mitchell played predominantly on the inside during training camp, with Maddox converting to safety, the personnel moves feel more like a reaction to Rodgers' absence than some master plan to stash him on the inactive list.
Assuming Rodgers can get back to 100 percent during the team’s 10-day break between games, the Eagles should be able to get back to what was working this summer in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons at The Linc.
MORE EAGLES NEWS:
Eagles Week 1 snap counts: Kelee Ringo, Cooper DeJean barely involved in Week 1
What Jahan Dotson contributed to the Eagles on the 32 snaps he played
Score one for Kellen Moore in Eagles’ 34-29 win over Packers in Week 1
NFL's officiating 'point of emphasis' nearly burns Eagles on game-sealing drive
Eagles Saquon Barkley toasts LB Quay Walker for second TD as Eagle
‘Yo!’ is Philly: The significance behind Philadelphia Eagles’ epic hype video
