Eagles Starter Now Out for Season After Latest Injury Update

A Philadelphia Eagles starter will now miss the rest of the 2023 season after his latest injury update.

The Philadelphia Eagles are fortunate to be 10-2 on the season considering their struggles and health issues that have challenged them throughout the year. One key player who went down early during this campaign was safety Justin Evans, who dealt with a neck injury before also suffering a knee injury that landed him on IR.

While Evans’ return window was opened, it looks like he won’t be back on the field for Philadelphia after all.

Eagles News: Justin Evans Done for Season

Evans’ 21-day period to be activated off of IR expired on Tuesday, according to the NFLs’ transaction wire. Since he’s still unable to play, that means he’s now ineligible to return for the rest of season.

This is definitely a blow to an Eagles secondary that’s been tested on the health front throughout 2023. The veteran made an immediate impact as a starter, recording two passes defended and a forced fumble in first four games this season. He also racked up 15 total tackles, including nine solo, providing a dependable presence who’s clearly missed right now.

Howie Roseman did pre-plan for Evans’ absence by acquiring All-Pro Kevin Byard to take the vet’s place. That being said, one big acquisition hasn’t been enough to make up for Philly’s defense-wide issue of failing to properly wrap guys up.

That weakness reared its ugly head in Week 13 with the San Francisco 49ers breaking off big gain after big gain thanks to broken tackles. Evans alone wouldn’t be able to stop these problems, just like Byard hasn’t, but he’d provide a legit depth option for the stretch run at the very least.

Now it’s on defensive coordinator Sean Desai to figure how to best utilize the group of players he will have on hand for the playoff push. Perhaps Shaquille Leonard’s arrival helps, but Desai needs to bail himself out with better coaching, rather than banking on pure talent to get the job done.