Darius

Slay Jr.

This is great news for the Eagles’ top cornerback. His Week 6 exit was cause for concern but a quick bounce-back is evidently in order. Slay’s Wednesday participation puts him on track to play against the Giants.

Injured around halftime, the Eagles’ No. 1 corner has been replaced by Isaiah Rodgers. “Knee” obviously the injury designation you want to see, but this was not a carting-type event. Perhaps the Eagles will get good news on Monday. Stay tuned.

Slay missed a chunk of the season with a knee injury, playing in the Wildcard Round for the first time since Week 14. He was injured in the fourth quarter on what appeared to be a routine tackle on Buccaneers running back Rachaad White but stayed on the turf following the play clutching his side. The extent of the injury was not revealed but the cart had to be brought out for the veteran cornerback, indicating his night is likely done.

Slay underwent a knee scope before Week 15 and has been out for the following two games. With the Eagles almost certainly playing in the Wild Card round, getting healthy should be their top priority at this time. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them hold Slay out another week as the gear up for the playoffs.

Slay underwent knee surgery ahead of Week 15 and has been sidelined ever since. The procure was a knee scope and didn’t land Slay on injured reserve, so he should be able to return before the end of the season. The Eagles will remain a surprisingly soft defense in Slay’s absence.

Cunningham and Slay are regular starters missing on an Eagles defense undergoing a bit of a change, with Matt Patricia expected to take over coaching on the sideline while Sean Desai retreats to the box. Penny and Okwuegbunam remain disposable assets with healthy bodies ahead of them while Tanner McKee will serve as the team’s emergency quarterback.

Battling through a down season by his standards, Slay dealt with knee issues earlier this year. He is not expected to be placed on injured reserve, meaning the Eagles do expect him back during the regular season. It’s just as possible they exercise caution with an eye toward having him 100 percent for the playoffs. That should definitely be the overriding goal for a secondary that has been amongst the league’s worst in 2023.

Safety Sydney Brown was also removed from the injury report. Both news items are big wins for an Eagles secondary that has been ravaged by injuries this year. Slay missed Week 6 with the knee issue but was a full participant in practice today, so he should be able to play without any limitations. Jalen Carter, who also missed last week, is back in action as well.

As expected, defensive tackle Jalen Carter was also ruled out. Per head coach Nick Sirianni, Slay is not expected to miss a lot of time with the knee issue. Even down multiple starters on defense, the Eagles should handle business versus the Zach Wilson-led Jets. They will hope to have Carter and Slay back for Week 7 against the Dolphins.

Slay and teammate Jalen Carter (ankle) are both questionable heading into the weekend, but could be trending toward sitting with a Week 7 matchup against the Dolphins on tap. The Eagles defense has struggled to look like the dominant unit we saw last season. Slay’s absence, even against the Jets, could amplify those struggles.