Eagles CB Ronald Darby needs to get back into shape
Ronald Darby is healthy, but he isn’t in shape to play on gameday just yet.
Philadelphia Eagles veteran cornerback Ronald Darby hasn’t seen the field since opening day in September. He played almost a full half of football before going down with a non-contact injury. After being carted off the field, Darby’s season sure looked like it was over. Luckily, his dislocated ankle only had him ruled out for four-to-six weeks originally.
As we head into the eighth week of the season, Darby has yet to return back to the field. Although he is close, he has other factors that are holding him back from playing. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told the media on Friday that Darby is still working to get back into football shape.
Ever since Darby’s return to practice last week, he hasn’t been upgraded from a limited participant yet. We haven’t really been given a reason yet as to why Darby hasn’t been a full go at practice. It sure seems like the Eagles are nervous about rushing him back, despite going over the estimated time frame. As the Eagles head into what should be an easy win against the San Francisco 49ers, they have to decide whether they should play him now or give him another week to rest.
Plans for the return:
The Eagles fan base has been waiting for the return of Darby since his injury timetable was set. Although Darby will clearly be a major upgrade when he returns, the progress of the current cornerback situation could be a reason why they are not rushing his return.
The two veterans Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson have exceeded expectations at this point. There hasn’t really been a point at all this season where these two let up a big play in crucial situations. Also, the rookie Rasul Douglas has outplayed his draft value. The third-round pick may have let up a big play here and there, but for the most part, he has been pretty impressive.
The patience with Darby’s injury clearly shows the confidence that the Eagles have in their young cornerbacks. As he works to get back into football shape, there should be no reason to force him back out onto the field. His game status for Sunday is questionable. But as the week comes to an end, it seems like he is more likely to return next week against the Denver Broncos.