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Eagles’ Doug Pederson confirms Jordan Mailata’s absence isn’t trade related

By Justin Grasso

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Ola Adeniyi #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes into Jordan Mailata #68 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter during the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Ola Adeniyi #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes into Jordan Mailata #68 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter during the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Slow your roles on the trade rumors — Jordan Mailata is dealing with an injury, according to Eagles head coach, Doug Pederson.

The Philadelphia Eagles returned to the Nova Care Complex on Monday to prepare for this week’s final NFL preseason game of the 2019 offseason. However, not everybody was in attendance. And with a key name on the trade block linked to the Eagles, many were under the belief that a sudden absence could be trade-related.

Typically, if a backup lineman such as Jordan Mailata misses practice, nobody would really bat an eye. With Jadeveon Clowney expected to be on the move out of Houston though, many are under the assumption that the Eagles could be a landing spot for him — and Mailata would be a part of the deal considering his sudden emergence during his second year in the NFL.

While it would take a lot more than a backup right tackle to get Clowney into Philly, many believe that a high-round draft pick and Mailata could make it happen. And since Mailata missed practice on Monday, social media began to speculate that the Eagles could be moving the right tackle.

That’s not the case, though. On Tuesday, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson held his daily pre-practice press conference to address all questions. Being that Mailata’s absence caused quite the commotion in Philly, Pederson was asked about it fairly quickly.

Mailata’s absence was not injury-related

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Mailata is dealing with a lower-back injury. Since he needs more tests to get an official diagnosis, we should expect Mailata to miss some additional time this week as the Eagles prepare for their fourth preseason game.

This year, Mailata has played in a majority of the Eagles offensive snaps with the absence of Lane Johnson. Just like last year, the former rugby star has put on some impressive performances for a guy who just started playing the sport last year.

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At this point, Mailata more than likely cracks the final 53-man roster again, but many still believe he could be on the move at some point this offseason. Since the Eagles do have reliable depth on board, it could happen if a deal that’s too good to pass up comes around. However, it may not be in the Eagles best interest to get rid of O-Line depth — especially with recent injuries occurring.

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