Possible roster options if Philadelphia Eagles activate Tyree Jackson

This wouldn’t slide into the category of earth-shattering news, but it is noteworthy. The Philadelphia Eagles announced five days ahead of their Week 8 game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers that they’re activating a 21-day practice window for tight end Tyree Jackson.

It’s the second time that they’ve made a move of this manner in a month. They did the same for Andre Dillard before elevating him from the injured reserve to the active roster ahead of Philly’s Week 6 game versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Jackson currently sits on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list where he’s been since August 23rd. He began the regular season on a reserves list.

The Eagles now have three weeks to determine whether or not he’s physically ready to return to the lineup. If they deem he is, he can be reinserted on the 53-man roster at any time over these 21 days. If he isn’t, he’ll be added to the injured reserve where he’ll reside for the remainder of the season.

Here are likely and unlikely roster options if the Philadelphia Eagles reactivate Tyree Jackson.

Unlikely but possible

It’s hard to imagine that the Philadelphia Eagles would have activated a practice window for Tyree Jackson if they didn’t believe they’d be elevating him at some point. We saw them utilize a similar option for Brandon Brooks in 2021. He too was among the injured that enjoyed his practice window, but at season’s end, it was determined he was a no-go.

That’s one of the exceptions to the rule though. More often than not, we see things work the other way.

If the Eagles add Jackson back to the active roster, they’d obviously have four tight ends: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, and Jackson. They’d also have 54 players, so someone would have to be released to make room for him.

They could keep four tight ends on the roster. Some might even suggest that they do so and run more plays featuring 12 personnel (two wide receivers, two tight ends, and one running back). That seems unlikely though.

The best approach?

The best and probably most likely approach is to move Grant Calcaterra. He was inactive for the first two games of the season. He’s played in 45 snaps total over the past four weeks with his snap count decreasing in each contest.

By adding Jackson and deleting Calcaterra, the Birds keep three tight ends. Grant can be reacquired by adding him to the practice squad, but when that happens, someone will need to be released to make room for him there.

Sorry Greg Ward! This could spell danger, but none of us know how this will play out. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.