If things couldn't get any worse for the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes down to injuries on defense, it just happened.
After picking up an emotional 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the Eagles got some bad news on their edge rusher position. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reported Monday morning that Ogbo Okoronkwo is feared to have torn his triceps and is on his way to the injured reserve list. Okoronkwo left the Buccaneers game early in the contest and didn't return.
Sunday's appearance was the first for Okoronkwo, as he had been previously inactive for the entire regular season. However, Nolan Smith's triceps injury and trip to the IR led to Okoronkwo's playing time. The Eagles signed him back in July to add depth to their edge rushers.
Does this finally mean that Azeez Ojulari will finally play for the Eagles?
As soon as there is any kind of edge rusher injury, the first thing to comes to Eagles fans' minds is whether Ojulari will finally be active. He was inactive for the fourth consecutive game to start the season.
Smith and Okoronkwo make it impossible for the Eagles to ignore Ojulari and have him active for Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. Even if he doesn't play much, he could be utilized on special teams or contribute in other ways.
This will no doubt elevate Patrick Johnson, who had quite a few snaps off the edge for the Eagles. Expect to see him more often on the field for Week 5.
Philly could use a boost in the pass rush game, as the edge rushers have not been able to create much pressure on the quarterback. The group had a combined zero sacks and quarterback hits against the Buccaneers.
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Let's see how the Eagles handle the edge rusher position now that two are about to be on IR.