Week 4 could be rough for the Philadelphia Eagles, as six players will miss the game against the Los Angeles Rams due to injuries. Still, the biggest worry is whether Jalen Carter will be allowed to play on the field. Again.
Since the Week 1 Washington Commanders game, Carter has been fighting through a wrist injury, but no one really knew how serious it was. Well, it turns out to be pretty serious: The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane learned that Carter has a hairline fracture in his wrist and will continue to wear a cast to protect it.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke with the media this week and was asked about Carter playing while hurt. Fangio has been impressed with Carter.
“He’s done better than I thought he would with it.”
Does that mean he should be playing on it, though?
Jalen Carter should be sitting the Eagles-Rams game and getting his wrist healed properly
This Rams game will already be extremely difficult for the Eagles without DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun, Dallas Goedert, and Marcus Epps playing. The real question is: why would Philly throw Carter out there if winning is not really realistic against a strong Los Angeles team?
Carter is having an okay start to the season, but nothing crazy through three games. He has racked up seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, one sack, and one forced fumble. Add in seven pressures and six hurries this season.
Pro Football Focus doesn't think Carter is having as good a season, grading him 52.6 overall and ranking him 91st out of 126 interior defensive linemen. He also has a PFF pass-rush grade of 54.7 (ranked 104th) and a run-defense grade of 51.8 (ranked 73rd).
Remember, this is an Eagles team that just gave him a massive, record-breaking four-year, $152 million contract extension to keep him long-term. What the Eagles are doing with him is wrong and could really hurt him in the future.
This injury could have had him in the middle of his recovery if the Eagles had acted quickly. It takes about a month and a half to heal if done right. The Eagles have been successful without Carter before.
Last season, they played six games without Carter in the lineup. Look at how well Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Byron Young performed without him. The Eagles were just as good on defense without Carter there.
Putting him on the field in what seems like a meaningless game feels wrong. Yes, the Rams are a conference opponent, and it could be a situation where the Eagles are tied with them for a playoff spot and the head-to-head could break it, but it's Week 4. A lot can change down the road, including losing their top defensive lineman because they want to gun for a win, and they already have multiple starters out.
Read more: Eagles news roundup: DeVonta Smith injury update, Sean Mannion on screen passes
If the Eagles were smart, they would let Carter rest this week and reevaluate his situation after that. Playing him can only do more harm, even with the cast on his wrist.
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