Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since the end of the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Eagles at least had the luxury of some additional time off over the weekend.
The Eagles have plenty to clean up internally after an embarrassing loss to the last-place New York Giants and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart last Thursday night. It starts with getting key guys like left guard Landon Dickerson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter back in the lineup.
Philly’s depth concerns reached new heights on Monday with the unexpected retirement of edge rusher Za’Darius Smith. With Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo still on injured reserve, the team will be relying more on players like Azeez Ojulari and Patrick Johnson in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings.
An even bigger concern for the defense right now is the health of No. 1 cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who exited the Giants game after just 13 snaps with a hamstring injury and couldn’t return. Philly’s cornerback depth beyond Mitchell and nickel Cooper DeJean has been suspect, at best, and Eagles fans didn’t exactly get the status update they were hoping for from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on Tuesday.
Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell sounds extremely iffy to play vs. Justin Jefferson, Vikings in Week 7
If you have to play a game without your top cornerback, a date with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the road isn’t exactly what you want to see looming on the schedule.
Mitchell changes everything for Philly’s defense, and the potential for a multi-week absence has Eagles fans anxiously awaiting updates. Fangio provided the first during his weekly sit-down with reporters, and while he didn’t rule anything out, he hardly hinted that MItchell could be ready to return in just 10 days time.
“That remains to be seen,” Fangio said, adding of the CB group: “We’ve got to settle in and find somebody out there that we can rely on. I think we have the guys that can do that. We’ve just got to get them playing better.”
Wednesday’s first practice report of the week will provide some insight, but at this point, Mitchell feels like a long shot to play. The 24-year-old showed a lot of toughness during the 2024 playoffs, returning to the lineup one week after getting knocked out of the Rams game with a shoulder injury.
Hamstrings are a completely different animal, though. They need time to heal, and star players often end up on injured reserve to ensure their muscles return to 100 percent.
Eagles fans currently have zero faith in the players who could be tasked with filling the void. Fangio said Adoree’ Jackson remains the team’s No. 2 boundary corner, with Kelee Ringo the next man up. The team could also look at moving DeJean outside — something he’s only done on 18 percent of his snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus — and give rookie Mac McWilliams more opportunities.
Read more: Analyst says what Eagles fans aren’t ready to admit in Week 7 power rankings
Questions over the state of the depth chart are fair, and probably should be directed more toward GM Howie Roseman than Fangio. Simply put, the Eagles will have a hard time covering anyone without Mitchell in the lineup, and Eagles fans can only hope that Fangio’s guarded status update on Tuesday isn’t a sign of things to come.