Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Herbig has to step up and replace Jack Driscoll

Brandon Brooks is currently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

I know that fact may occasionally slip the mind of even the most hardcore of Eagles fans, as he’s been on IR since suffering a pectoral strain in Week 2 and hasn’t played a full season for the Birds since 2019, but it’s true and will continue to be true until his contract expires in 2024, assuming he isn’t traded or released before then.

Could that happen? While the best availability is unquestionably available, the second-best is being one of the best guards in the NFL, which Brooks was the last time he took the field for an extended period of time.

Still, in his absence, the Eagles’ brass has to be happy with how Jack Driscoll has played as the team’s backup right guard, as the former fourth-round pick out of Auburn has been a calming presence between Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson.

The keyword in that sentence? Was, as Jack Driscoll, unfortunately, suffered a high-ankle sprain that will land him on IR alongside Brandon Brooks and effectively end his very encouraging 2021 season campaign. *sigh* why can’t the Philadelphia Eagles have nice things?

The Philadelphia Eagles need Nate Herbig now more than ever.

Nate Herbig, much like the Philadelphia Eagles, had a very underwhelming Week 12.

Thrust into action off the bench as an injury replacement for Jason Kelce, Herbig played 46 percent of the Eagles’ offensive snaps at the center spot before being mercifully relieved by the future Hall of Famer midway through the game.

The only problem? Herbig had already committed a holding penalty that negated a 21-yard Boston Scott touchdown and another that removed a 24-yard Jalen Hurts run from the board that also pushed the team back to their own five-yard line.

With Kelce back, the collegiate Stanford Cardinal sat back and breathed a sigh of relief that his time at center was finally over, but, unfortunately, that relief was shortlived, as Jack Driscoll went down with an ankle injury with 1:15 left to play in the third and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Herbig played notably better at guard than tackle and avoided any penalties or notable miscues that would have further placed him in the doghouse – a very crowded place if Week 12 dictates an invitation. He spent much of the 2021 season sandwiched between Kelce and Lane Johnson and clearly has a repertoire with the duo, even if Brandon Brooks and Driscoll give the team a better chance to win due to their superior athletic gifts.

If Herbig can just recapture his 2020 glory, where he was one of the few bright spots of a pretty dismal season, the Eagles’ offense should be able to continue to dominate on the ground and keep Hurts – or Gardner Minshew, if Hurts can’t go – upright, it’ll go a long way in avoiding a series of sack-heavy games where the offense is unable to dictate their own game.

This is the situation; might as well make the most of it.

Who knows, maybe Brandon Brooks will make a surprise return, and the Philadelphia Eagles will ride his side of the line all the way to the playoffs. But if Brooks’ time on IR extends through Week 18, having a veteran guard like Nate Herbig with 13 starts on his resume is certainly better than having to turn to a player like, say, Iosua Opeta, who only has 177 offensive snaps to his credit as a pro.