On top of the locker room drama and the crisis on the offensive side of the ball, the Philadelphia Eagles have serious defensive concerns that they have to solve. Not only is their cornerback rotation a mess, but they just lost one of their best pass rushers earlier in the week to an abrupt retirement. With Nolan Smith Jr. also sidelined with an injury, the Eagles are running out of bodies in the pass rush department. As bad as that sounds, the latest report around the league suggests that it could have been even worse.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that DE Drake Jackson, who just signed with the Washington Commanders, was placed on the injured reserve list with a knee injury. Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted Jackson for a workout, but a deal never materialized. Instead, the former second-round pick ended up signing with the Commanders this week. Imagine if the Eagles had signed Jackson and he immediately went on the IR to miss at least four weeks, it would be another disaster that they would have to respond to.
Eagles Avoided Disaster but Their Pass Rush Options Are Still Bleak
Rapoport added that "signing and stashing" for later in the season was always the plan for Jackson in Washington. This highlights the dire situation in the pass rush market. Jackson has missed the second half of the 2023 season, the entire 2024 season, and has yet to play a game this season. He has undergone a serious patellar tendon surgery last year that he is still recovering from. Despite this, a team desperate for immediate pass rush help has decided to sign him because of the lack of viable options on the market.
At this stage in the season, there are no real difference-making pass rushers left on the free agent market. It is also slim pickings in the trade market. Every team needs multiple quality pass rushers and no one is willing to move on from them even if they need to be sellers at the deadline. This creates desperation and results in buyers taking fliers on older veterans or injury-prone players.
The Eagles will not have to either overpay in a trade for a pass rusher before the Nov. 4 deadline, or take a risk on a player with serious question marks like the Commanders did with Jackson. Which direction Howie Roseman goes remains to be seen.