The Philadelphia Eagles are officially in bye week mode after picking up their second-straight win on Sunday against the New York Giants. The bye came at the perfect time for the Eagles, who will try to get close to full-strength before their Week 10 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
To kick off the bye, the Eagles made a small but notable change on the 53-man roster, which will open at least one spot for the potential returns of Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, or Jakorian Bennett. On Monday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the Eagles parted ways with veteran cornerback Parry Nickerson.
The 31-year-old Nickerson began the 2025 season on the practice squad after not making the team out of preseason. However, the Eagles needed the veteran cornerback’s services on the 53-man roster towards the end of last month, with Bennett getting placed on injured reserve.
Eagles Release Parry Nickerson to Start Bye, Open 53-Man Roster Spot
Nickerson appeared in the Eagles’ last five games, playing predominantly on special teams (60 snaps compared to 12 on defense). In Sunday’s win against the Giants, the 5-foot-10 defensive back played eight snaps on defense and eight on special teams.
As previously alluded to, the hope is that Graham, Smith, or Bennett will be ready to play in Week 10 against the Packers. Graham just came out of retirement last week, and to no one’s surprise, did not play in Week 8. And asking for him to do too much after nearly nine months since his last game might be a recipe for disaster.
Meanwhile, Bennett had his 21-day practice window opened last week, giving the Eagles three weeks to see if he’s ready to get back on the field. The 25-year-old cornerback has played in three games this season, and it would be great if he remained healthy down the stretch.
Philadelphia would like for that to be the case coming off the bye, as the trade deadline is rapidly approaching next Tuesday. The Eagles are one of the teams that could be looking to acquire a cornerback or pass rusher for the second-half push, especially if it means bolstering their odds of back-to-back Super Bowl wins.
As for Nickerson, all hope is not lost for him to come back to the practice squad. In addition to letting him go, the Eagles also cut defensive end Titus Leo from the practice squad. With Leo out the door, Philadelphia now has an opening on its taxi roster, allowing it to bring back the veteran cornerback or sign a different player.