With Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo injured, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to bring back rookie outside linebacker Antwaun Powell-Ryland on Wednesday to the practice squad. At the time, the move made sense to give Philadelphia some additional depth going into Week 5.
However, the Eagles parted ways with the young pass rusher on Thursday, as they brought back another familiar face to the practice squad in K.J. Henry. Philadelphia waived Henry in late July, after spending the last several weeks of the 2024 season on the practice squad.
After getting waived by the Eagles, Henry was immediately picked up by the Cleveland Browns, who kept him around until the cutdown deadline in late August. The 26-year-old defender was recently back with the Browns last month on their practice squad, but they released him on Sept. 23.
Eagles Bring Back K.J. Henry to Practice Squad to Shake Up Pass Rush
During his time with the Browns in the preseason, the former Clemson defensive end had seven total tackles, three quarterback hits, a pass deflection, and an interception, which was returned for a 45-yard touchdown against the Eagles.
While his performance in the exhibition season was enough to keep him on the 53-man roster or the practice squad last month, the former fifth-round pick will hopefully get a chance to see the field with Philadelphia's defense in the coming weeks.
The young defensive lineman has some regular-season experience under his belt, as he played in four games last season while splitting time between the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals. During his stints with those two teams, Henry recorded three combined tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack.
However, Henry’s most extensive playing time came in 2023 as a rookie with the Washington Commanders. During his rookie season, Henry racked up 19 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two pass deflections, and 1.5 sacks in 10 games (three starts). Despite the contributions he made as a rookie, Washington went in a different direction in 2024 once Dan Quinn and his staff took control, as Henry was released as part of the Commanders' final roster cuts.
The Eagles will likely not need Henry for this week’s game, as it should be Azeez Ojulari’s time to get called up from the practice squad. Ojulari, who was signed to a one-year deal in March, has shockingly been a healthy scratch for the first four games of the season.
Based on the current state of the Eagles’ pass rush, they need Ojulari more than ever. As for Henry, he provides Philadelphia with an additional reinforcement of someone who has been in Fangio’s system for some time and could play in a pinch if called upon.