5 Most Likely Eagles Inactives vs. Cowboys in Week 9

Following a thrilling win over the Washington Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles will square off against another division rival in Week 9 with the Dallas Cowboys in town. Heading into this heavyweight matchup that could help determine NFC East or even playoff seeding down the line, Nick Sirianni will need his best players on hand.

As a result, that means a few players buried on the depth chart likely won't get any run with the stakes on the line. With that in mind, here are the five most likely Eagles to be inactive in Week 9.

Predicting Eagles Inactives Week 9

1. Albert Okwuegbunam/Grant Calcaterra

Tight end is one of Philadelphia's deepest position groups with four players claiming 53-man roster spots. New arrival Albert Okwuegbunam has been squeezed on gamedays because of this glut, failing to make his Eagles debut since coming over from the Denver Broncos.

That could change in Week 9, however. Third-stringer Grant Calcaterra is in the league's concussion protocol, which already puts his game status in jeopardy. Even more notably, Calcaterra's had a bad personal history with head injuries that once caused him to step away from football in college.

Given this, Philly is sure to be as cautious as possible with the backup. Assuming he doesn't clear protocols or the team simply opts to hold him out this Sunday, that clears the path for Okwuegbunam to see his first game action of the season.

The Missouri product notched 4 touchdowns across 26 games with the Broncos to begin his career. If the 6-foot-5, 258-pound TE steps up as a red zone weapon versus Dallas, he may no longer be a shoo-in for the inactive list.