PHILADELPHIA — Twice on Thursday a Philadelphia Eagles player was immobilized on the field, waiting to go on a stretcher and get carted off.
Teammates kneeled around the injured players. Concern was evident on frightened faces.
Wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive lineman Moro Ojomo both suffered neck injuries in the Eagles’ 18-18 preseason tie with the Cleveland Browns. It was confirmed that both have movement in their extremities.
“They’re moving around,” coach Nick Sirianni said after the game.
Those were the most fearsome injuries, but they were not alone during an atypical night. Philadelphia entered camp remarkably healthy and went three weeks without a long injury list. The attrition accumulated Thursday, though, when six players left the game.
“You never want to see that,” Sirianni said. “Your heart goes out to everybody that gets hurt in a game because they’re working so hard to make the football team. That’s tough. That’s tough for the team, that’s tough for myself, that’s tough for the coaches. Because you care about these guys and you want to see them succeed. And then to have injuries, that’s always tough. A lot of guys had to play a lot of plays. It was a long game, it was a lot of plays. We’ll hope that they’re not too long term and hopefully they get back and better.”
Here’s a rundown of the injuries suffered Thursday night and what they mean:
: Cleveland fell on his head after leaping to try to haul in a catch from Tanner McKee, and teammates were alarmed when he remained on the ground and quickly required medical attention. A collection of fans cheered for the wave during the on-field evaluation, presumably unaware of what was happening in front of them.
It was a sad cap to what had been an impressive week for Cleveland, who followed a five-catch performance in the preseason opener with two strong practices against the Browns. He had moved up the depth chart this week and took advantage of the increased opportunities, even catching a touchdown in 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday with the entire team watching.
Moro Ojomo: Ojomo injured his neck chasing Browns quarterback Kellen Mond and colliding with safety Tristin McCollum in the fourth quarter. He was on the field for a few minutes before he was placed on the stretcher and carted off, although he signaled a thumbs up to the crowd on the way into the tunnel.
Ojomo, the Eagles’ seventh-round pick, has impressed this summer. He can be overshadowed by the team’s more heralded young linemen, but Ojomo has been pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster. He was credited with three tackles and one quarterback hit on Thursday.
Zech McPhearson: McPhearson was carted off the field with what the team labeled as an ankle injury, and it appeared to be serious. He has been the front-runner to be the team’s top backup slot cornerback, although he started on the outside on Thursday. If his injury sidelines him for an extended period, the Eagles would need to figure out what to do behind Avonte Maddox. Mario Goodrich has impressed in camp this summer and would be the next player up on the depth chart. He was already competing with McPhearson for a roster spot. The Eagles can also test one of their outside cornerbacks in the slot. James Bradberry took snaps there during practice this week.
Nolan Smith: There might have been concern watching Smith apparently laboring with a shoulder injury (and staying in the game) after a near sack. He came to the sideline again on the next series to be evaluated. He was then taken inside the locker room. But Smith insisted there is little to worry about, and even asked to shake a reporter’s hand to prove there is no issue with his shoulder. It should be noted that he missed six games at Georgia last season after pectoral surgery.
“It’s my baby, I take care of it every day,” Smith said. “Sometimes she works, sometimes she don’t. I’ll deal with that.”
He said the shoulder did not hurt and he could have reentered the game.
“It really was a little stinger,” Smith said. “Like you hit someone and came down funny.”
Smith is set to have a role in the defense this season as the fourth edge rusher, and his versatility could allow the Eagles to use him in different ways as the season progresses.
Josh Andrews: Andrews injured his ankle and was quickly ruled out of the game. The veteran center was signed during camp to stabilize a position that lacked depth, and his steady snapping was an improvement for the reserve units. It’s up for debate whether the Eagles would have kept Andrews on the active roster, but the eighth-year pro makes sense as a practice squad candidate who could be elevated on game days if Philadelphia wants depth on the interior offensive line.
Olamide Zaccheaus: Zaccheaus went to the locker room to be evaluated for a shoulder injury but returned to the sideline to watch the game with the team. He indicated afterward that there was no issue. He moved up the depth chart to the No. 3 receiver this week because of Quez Watkins’ injured hamstring, and he was the first punt returner on Thursday because of Britain Covey’s injured hamstring.
As a bonus update, Haason Reddick underwent thumb surgery on Thursday. Even though the season opener is three weeks from Sunday, the Eagles expect Reddick back by then.
