PHILADELPHIA – To no one’s surprise Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t reveal much when it came to the status of defensive tackle Jordan Davis’ ankle injury despite reports that the rookie could miss at least a month of action.
An NFL source confirmed to JAKIB Sports that the initial belief was that Davis suffered a high-ankle sprain, an injury that typically takes four to six weeks for rest and rehab. That was pending a Monday MRI and Sirianni, a noted proponent of the competitive-advantage card, used that to claim things were still murky when he spoke to reporters late in the afternoon.
The coach did at least admit Davis was unlikely to play after a short week of preparation with Thursday night’s game in Houston looming.
“Still working through that,” Sirianni said when asked for a status update on Davis. “I’m never going to put a timetable on him — and I know you didn’t ask for a timetable — but you know, probably not going to be going this week.”
While Sirianni has been slavish to that competitive-advantage card this season during the Eagles’ 7-0 historic start, the real question is whether the Eagles believe Dabis could return inside of four games, something that would keep the rookie on the 53-man roster rather than moving him injured reserve, which would require Davis to miss at least four games.
“We’ll see how it goes and how everything’s going and how everything’s working through it,” Sirianni said. “… he has an ankle [injury], but I don’t know the extent of it, of how long he’s going to be out.”
The Eagles have significant depth at defensive tackle but Davis is a little different as the team’s lone effective player in zero or shade technique on the nose, something that allows defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to toggle between four- and five-man fronts easily.
Most of the rest of the DTs — — Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Milton Williams — are either best-suited to play three-, some five- or 4i-technique begrudgingly. Marlon Tuipulotu is the one DT somewhat comfortable playing closer to the center but is not nearly as talented or effective at it as Davis.
Also being estimated as out on Monday’s injury report was defensive back Josiah Scott, who also injured his ankle on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
Scott is also not expected to play against the Texans on Thursday and Philadelphia bolstered things in the defensive backfield on Monday by signing Javelin Guidry to the practice squad, making room by releasing PS receiver Deon Cain.
