Eagles lose two starters for rest of the season
PHILADELPHIA — Staying on top became a little tougher for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters and starting linebacker Jordan Hicks will miss the rest of the season after being injured in Monday’s 34-24 win over Washington.
Peters tore his right ACL and MCL and Hicks ruptured his right Achilles’ tendon. Those are two big losses for the NFL-leading Eagles (6-1).
“Both of them are obviously significant,” coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday. “They will be missed.”
The Eagles already lost veteran return specialist Darren Sproles and special teams ace Chris Maragos to season-ending injuries. Top cornerback Ronald Darby has been out since Week 1 with an ankle injury.
“When you look at the injury list and the guys that we’ve lost, guys that are significant starters and role players, leaders on your football team, captains of your football team, it can make an impact,” Pederson said. “It’s definitely the next-man-up (mentality). We still have a lot of football left.”
Halapoulivaati Vaitai takes Peters’ spot. Najee Goode and Joe Walker filled in for Hicks against the Redskins.
Peters has anchored Philadelphia’s offensive line for a decade. He’s a team leader and teammates showed their respect by surrounding the cart before it took him off the field.
“He is a legend around here,” quarterback Carson Wentz said. “He is a future Hall of Famer. We love that guy. He means a lot to us.”
Tomlin scolds Bryant
PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin has a message for wide receiver Martavis Bryant: Get comfortable.
The Pittsburgh Steelers coach stressed Tuesday that Bryant is “not available via trade” following a social media outburst late Sunday in which Bryant expressed frustration about his role in the offense and hinted he wants to go to a team where he can get more playing time.
“It’s irrelevant whether his gripe is legitimate,” Tomlin said. “It’s whether it’s appropriate.”
Bryant initially called out rookie teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster while commenting on an Instagram post that claimed Bryant was being ignored by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Bryant later deleted the post, replacing it with one in which he called Smith-Schuster a “great talent” then adding, “I just wants mine period point-blank.”
Smith-Schuster brushed off the criticism Monday, but Tomlin chastised Bryant for publicly airing issues he believes should be kept in-house.
“He was out of bounds in some of his actions in terms of the things he said on social media,” Tomlin said.
Stanton starting again
TEMPE, Ariz. — Drew Stanton has been here before. Carson Palmer goes down with a serious injury and Stanton steps in as his backup.
Stanton’s career statistics are unspectacular. His win-loss record, not so bad.
In his four seasons with the Cardinals, Stanton is 6-3 as a starter.
“That’s the only one that matters to me,” Stanton said. “I know my career stats are probably horrible … but I think that (the win-loss record) is the ultimate measure of a quarterback, especially as a backup. That’s something I take pride in is to come in and try to win football games.”
That certainly didn’t happen last Sunday in Arizona’s 33-0 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London.
When Palmer went down with a broken left arm, Stanton came in and completed just four of 15 passes for 62 yards with an interception.
“I was disappointed from a personal standpoint of what happened last week because I wasn’t able to go out there and get in a rhythm,” he said after the team went through a light workout Tuesday.
Coach Bruce Arians expects Stanton to improve with more time with the starters.
“I know Drew will bounce back and play a whole lot better when he gets all the practice time,” Arians said.
Lynch appeal denied
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Marshawn Lynch’s appeal of his one-game suspension for shoving an official was denied Tuesday, and the running back will miss Oakland’s game this week at Buffalo.
Appeals officer James Thrash, who was appointed jointly by the league and the NFLPA, upheld the onegame ban without pay. Lynch will not be allowed to be with the Raiders until Oct. 30.
He was suspended for coming off the sideline during a scuffle in the second quarter and then shoving a game official during Oakland’s 31-30 victory over Kansas City last Thursday night. The ban will cost him more than $100,000 in salary and per-game roster bonuses.
The incident started when Oakland quarterback Derek Carr was hit late on a run by Kansas City’s Marcus Peters midway through the second quarter. Several of the Raiders offensive linemen, including Kelechi Osemele and Donald Penn, immediately confronted Peters, and Lynch sprinted onto the field from the bench to join the fray. Line judge Julian Mapp tried to break up the fight, but Lynch pushed him and grabbed his jersey. Lynch was ejected and got a personal foul.