Closer to a return
Eagles open practice window for defensive tackle Jordan Davis
“I know he’s attacking the rehab like crazy. I know our training staff and our doctors and our strength staff are doing everything they can to help him, and I know Jordan is doing everything he can to help himself.”
On Wednesday morning, the Eagles activated the 21-day practice window for rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
Davis, the No. 13 pick in the 2022 draft, is eligible to return from injured reserve this Sunday, when the Eagles host Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans. The 6-foot6, 336-pound nose tackle suffered a high ankle sprain during an Oct. 30 game against Pittsburgh.
“I know he’s attacking the rehab like crazy,” coach Nick Sirianni said this week. “I know our training staff and our doctors and our strength staff are doing everything they can to help him, and I know Jordan is doing everything he can to help himself.”
Davis sported a matching Eagles tracksuit on Sunday evening when he gleefully skipped through the concrete hallways located underneath the lower bowl at Lincoln Financial Field.
Like many of his teammates, the rookie defensive tackle was in celebration mode after the Eagles claimed a 40-33 victory over the Packers. Through the regular season’s first 12 weeks, the Eagles have stormed to the NFL’s best record at 10-1. Sunday’s victory marked double-digit wins for the first time for second-year coach Nick Sirianni.
The Eagles have accomplished these feats largely without Davis — the No. 13 overall pick in April’s draft — who has been on injured reserve for the last four weeks with a high ankle sprain.
Davis hurt his ankle during an Oct. 30 game against the Steelers. He initially wasn’t able to put any weight on his right foot and needed to be carted into the locker room. Over the last few weeks, Davis has been seen throughout the NovaCare Complex without a walking boot or any noticeable limp. He
has kept a majority of his interactions inside the locker room brief, but Davis has indicated on several occasions that he’s “feeling better and better” each day.
Davis, 22, proved to be a difference-maker through the first two months of the regular season. He was a fixture in the middle of the
defensive line and he played a major role in stopping the run. The Eagles have struggled without him on the field, and the team sought out external assistance this month by picking up veteran defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph, pairing them with interior defensive linemen Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Milton Williams. Marlon Tuipulotu also was placed on IR on Nov. 16.
It has been a collaborative effort to replace Davis’ reps, but the truth is replacing Davis was always going to be nearly impossible. The 6-foot6, 336-pounder possesses a unique skill set with his bullish frame and athleticism. Nearly every time Davis steps onto the field, opposing offenses need to dedicate multiple blockers to slow him down.
“Two on me, somebody’s free,” Davis said upon his arrival to Philadelphia.
Looking ahead to the weekend, the Eagles will be tasked with defending one of the league’s most dominant rushers in Titans All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. Henry is second in the NFL with 1,048 rushing yards and third with 10 rushing touchdowns.
“This is a tough, physical football team,” Sirianni said of the Titans. “... We’re going to work like crazy to make sure we put our guys in the best position to make plays.”