Eagles don't expect Jalen Carter, Darius Slay to be out for long
The Eagles probably will be without Jalen Carter and Darius Slay, two of their most dynamic defenders, when they take on the Jets this Sunday.
Coach Nick Sirianni discussed the two players on Friday. Carter is the tackle and No. 9 pick of the draft who as of now, is the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Slay, the five-time Pro Bowler, is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Eagles coach also showed Phillies some love
Sirianni gave the updates before Friday’s practice. And he was thinking about more than just the Eagles. He wore a Bryce Harper/Philadelphia Phillies shirt over his Eagles gear for the press conference. The Phillies earned a spot in the National League Championship Series with a win over the Braves Thursday night. Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox even was in the locker room Thursday night for the champagne celebration. Both Philadelphia teams played for their sport’s 2022 championship.
Sirianni said he didn’t know for sure whether Carter would be able to play. He said Carter sprained his ankle in practice two days ago.
“We’ll see where he is, what his status will be,” Sirianni told reporters. “Obviously, we don’t have to make that decision quite yet. We can wait to see how he’s feeling.”
And if Slay isn’t cleared to play Sunday, Sirianni said he doesn’t anticipate the injury being a long-term issue.
Jalen Carter is coming off two-sack performance
The Eagles are super pleased with Jalen Carter’s play through the first five games. The rookie from Georgia enjoyed his first multi-sack game against the Rams last Sunday. He sacked Matthew Stafford twice in a 23-14 Eagles win. He became the first rookie defensive tackle for the Eagles to notch a pair of sacks since Corey Simon did so in 2000.
A reporter asked Carter if he was unstoppable. He said no, adding, “I still got a lot to improve, man. There’s a lot of plays out there where I could have won my rep, but I got blocked that rep. So I just gotta get better every week.”
In this case, he’ll need to devote the week to healing. Meanwhile, Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai called his young tackle a “sponge.”
“I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but it’s impressive how much he loves football,” Desai said. “He’s like a sponge. He’s asking for feedback. (And) he’s getting coached hard.”
Slay also is impressed with Carter. He recognized his skills in the middle of training camp, describing the tackle as a “baby rhino“
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