And he’ll be replaced by a former Bengals lineman.
Just over a week before their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles placed left tackle Jordan Mailata, a six-year veteran and one of their best players, on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. He’ll be out for at least four weeks.
This leaves a gaping hole on their offensive line. It also means former Bengal and five-year vet Fred Johnson will be the starting left tackle.
Sitting at 3-2, the Eagles have had a decent season thus far. They claimed a win in Cleveland last week, but their two losses weigh heavily on them. One was a heartbreaker in Atlanta in Week 2 on Monday Night Football, and the other was getting routed by the Bucs in Week 4.
This Mailata injury comes at a bad time, as they travel to MetLife Stadium to play the New York football Giants in a big rivalry game. Unfortunately, this is Mailata’s fourth stint on the IR since his rookie season. When he does play, Mailata is easily one of the best offensive linemen the NFL has.
Now, Johnson will step in for Mailata. He is on his fourth team in five years, having bounced around on different practice squads before getting cut. The Bengals claimed him off waivers in 2019, and he was eventually released from the team in March 2022.
