The Philadelphia Eagles officially announced three moves on Tuesday afternoon. Here’s an overview:
- EDGE Nolan Smith’s 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve was opened.
- EDGE Patrick Johnson was released from the roster.
- WR Terrace Marshall was released from the practice squad.
Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis.
NOLAN SMITH
Smith was unexpectedly placed on injured reserve due to a strained triceps injury back on September 24. At the time, reporting indicated that the Eagles had hope Smith could return for Philly’s Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers. It appears that the 2023 first-round pick might indeed be able to play this coming Monday night. We’ll see how he fares in practice leading up to this week’s game; the Eagles will issue their first official injury report on Thursday, November 6.
Smith’s return would be a nice boost for an Eagles pass rush that could use some more juice. Smith is also a strong run defender given his fearless tenacity when it comes to setting the edge.
If Smith is able to play, the Eagles’ edge rusher rotation looks like this:
- Nolan Smith
- Jaelan Phillips
- Jalyx Hunt
- Brandon Graham
- Joshua Uche
Assuming Phillips can make a smooth transition to the Eagles after being acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, this unit has potential to be more effective than it was in the first half of the 2025 season.
Note that the Eagles have until 4:00 PM Eastern on Monday, November 10 to officially activate Smith to their roster to have him available for the Packers game.
PATRICK JOHNSON
Johnson is a solid fifth or sixth edge rusher and quality special teams contributor. But the Eagles clearly wanted to upgrade on him. With the Eagles releasing Marshall, perhaps they’ll add Johnson to the practice squad. Note that Johnson must pass through waivers now that the NFL trade deadline has passed and all players are subject to the waiver process (including vested veterans).
TERRACE MARSHALL
With the Eagles re-signing Danny Gray to the practice squad on Monday, Marshall became expendable at wide receiver.
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