Just hours after telling reporters the Eagles didn't necessarily need to place defensive tackle Jordan Davis on injured reserve, Nick Sirianni's team did just that.
Due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 8, Davis landed on IR on Wednesday, the team announced.
Davis suffered the injury in the final minutes of the first half during Sunday's game, a 35-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. After being helped off the field and into the medical tent, Davis needed a cart to take him into the locker room for further examination.
With a quick turnaround between Sunday and Thursday night's game against Houston, Davis was ruled out of the game earlier Wednesday. His placement on injured reserve means he'll at least miss the next month before he's eligible to be designated for return from IR.
Philadelphia spent the 13th-overall pick on Davis, a standout on Georgia's national championship-winning defense, in April's draft. He's served as a rotational player along the Eagles' defensive line, playing 30 percent or more of defensive snaps in every game until his exit Sunday and starting in each of the last five games. In that span, he's recorded 14 tackles as part of Philadelphia's third-ranked defense.
"I feel good about the guys that we have in here," defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. "We always talk about how that's one of the reasons we cross-train guys, to be able to plug and fill different spots when guys go down or get injured. I feel good about the room and what we're doing, and those guys will pick up the slack."
The loss of the rookie affects Philadelphia's depth up front, but fortunately for the undefeated Eagles (7-0), they have enough contributors to fill the void left by Davis' departure. They'll forge ahead without their rookie for the time being.
