This week is a pretty historic one for the NFL regular season. After Thursday’s annual kickoff game, the league shifts into uncharted territory. The Philadelphia Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers for the first-ever game in Brazil for week one. This is also the first non-holiday game to be played on a Friday since 1986. However, the Eagles took a significant hit to their roster ahead of the game. They are down lead linebacker Devin White, which is a significant blow to the middle of their defense.
The Injury
According to ESPN, White was ruled as a limited participant with an ankle injury for Tuesday’s practice ahead of the game. Today, White was officially ruled out and new Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to make quick adjustments to rework the unit.
Also, according to NBC Sports, White is the only player not traveling with the team to Brazil. This is despite other players being listed as limited or resting on Tuesday.
As the ESPN report states, Fangio did a solid job throughout training camp rotating in different players into the starting lineup at the position. The starters were mostly White and Zack Baun for much of camp, but others started to make impressions. Former Georgia standout Nakobe Dean had a second-half surge in camp. On top of this, the team took Philly legend Jeremiah Trotter Sr.’s son as a developmental piece.
Due to his experience with the team, Dean should probably replace White for the game even with his respective injury history. Baun should remain in the starting rotation and perhaps even Trotter Jr. may get some meaningful snaps.
The Impact of White’s Injury
Ultimately, this comes down to how long White is projected to be out. If this is just a one-time absence then things should be fine. If it’s longer though, it would probably cause more concern for the team. White was starting to emerge as a leader in the unit during training camp. He was also brought in to be a solid starter after years of success with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.
White was a Second Team All-Pro when Tampa Bay won the Superbowl in 2020. He followed that up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2021. Last season wasn’t quite those accolades but was still solid. He posted 83 total tackles with five tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and two and a half sacks.
White is projected to help better fill out a weak unit last year alongside a middle-of-the-road passing defense. If White is out for an extended period, that adds more uncertainty to the unit and could hinder an improved defense.
Main Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
