Cody Kessler Returns To Practice, Richard Rodgers Carted Off

Embed from Getty Images

By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Eagles began the first of their joint practices with the Ravens in the heat on Monday.

These practices are arguably the most important for guys returning from injury and guys trying to make the roster as it gives them reps that can be similar to game reps.

They also allow the team to setup in key situations to see how players will perform in situations such as fourth and goal.

The team received some positive and some negative injury news on Monday.

The first is that quarterback Cody Kessler has been cleared to practice and was on the field for 7-on-7s, as Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

After Josh McCown was with the twos in 11v11, Cody Kessler was second up in 7v7. He’s obviously been cleared to practice. #Eagles

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) August 19, 2019

Just two days ago, the Eagles signed veteran Josh McCown out of retirement and guaranteed him $2 million, so Kessler will have a lot to prove in order to make the team. It would not be a surprise that, if he is cleared to play Thursday, Kessler and McCown split much of the game as they compete to see which is the better of the two and who will prove to be the best QB3 on the Eagles roster.

On the other end of things is the poor news that comes out for tight end Richard Rodgers.

As Zangaro notes, Richards was cleared to return just yesterday and went down in practice Monday.

Richard Rodgers, who came back to practice yesterday, is down in pain. He previously had a foot injury. #Eagles

— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) August 19, 2019

Rodgers reportedly crawled off the field before he was carted off the field following some consultation from coach Doug Pederson.

The Eagles signed Rodgers last season, but he began the 2018 season on IR. While he eventually returned to the team late in the season, he was used primarily as an extra blocker.

Rodgers then signed a new two-year deal with the team this offseason, but it does not appear likely he’ll make the roster following this injury.

The second year of Rodgers’ deal has an out, so the team would incur no 2020 cap penalties were they to part ways with the veteran.

If the injury will sideline Rodgers for a significant time, Rodgers will likely find himself on IR again, joining Joe Ostman there.

The third tight end will then fall to a competition between Alex Ellis, Josh Perkins and Will Tye.

Perkins made the 53-man after camp last year and has looked impressive again this year, so he may have the upper hand on locking down the spot. He flashed some potential before landing on IR in the middle of the 2018 season.

Tye also looked fairly impressive with the team in the second preseason game against the Jaguars last week. He was with the Eagles practice squad at the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Ellis is the only tight end on the roster who had not been previously exposed to the Eagles offense prior to this offseason.