Eagles Evans out for the Season

Justin Evans, who commenced the 2023 season as the Eagles’ starting safety, is ruled out for the remainder of the season. Despite activating Evans’ 21-day practice window on Nov. 14, the Eagles decided against his return, as indicated by the league’s transaction wire. This closure of the practice window signals Evans will continue to be on Injured Reserve.

Throughout his brief return, Evans, 28, showed promise as a limited participant in his first week back at practice. However, his inability to practice over the last two weeks raised concerns. Head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the situation on Friday, stating, “Yeah, obviously he’s still working hard and, again, with his situation, we’ll get more information as the next couple of days go on. I don’t really have any new information for you on that.”

Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Evans started the first four games of the season at safety for the Eagles. While not slated to reclaim his starting position, his potential return could have bolstered the team’s depth at the position. Presently, the Eagles only have three pure safeties on their 53-man roster: Kevin Byard, Reed Blankenship, and rookie Sydney Brown.

Byard and Blankenship have served as the Eagles’ starting safeties, with Brown rotating in on defense. Evans, a former second-round pick from Texas A&M, has faced setbacks in his NFL career due to injuries. He missed the entire 2019-2021 seasons but made a comeback with the Saints in 2022. The Eagles took a calculated risk with his signing, aiming for high reward, but unfortunately, it didn’t pan out as expected.