The Eagles got a win over the Vikings on Thursday night but it might have come at a cost.
Defensive back Avonte Maddox suffered a shoulder injury early in the second quarter of the 34-28 win in the home opener but it sounds more serious than that. There’s a worry that Maddox tore his pectoral muscle, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark reported.
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If Maddox did tear his pec, that would presumably end his 2023 season after just two games.
Early in Thursday’s game, Maddox showed his worth. He was lining up at safety and nickel corner and forced a fumble on the Vikings’ second drive of the game.
While Maddox, 27, has been a very good player for the Eagles over the last few years, he has struggled to stay healthy. He has played more than 13 games just one time in his NFL career.
Last year, Maddox missed eight regular season games and one playoff game as he dealt with three different injuries. He hurt his ankle, hamstring and toe in 2022. After the Super Bowl, Maddox has surgery to repair that toe and looked a little rusty still during training camp.
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The Eagles drafted Maddox in the fourth round out of Pitt in 2018 and he earned an extension in 2021. He’s under contract through the 2024 season.
During Thursday’s game, Maddox was replaced by second year UDFA cornerback Mario Goodrich from Clemson. Goodrich played 39 snaps in his first-ever NFL action.
This summer, the Eagles experimented with playing James Bradberry in the slot too. So perhaps if they have more confidence in Josh Jobe playing outside than they do Goodrich in the slot, they could move Bradberry, who missed Thursday’s game with a concussion. But they didn’t bring Bradberry back on a three-year, $38 million contract this offseason to play nickel.
The Eagles’ other reserve cornerbacks are Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks, neither of whom played nickel this summer. The Eagles could also play some "big nickel" with one of their safeties; that seems like a possibility at times.
Last year when Maddox missed time, the Eagles replaced him with Josiah Scott, who is now on the Steelers’ practice squad injured list. The Eagles released him at final cuts.
But during the stretch run last year, playing Scott at the nickel became such an issue that the Eagles opted to move C.J. Gardner-Johnson to nickel and replace him with Reed Blankenship. The Eagles simply don’t have that much depth or versatility in their secondary in 2023.
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