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Eagles place rookie WR Ainias Smith on injured reserve

Smith going on IR opened up an initial 53-man roster spot for the Eagles, as a NFL rule would enable the receiver to be active midseason.

Eagles wide receiver Ainias Smith gets tackled on a kickoff return during the third quarter of the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.
Eagles wide receiver Ainias Smith gets tackled on a kickoff return during the third quarter of the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    by EJ Smith
    Published 

Eagles rookie receiver Ainias Smith was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

The fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M reported discomfort in his ankle and hamstring after participating in the team’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday, according to an NFL Network report. Smith reportedly had an MRI scheduled on Monday and the early indication is he’ll miss 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury that will land him on IR.

The NFL changed its rules for players on IR starting the season, meaning Smith could be available midway through the season once he’s recovered. The amendment allows teams to designate two players who start the year on IR to return, which would make a player eligible to join the active roster after four weeks. Previously, a player who started the regular season on IR wasn’t eligible to return for the duration of the season.

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Smith missed the entirety of the Eagles’ organized team activities in the spring because of a stress fracture in his shin. The 5-foot-9, 176-pound wideout got off to a slow start during training camp, but he had six catches for 36 yards in the Eagles’ 26-3 loss to the Vikings. He played 55 offensive snaps in the preseason finale and one special-teams snap and played through the team’s final offensive series.

The Eagles also waived tight end E.J. Jenkins on Tuesday.

Jenkins separated himself among the group of tight ends vying for the No. 3 spot on the Eagles depth chart behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra, but didn’t make the cut. The 25-year-old out of Georgia Tech had an up-and-down performance in Saturday’s game, catching three passes for 15 yards. It’s worth noting the New York Giants waived tight end Jack Stoll, who spent the last two seasons as the Eagles’ No. 2 tight end. Stoll, 26, signed with the Giants early in free agency but was overtaken by rookie tight end Theo Johnson and third-year tight end Daniel Bellinger during training camp.

Stoll mainly served as an in-line blocking tight end rather than a receiving option with the Eagles during the first three years of his career. He had five catches for 38 yards last year while playing 38% of the Eagles offensive snaps.