Eagles-Cowboys injury report: Jordan Mailata and Jake Elliott expected to return; Dak Prescott has a chance
Mailata, Elliott, and Avonte Maddox are all expected to return to the lineup after missing time.
The Eagles got healthy just in time for Sunday’s prime-time game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata, cornerback Avonte Maddox, and kicker Jake Elliott are all expected to return to the lineup after missing time. The Eagles also listed offensive linemen Jason Kelce, Landon Dickerson, and Isaac Seumalo on the injury report without a designation, which means they’ll be ready for the stiffest test of the season so far. They practiced Friday.
Reserve cornerback Josh Jobe (shoulder) and edge rusher Janarius Robinson (ankle) are questionable for Sunday. The Eagles also have Andre Dillard (broken forearm) seemingly ready to return from injured reserve, but would need to clear a spot to get the backup left tackle onto the active roster.
“I’ve just been working so hard and keeping at it and really doing the extra conditioning after practices and workouts and stuff,” Dillard said. “I feel good right now, conditioning-wise and everything. I’m ready to roll whenever.”
Dak Prescott to play?
The Cowboys had a couple of surprises on their injury report. Although Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said the team was preparing for backup quarterback Cooper Rush to start against the Eagles, Dak Prescott is listed as questionable going into the weekend. The Cowboys’ franchise quarterback has missed the last four games with a thumb injury but returned to practice this week.
Star receiver CeeDee Lamb also popped up on the injury report Friday for the first time and is questionable for Sunday with a hip injury that held him out of the final practice of the week. Cowboys guard Jason Peters, an Eagles all-time great, is also questionable with a chest injury.
According to a Dallas Morning News report, Rush is still expected to start after taking all the practice reps with the first-team offense during the week. Prescott is expected to throw before the game as a part of his recovery process.
Jordan Mailata a question mark
Mailata missed last Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals with a shoulder injury suffered in Week 4. He didn’t fly with the team with the hopes of rehabbing the shoulder enough to play against the Cowboys.
The 6-foot-8, 365-pound lineman said Friday that he felt good enough to play, but the training staff would make the final decision.
“It’s not up to me,” Mailata said. “These guys protect me from me. I want to play. In my head, I’m playing. I’ve been preparing like I’m playing, but Sunday is going to be the final call.”
Jake Elliott looked good
Elliott also missed the Eagles’ 20-17 win over the Cardinals with a right ankle injury, giving way for Cameron Dicker to handle kicking duties in his place. Dicker hit the game-winning 23-yard field goal with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter just a few days after signing to the Eagles’ practice squad. Elliott returned to practice this week and didn’t seem hampered by his ankle during the portion of practice open to the media.
Maddox missed the last two games with an ankle injury that he tweaked in the days leading up to the Eagles’ Week 4 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, ceding slot-cornerback responsibilities to Josiah Scott. If Lamb plays, Maddox will have a tough assignment at times; Lamb lines up in the slot on roughly half of his offensive snaps.
Mailata will also have a difficult matchup in his return. Dallas edge-rushing duo Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence have been part of a Cowboys pass rush that ranks among the best in the NFL so far this season.
“He’s definitely one of the top defenders in the league,” Mailata said of Parsons. “He’s cerebral. He’s got many moves in his back pocket. He’s a smart player, he’s strong and fast. I just go back to my old method, I don’t worry about him, I only worry about myself.”