Eagles injury report: Zach Ertz undergoing tests for fractured rib, Ronald Darby has ‘significant’ injury
Ertz left for the locker room during the team’s win over the Cowboys, but returned to the sideline. He had a wrap around his ribs when he came back, but had it removed before going into the game.
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is undergoing tests after suffering a fractured rib against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, according to an NFL source.
Ertz left for the locker room during the team’s 17-9 win over the Cowboys, but returned to the game. He had a wrap around his ribs when he came back to the sideline, but had it removed before going back into the game.
“He took a shot there in the first half,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said during his Monday news conference. “There is a rib that’s been affected. I am waiting on our doctors to do more tests and some other things. I’ll see later today.”
Pederson said it was a good sign that Ertz was able to play through the injury.
“It just shows the toughness and his willingness to get back out there,” Pederson said. “But, as you guys know, we take every injury seriously and make sure we protect our players and that’s what Mondays are for, to do a full evaluation on all our guys who get nicked up in games.”
Ertz finished the game with four catches for 28 yards, playing 88 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.
Pederson added that Ronald Darby has a “more significant” injury. The 25-year-old cornerback left the game with a hip flexor injury. He was questionable with the injury last Sunday against Washington, but was able to play. He was limited in practice for most of last week, but was a full participant on Friday and started the Cowboys game.
Darby tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2018 and has struggled to remain healthy in his comeback season. He missed four weeks earlier this year after injuring his hamstring Week 3 against the Detroit Lions.
Both Darby and Jalen Mills, the Eagles’ starting outside cornerbacks, left Sunday’s game with injuries. Mills was able to return after rolling his ankle, but is “day-to-day.”
“Darby is the one that’s a little more significant,” Pederson said. “He’s probably going to miss some time. Darby’s [injury] is a little more serious.”
With Darby missing time, Pederson said the team will have Rasul Douglas assume one of the outside cornerback spots “right now,” even though Sidney Jones made a pivotal pass breakup on a fourth-down pass late in the game.
Lane Johnson, who missed his second game Sunday with a high-ankle sprain suffered against the Giants earlier this month, is “day-to-day," according to Pederson. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who left the Cowboys game after tweaking a foot injury he suffered in practice last Thursday is expected to be “fine."
Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this article.