Jaguars inactives against the Eagles in Week 9

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to stay in the thick of the playoff race when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. They're 2-6 ahead of the game, and losing would likely put an end to what's been a disappointing season. Working in the Jags' favor is that a few key contributors who were expected to be unavailable will most likely suit up.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and running backs Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne will probably play against the Eagles. All of them were listed as questionable for the game.

Thomas suffered a rib injury in the Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers, while Etienne has been dealing with a hamstring injury that's forced him to sit out the past two games. Bigsby has an ankle injury but has yet to miss a contest this season.

On the other hand, Rapoport says that wide receiver Gabe Davis is a long shot to play. Already, the Jaguars have ruled out running back Keilan Robinson and safety Andrew Wingard. Both of them are coming back from Injured Reserve and have yet to make their debut in 2024.

Before the game, the team announced that it promoted wide receivers Austin Trammell and Elijah Cooks from the practice squad to the active roster via standard elevation. That means that Jacksonville is bracing itself for the possibility of Thomas not being ready to go.

On a related note, head coach Doug Pederson told the local media Friday that left guard Ezra Cleveland and right guard Brandon Scherff are unlikely to play. Both of them left the Packers game with injuries and got the questionable designation for Week 9. If they're unable to go, sophomore Cooper Hodges and Blake Hance will take their respective places on the offensive line.

Having Brian Thomas Jr. would be huge for the Jaguars in Week 9

The Jaguars lost wide receiver Christian Kirk for the season when he broke his collarbone in Week 8, leaving a massive void on offense. Having said that, they have an in-house replacement in Parker Washington ready to fill in for him.

Washington has made plays when called upon. When Devin Duvernay landed on Injured Reserve, he became the primary returner in Jacksonville, but now that he also has to step in Kirk's place, the coaching staff might not want to stretch him too thin. That's where having Brian Thomas Jr. in the fold, even if he's not 100 percent, will be beneficial for the Jags.

Thomas, a first-round pick in this year's draft, is the Jags' leading receiver, hauling in 33 catches for 573 yards with five touchdowns in eight games. He's on pace to break several team records and is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, the LSU Tiger suffered a rib injury that forced him to leave the Week 8 game against the Packers.

Originally expected to miss two to four weeks, Thomas is day-to-day after MRI tests revealed the injury wasn't as serious as originally thought.

Jaguars inactives for Week 9

Here are the Jaguars inactives for Week 9:

• Gabe Davis, WR
• Javon Foster, OT
• Ezra Cleveland, OG
• Esezi Otomewo, DT
• Maason Smith, DT

Eagles inactives for Week 9

Here are the inactives for the Eagles in Week 9:

• Tanner McKee, QB
• Tristin McCollum, S
• Darian Kinnard, OL
• Trevor Keegan, OG
• Darious Slay, CB
• Dallas Goedert, TE

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