PHILADELPHIA — The Slim Reaper is back.
After missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith practiced all week and proclaimed he’ll be on the field Sunday against the Carolina Panthers (1 p.m., FOX, 94.1-WIP FM).
“Count me in,” Smith said on Friday. “It really wasn’t up to me (not playing). Like I said, sometimes you’ve got to stay away from yourself. If it was left up to me, I would have just kept going and it would have just made things worse.”
Cornerback Darius Slay (concussion) will also return. In less rosy news, safeties Reed Blankenship (concussion) and Sydney Brown (knee), and tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) have all been ruled out. Punt returner Britain Covey (neck) is also out.
Safety Tristin McCollum will get his first NFL start, alongside C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Avonte Maddox could also be in the mix, and the Birds could elevate Andre Sam from the practice squad. Cooper DeJean likely will go back to fielding punts.
Grant Calcaterra will replace Goedert, with C.J. Uzomah or E.J. Jenkins serving as the second tight end. The team also could bring up Khari Blasingame as a third tight end or fullback.
“You think about what you're getting, first and foremost, from the players in all those personnel groups, what you're getting from the defense when they see those personnel groups,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of making roster moves. “There are times you don't put a personnel group in there because you don't want to see a defensive personnel group that they show.
“So, all that is balanced, all that is thought about, all that is talked about.”
For Carolina (3-9), rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps), who leads the team in yards per catch at 15.5, is listed as doubtful after being a full participant in practice earlier in the week.
Edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and linebacker Josey Jewell are among seven Panthers listed as questionable.
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Four of the Eagles’ final five regular-season games are at home. Hosting Carolina followed by Pittsburgh will be the first time they’ve had back-to-back games at the Linc all year.
“Man, it’s real cool,” receiver A.J. Brown said. “The last four out of five, we’re at the crib. Even the game we have to go to (Washington), it’s right down the street.”
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Defensive tackle Jordan Davis is loving how the Eagles defense has been playing in sync during much of this eight-game winning streak.
“I feel like when everybody’s on, it’s very hard to stop it,” Davis said. “We have fun out there. Jalen (Carter) makes a play, Coop (DeJean) makes a play, Quinyon (Mitchell) makes a play. On defense, it doesn’t matter who makes a play, everybody’s turning up, everybody’s happy for him.”
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The Panthers rank 30th in total offense and 31st in total defense. … Jalen Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with a .795 winning percentage (35-9) since the start of the 2022 season. … Earlier this week, the Eagles nominated Brandon Graham for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.