The Eagles offense could be at full strength as early as Thursday, with the key starter practicing again

The Eagles The offensive line has been without a key starter since their first game after the bye week, but now it appears he will return, bolstering both their protection and depth.

The Eagles opened up at left tackle Jordan Mailatas A 21-day practice period on Monday afternoon, setting the stage for his potential return. Mailata suffered a hamstring injury with 9:49 left in the fourth quarter. After the game he fell to one knee and needed help to leave the field. After a quick visit to the medical tent, he was taken away and later ruled out for the remainder of the match. Afterwards, Mailata was seen on the court with crutches, supporting his 6-foot-2, 270-pound frame as he chatted with teammates and their families. The following week he was placed on injured reserve.

In recent weeks, Mailata has been recuperating on a side field with trainers to ensure he was ready for a comeback. He has progressed to the point where he could soon be activated from injured reserve if he checks certain boxes, such as conditioning and if there are any comfort issues with the hamstrings. It appears Mailata is feeling good as he took a full part in the team’s walkthrough on Monday. During his press conference Monday, head coach Nick Sirianni said the team will “play it by ear” in that Mailata returns to take on the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, but he didn’t rule him out completely and said the team will play him in positions would post. to test his hamstring to see if he’s ready.

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While Mailata is away, Fred Johnson has stepped in as the starting left tackle and has been performing solidly. According to Pro football focusJohnson allowed five combined sacks and hurries over a four-game span, during which he faced tough competition, including Giants linebacker Brian Burns, Bengals defense Trey Hendrickson, Jaguars defense Josh Hines-Allen and Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

When Mailata returns, Johnson could return to swing tackle, replacing Mailata or right tackle Lane Johnson if either player was forced out of the game. The time Johnson had will also allow him to come in quickly and not be influenced by live game snaps because he has already experienced them.

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Chris Franklin can be reached at [email protected].