PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Carter plans to bring a little extra equipment to Tennessee on Sunday: a cast on his right wrist.
And, he insists, not much else will change.
“Pretty much nothing. It’s just a cast,” Carter told a gaggle of reporters in the locker room Thursday. “I’m still going to have to strike, grab, play the run and pass rush. That’s pretty much it. I can’t let it affect me.”
That was the good news for an Eagles defense that suddenly has a crowded injury report heading into its Week 2 matchup against the Titans.
Carter and nickel corner Cooper DeJean were upgraded and returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday. But second-year safety Andrew Mukuba missed practice with a knee injury after not appearing on Wednesday’s report. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard remained limited with the pectoral injury that kept him out of the opener.
Carter injured his wrist trying to punch the ball from Terry McLaurin after a fourth-quarter reception Sunday. He practiced Thursday with the cast and left little doubt about his availability.
“Just a minor adjustment, and I’m still out there practicing and ready to play,” Carter said.
DeJean has been dealing with calf and abdomen injuries suffered while tackling Stefon Diggs in the second quarter against Washington.
“I’m good. I’ll be alright,” DeJean said.
The injuries could help explain an uncharacteristically rough opener for DeJean, who was targeted eight times and allowed six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus. DeJean declined to use them as an excuse.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said DeJean’s eyes can occasionally get him in trouble.
“He’s just got to make sure he can stay tight enough to his assignment and not let his vision get too skewed to where he gets out of position,” Fangio said.
On one notable completion, however, Fangio said there was no mystery.
“He had a tough route to cover in the defense we were in and the guy beat him,” Fangio said. “There’s nothing more than that.”
The Eagles still held Washington to 295 yards in a 24-22 victory, but the defense bent late as Jayden Daniels led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
Carter played 66 defensive snaps. Mukuba, in his first game alongside fellow safety Marcus Epps, received a solid if unspectacular review from Fangio.
“It was good,” Fangio said of Mukuba’s communication. “Not perfect, but it was good.”
There were other encouraging signs.
Riq Woolen had a strong Eagles debut. Moro Ojomo made the game-saving tackle on Washington’s two-point conversion. And Zack Baun earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 12 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Washington gained minus-2 yards on six passes thrown at Baun in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Now comes Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward — Sunday in Nashville at 1 p.m. ET — whose mobility gives the Eagles another test after Daniels repeatedly escaped trouble.
“The guy’s got very good arm talent,” Fangio said. “He’s athletic and mobile, like a lot of (quarterbacks) are these days.”
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