Dallas Goedert, Jalen Reagor, Jason Peters activated for Week 8 vs. Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles are getting some reinforcements for Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Geoff Mosher reported earlier in the week that rookie wide receiver Jalen Reagor was going to be activated and play in Week 8 against the Cowboys. Dallas Goedert, on the other hand, was considered very questionable and might not return until after next week’s bye week.

As it turns out, Reagor isn’t the only player returning.

We heard earlier in the week from Dallas Goedert that he was optimistic about his chances of playing on Sunday for the first time since injuring his ankle in a Week 3 tie with the Bengals. On Saturday morning, Mosher reported that the Eagles were indeed expected to activate Goedert.

With both Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert out, the Eagles have relied on Richard Rodgers, who wasn’t even with the team in training camp, and Jason Croom, who was cut by the Bills at the end of September, as their two tight ends.

As expected, Goedert is not the only player returning on Sunday. Reports NFL insider Mike Garafolo, wide receiver Jalen Reagor, offensive lineman Jason Peters, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and safety Rudy Ford are all being activated, as well. This gives the Eagles some much-needed reinforcements, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Reagor has not played since injuring his thumb in a Week 2 loss to the Rams and underwent thumb surgery. He is returning to the starting lineup and reportedly will not be on a play count. With DeSean Jackson once again landing on injured reserve after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his left ankle in last Thursday’s win over the Giants, Reagor will step in as the team’s top deep threat on offense.

The return of Jason Peters has led to much debate in Philadelphia. The oft-injured Peters is 38 years old and was not playing well before his most recent injury, while 23-year-old Jordan Mailata has shown promise while filling in at left tackle. On Friday, however, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson hinted that Peters could be returning to the starting lineup at left tackle. In fact, Pederson went so far as to compare the Mailata-Peters situation to when the Eagles benched a struggling Nelson Agholor in 2016:

DOUG PEDERSON: Well, I mean, I wish I had [T] Andre Dillard and [G] Brandon Brooks and [OL] Isaac Seumalo, too, and that makes a big difference there. Listen, we’re going to make the best decision for the football team moving forward. Jordan has played well, and sometimes — I’ll say this: I go back to [former Eagles WR and current Raiders WR] Nelson Agholor a few years ago, and an opportunity for him to kind of see big picture himself. And listen, don’t take me wrong here; I love where Jordan’s at. I love where his growth is, right? But at the same time, sometimes if Jason Peters starts at left tackle, it allows Jordan to see big picture, as well, and kind of step back and observe that way and sometimes that helps young players, too. But whatever the decision is there at left tackle and really the whole offensive line, these guys are prepared, they are excited, and they are ready to go. We are playing a really good front and it’s going to take all those guys to put up a good performance.

Now, it’s not 100% certain that Peters is starting at left tackle on Sunday. It’s entirely possible that Pederson is playing things close to the vest and that we will see Mailata at left tackle and Peters at right guard. Mailata took reps at right tackle this week, but Lane Johnson avoided an injury designation and is playing on Sunday.

As for Edwards, his return is even more important now that Nate Gerry has landed on injured reserve. While Gerry hasn’t played well this season, the Eagles do not exactly have a ton of depth at the position. Edwards is solid against the run but does not offer much in the way of pass coverage.

Rudy Ford is technically a safety, but his value is tied to his contributions on special teams.

The Eagles announced these moves, the waiving of tight end Hakeem Butler, and the elevation of cornerback Michael Jacquet and defensive tackle Raequan Williams from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday.