On Monday, Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Malik Jackson suffered a "significant injury." It's so significant that the defensive tackle is expected to miss the rest of the season.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that Jackson suffered a Lisfranc injury Sunday versus the Redskins and will have surgery next week, per sources informed of the situation. Jackson is expected to be out the balance of the year.
It's a blow to the Eagles, despite their depth along the D-line.
"Malik's an important part of what we do and we'll certainly miss him when he's on the field but we got plenty of guys that can step up and play and that's nothing new in the NFL," Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz told reporters Tuesday. "Doesn't change our task from game-to-game and it doesn't change our task over the course of the year. We'll get him healthy and get him back. If I know Malik, he'll do a good job staying engaged while he's rehabbing. I've been really impressed with him as a professional, not just as a player but as a professional."
Philly brought in Jackson this year on a three-year $30 million contract to help replace Michael Bennett along the line. While the former Pro Bowler's production sank with a reduced role in Jacksonville, Jackson looked to bounce back in 2019 as a people-mover who can clog the middle and take advantage of single-blocking situations as a pass-rusher in Philly alongside Fletcher Cox.
The injury hurts the defensive-line rotation in Philly, which entered the season planning to rotate bodies to keep their studs fresh. Timmy Jernigan will see his snaps increase alongside Cox.
Garafolo later reported that the Eagles are signing Akeem Spence, who started 16 games for the Dolphins last season, to a deal following Jackson's season-altering injury. Fourth-year defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway will also see an uptick in playtime.
