Eagles Rule Out Five More vs. Rams; Donald and Garrett Also Sidelined
The short version
- DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Zack Baun, Hollywood Brown, Marcus Epps and Fred Johnson are ruled out for Philadelphia; Dallas Goedert was already out.
- Los Angeles loses All-Pro defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett; tight end Terrance Ferguson and cornerback Jaylen Watson are also on the injury report.
- Saquon Barkley has averaged 168.7 rushing yards and 1.3 touchdowns per game against the Rams in his career, per Statmuse.
- Dontayvion Wicks caught seven of 10 targets for 147 yards and a touchdown over the season's first two weeks.
- Jalen Hurts has averaged 44.2 rushing yards per game over four career starts against the Rams.
Philadelphia will be without DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun and three others against the Rams, who miss All-Pro defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett.
The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday while missing a large share of their roster. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith is out with a hamstring injury, and Zack Baun, Hollywood Brown, Marcus Epps and Fred Johnson have been ruled out as well. Dallas Goedert had already been sidelined.
The absences mark a sharp reversal from Week 3, when Philadelphia carried few health concerns. Jonathan Greenard had just returned from injury, and Zach Ertz was elevated from the practice squad to cover for Goedert on a short-term basis.
The new injuries are costly because several of the unavailable players are regular contributors. Smith works as the Eagles' WR1 and has shown he can handle the role vacated when the team traded AJ Brown, while Baun and Epps are starters in Fangio's defense.
Los Angeles arrives short-handed too. Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, two All-Pro defensive linemen, will both miss the game, leaving the Rams to use more reserves up front than in previous weeks. Tight end Terrance Ferguson and cornerback Jaylen Watson also appear on the injury report.
The Rams' issues in the trenches point the game toward Saquon Barkley. In 2026, the running back has been productive whenever he has received more than four carries, running 15 times in each of his outings against Washington and Chicago and averaging 82.5 yards in those games. An early exit against Tennessee dragged down his season numbers, and he has yet to carry 20 times in a game.
Barkley's record against the Rams is imposing: 168.7 rushing yards per game on 23.3 carries with 1.3 touchdowns, per Statmuse. The Los Angeles defense coordinated by Chris Shula ranks third in total yards allowed, fourth against the pass and 11th against the run, while an Eagles offense under Sean Mannion has yet to put together a full game of quality play.
At receiver, Dontayvion Wicks becomes the most established option for Jalen Hurts. Wicks caught seven of 10 targets for 147 yards and a touchdown over the first two weeks, then added two catches for 32 yards in Week 3. The alternatives are Makai Lemon, who analyst Emmanuel Acho observed has not yet earned Hurts' trust; Darius Cooper, who has drawn just three targets this season; and Ertz, who caught one of two passes thrown his way in Week 3.
Hurts could also factor heavily as a runner. The Rams have not faced a mobile quarterback this season, with Brock Purdy operating from the pocket, Jaxson Dart leaving early, and Bo Nix running the ball only four times. Hurts has averaged 44.2 rushing yards over four career starts against Los Angeles, surpassing 70 yards twice, though he has not topped 47 rushing yards in a game this year and has 41 over the past two weeks.
The Rams visit the Eagles on Sunday, October 4, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. EDT, and the game airs on FOX.
Games to watch
