Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeVonta Smith exited Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints early after a brutal hit from Saints defensive lineman Khristian Boyd.
What’s the latest on Smith, and is he in danger of missing the Eagles’ Week 4 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
DeVonta Smith’s Status
Smith is currently in the NFL’s concussion protocol after the vicious hit. Philadelphia defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasn’t pleased with Boyd’s hit, calling it a “cheap shot” and “the dirtiest s–t (he) ever saw in football.”
Smith was well on his way to another impressive performance for the Eagles in New Orleans. Serving as Philadelphia’s top wide receiver, Smith hauled in seven receptions for 79 yards against one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Scary scene in New Orleans where Eagles WR DeVonta Smith took a brutal hit and was down on the ground for a bit.
He eventually got up and walked off under his own power. 👀👇 pic.twitter.com/LzrCiHT9WD
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 22, 2024
Now, Smith will miss the Eagles’ Week 4 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team that knocked Philadelphia out of the playoffs in January. The team announced he was out after he didn’t practice on Friday.
The Eagles have missed WR A.J. Brown (hamstring) for the past two weeks. Running back Saquon Barkley (147 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and tight end Dallas Goedert (10 receptions for 170 yards) picked up the slack during Sunday’s win over the Saints.
Brown (hamstring) and Britain Covey (shoulder) will also be sidelined on Sunday, meaning the Eagles will be missing their top three receivers against Tampa Bay.
Fortunately for Philly, their bye week is in Week 5, and it comes at a perfect time given all of the injuries they are dealing with right now.
Who Will Step Up in Smith’s Absence?
Philadelphia’s wide receiver trio of Brown, Smith, and Jahan Dotson was supposed to be the best unit in the NFL. After the first three weeks of the regular season, Dotson is the only healthy member of the trio remaining and has failed to impress thus far.
According to TruMedia, Dotson has run 94 total routes through Philadelphia’s first three games. Despite running the third-most routes on the Eagles, Dotson has been targeted by Hurts just three times.
Dotson has hauled in three of his five targets for just 14 yards. Considering that the Eagles traded a future third-round pick for Dotson, he’ll need to take a significant step forward with Philadelphia’s wide receiver room decimated by injuries.
SEE MORE: Philadelphia Eagles Depth Chart
Aside from Dotson, rookie Johnny Wilson is the only other wide receiver remaining on Philadelphia’s active roster. Wilson has shown flashes of dominance as a blocker, but he hasn’t made many plays as a pass catcher.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Wilson’s progress during his press conference on Monday.
“I just think he’s really tough, first and foremost,” Sirianni said. “Talent is just the beginning. It’s about how tough you are if you’re going to reach your ceiling. Obviously talented and unique. He has unique traits with how big and strong he is.”
While the Eagles have continued to praise Wilson for his uniqueness since selecting him in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s time for him to show it as a pass catcher. If Philadelphia’s top three wide receivers are out in Week 4, Wilson will likely receive the first start of his NFL career.
Considering that Covey is reportedly set to miss at least six weeks, the Eagles will likely place him on injured reserve. In that scenario, veteran WR Parris Campbell will likely be signed to Philadelphia’s active roster.
Campbell was elevated to the active roster in Week 3 and made two receptions against the Saints. In 27 total routes against New Orleans, Campbell was targeted twice by Hurts and hauled in both receptions for 13 yards.
Although the much-needed bye week is approaching in Week 5, the Eagles could be forced to play without the team’s top three wide receivers against the Buccaneers. Philadelphia’s starting wide receiver trio could be Dotson, Wilson, and Campbell down in Tampa Bay.
Fantasy Perspective of Smith’s Injury
The Eagles can’t catch a break at the receiver position. With Brown sidelined for a second consecutive week (after missing zero games in his first two seasons as an Eagle), Smith was featured as much as ever in his young career.
Unfortunately, he went down with an injury, and this thin pass-catching core is in major trouble. Philadelphia does have its bye in Week 5, potentially buying the Eagles some time.
Offseason acquisition Jahan Dotson is a short-term add, but not with much in the way of expectations.
What this injury does is ensure that Dallas Goedert is a fantasy football starter. His involvement was limited prior to Week 3. With that said, Goedert is a veteran presence who has the confidence of Jalen Hurts.
He’s not going to win you many weeks, but Goedert should be able to stabilize your TE spot, which puts you in a position to gain on your league-mates.
With Brown and Smith both out, not to mention Saquon Barkley thriving, I’m not expecting this to be Jalen Hurts’ best fantasy performance. He’s failed to throw multiple touchdown passes in seven of his past eight games as a road favorite, but with an implied total approaching 25 points and his athletic profile, he’s still an easy start in all formats this weekend.
The argument this summer when taking an anti-Hurts stance was largely built on Barkley’s impact. Well, Barkley is pacing toward being the RB1 overall, yet Hurts has more carries gaining over 20 yards this season than last regular season. This is a strong offense that will be far better than the 36 points they’ve totaled over the past two weeks.
If there’s a chance to acquire Hurts for anything less than a Tier 1 price tag, I wouldn’t hesitate. Philadelphia goes on bye next week – coming out of that, I’d expect them to be the high-functioning offense we assumed we’d see all season long.