Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Opens Up About Replacing Nolan Smith at Edge Rusher
The Philadelphia Eagles will be without their top pass rusher for the foreseeable future. ED Nolan Smith Jr., a first-round pick out of Georgia in the 2023 draft, was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) this week with a triceps injury. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles are expecting Smith to be out through the team’s Week 9 bye, and hope for him return in Week 10 against the Packers on November 10.
In the meantime, other players will have to step up in Smith’s absence. He’s the team’s best pass rusher off the edge and won’t be easy to replace, but Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is confident Philadelphia can manage.
“Yeah, this is why you have depth,” he said to reporters on Friday. “This is why I’m so appreciative of [Eagles general manager] Howie [Roseman] and his staff, of the players they bring in. We’ve got a lot of depth there.”
“So it’s never — as you guys have asked me this before, it’s like, ‘who replaces this guy’s production’ — well, it never just has to be one, right? Just like how you play defense, it’s not one guys just has to make the tackle. Sometimes he does, but you play as a team. Well it’s the same thing. You’ve got group tackles, you’ve got gang tackles, and it’s like, it’s the same thing here. Not one guy has to take the production or take the reps, we’ve got a lot of guys with that ability. And we’re really excited about our depth and the guys we have in that room.”
Who Will Step Up for the Philadelphia Eagles with Nolan Smith Jr. Out?
Last season, Smith had 42 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two passes defensed in a less demanding role. With ED Josh Sweat departing for Arizona in free agency, Smith stepped up as the team’s top option. He was a starter last year, as well, but more was being asked of him this year.
Through three games in 2025, Smith has 10 tackles and a forced fumble. He doesn’t have a sack yet, but his presence has been felt in every game. The pressure he can generate one-on-one is difficult to replicate.
Now, the Eagles will have to rely on their depth. Second-year man Jalyx Hunt, Smith’s fellow starter on the other side, will be asked to do even more. Veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith is both capable and productive, and the team also has former Giants starter Azeez Ojulari waiting in the wings.
Big Showdown with the Bucs Awaits the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday
Last week, the Eagles had a gut-check come-from-behind win over the Rams to remain undefeated and score a critical tiebreaker over their NFC rivals. This week, the Eagles have a chance to do that once again against the Bucs.
Both teams are 3-0 and leading their respective divisions. Winning this game would give the Eagles wins over two projected NFC division winners, giving them a huge leg up in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Vikings' Bold European Trip Could Cost Them More Than They Bargained For
The Minnesota Vikings are at the start of their 10-day trip to Europe. On the surface, they have two winnable games ahead of them as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin followed by the Cleveland Browns in London.
This was not a trip that the NFL mandated for the Vikings. Instead, when the idea of playing consecutive weeks in Europe came up, the Vikings were the team that raised their hands and shouted “Ooh, ooh,” hoping the teacher would call on them. The Vikings got their wish.
These trips are huge revenue enhancers for the NFL. They will have sell-out crowds at Croke Park in Ireland and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England and a lot of NFL-related merchandise will be sold. The Vikings will gain their share of the financial windfall.
Owner Mark Wilf explained why the Vikings wanted to participate in the two-game excursion.
“We're club first, but we are also very mindful of making sure the league and the sport grows,"
More likely that the players love their jobs and want to keep them, so that objections to the trip are not made public. Arguing with the boss is not a favorable idea for any player or coach.
But despite all the preparations the team has made for a 10-day trip to Europe, this is likely to have an impact as the season plays out. The immediate reaction from Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard was a SMH (shaking my head)
Vikings attempt to keep routine intact
It is hardly that. The Vikings may have taken every precaution on how to lessen the impact on the players and coaching staff, but this kind of travel is draining. Additionally, NFL players have a routine that they have to follow in order to get through a 17-game schedule. Typical weeks include a game on Sunday and then film breakdown, weight training and light afternoon practice on Monday. Tuesday is almost always the day off.
Wednesday and Thursday are long practice days. The gameplan is revealed on Wednesday for the next week’s opponent and specific plays for that game are implemented on that day. All plays are practiced on Thursday and this is the day that teams try to perfect their performance on their core plays.
The Friday practice session consists of extra work on special teams and the 2-minute drill. This session is not the full-day session that the players have on Wednesday and Thursday.
Saturday sessions usually consist of a morning walk through and position meetings. Teams often fly on Saturdays for road games and whether the game is home or road, the players stay in a hotel and most teams will impose a curfew.
The Vikings will try to execute their normal schedule for this trip but the bottom line is that they will have 10 days out of the country and two very long cross-Atlantic flights.
After playing the Browns in Week 5, they have a bye the following week before resuming their schedule in Week 7 with a daunting home game against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings should have an excellent opportunity to beat the Steelers and Browns, but once they return, the schedule gets far more difficult and their body clocks will still be adjusting
The impact of this trip is likely to be felt throughout the year, and it seems unlikely that the enthusiasm that accompanied the acceptance of two weeks in Europe will be rewarded at the end of the season.
