Just 5 days ago, the Philadelphia Eagles placed cornerback Brandon Hughes on the short term injured reserve list as a result of a hamstring injury. Then, on Tuesday, they made a follow-up move, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
The Eagles announce CB Brandon Hughes has been released after reaching an injury settlement
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 23, 2013
The release of Hughes doesn’t come as a surprise, as the team signed Roc Carmichael to his roster spot when they placed him on the IR, but this makes it academic. The 4th-year player appeared in all 16 games for Philadelphia last season, but he was actually cut in training camp prior to the 2013 season, and appeared to be on the fringe throughout his time with Chip Kelly and company.
It is unclear just how injured Hughes is, but there was widespread speculation that Hughes wouldn’t be released until he was healthy enough to pass a physical. However, Mortensen’s assertion that it was an injury settlement muddies the waters, and we likely won’t know his physical state until (or unless) he attempts to latch on with another NFL team.
The Philadelphia secondary has been battered in the first 3 weeks of the year, and turmoil is still reigning in the defensive backfield.