Eagles may have to sign Jay Ajayi just to field healthy running backs

With injuries piling up, the Philadelphia Eagles may have to sign Jay Ajayi just to field a full complement of healthy running backs on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles don’t seem to have a huge need at running back, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Thursday night that Jay Ajayi was coming in for a visit on Friday. As news has come Friday morning, an explanation for the visit has become easy.

Darren Sproles suffered a hip flexor injury in Week 5, then returned in Week 9 before the Eagles’ Week 10 bye. On Friday morning, the team announced he’ll miss the rest of the season due to a recurrence of the injury.

Jordan Howard came back from the bye week with a shoulder injury, suffered in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, and was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday morning, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported Howard is dealing with a stinger and has not been cleared for contact.

So, rookie, Miles Sanders is the proverbial last man standing in Philadelphia’s running back rotation, with Corey Clement already on IR. Boston Scott and practice squader DeAngelo Henderson could now enter the mix. But conveniently, Ajayi is in the building and possibly ready to go.

Ajayi hasn’t played since October 2018, when he tore his ACL playing for the Eagles. He also spent part of the 2017 season with the team, after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins, and averaged 5.8 yards per carry in seven games with the Eagles after coming aboard that season. He has gotten workouts with the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions in recent weeks, as those teams also had their running back depth hit by injuries.

The Eagles have a Super Bowl LII rematch coming against the 8-1 New England Patriots on Sunday, so having as many hands on deck as possible will be nice. With Sproles out and Howard highly questionable, Ajayi could very well be signed Friday afternoon and be on the field for the Eagles Sunday afternoon.