Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter was declared inactive for the team's Week 6 Thursday Night Football clash with the New York Giants. He was a late addition to the injury report, so his absence isn't necessarily shocking, though the reason is.
Carter was unavailable due to a heel issue, yet he was still a limited participant in the Eagles’ final practice before facing New York. It seems like the reigning Super Bowl champions could’ve trotted out the 2024 All-Pro but chose to err on the side of caution. The latest intel from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport effectively validated that notion, saying the venue of this meeting factored into the choice.
“My understanding is the turf at MetLife Stadium played a part in Carter’s decision,” Rapoport said from the sidelines of the infamous gridiron.
Eagles rule out star DT Jalen Carter with MetLife Stadium turf in mind
Rapoport didn’t mince words. He very clearly stated that the Eagles held Carter out of a divisional showdown in part because of the MetLife turf monster. While the Giants and Big Blue Nation surely benefited from the news, it’s disheartening to hear this continues to be a topic of discussion.
The Eagles were rightfully afraid of rolling Carter out there at less than 100 percent, knowing how many victims the Giants’ home field has taken. He’s vital to Philly’s title defense efforts, and the risk of him suiting up versus an inferior opponent in October isn’t worth the reward.
Nevertheless, at what point do the Giants (or the league, for that matter) acknowledge the reality of the situation? One of the best players in football missed a primetime game out of fear of exacerbating his ailment on New York’s surface.
What if the Giants and Eagles were facing off in Philly? Would Carter have been deemed healthy enough to compete? If the answer to that second question is yes, is that not a glaring problem that ought to be addressed?
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and the Giants’ offense had success against the Eagles without Carter wreaking havoc in the middle of the trenches. The latter’s presence (or lack thereof) is felt, so not having him was a brutal blow for Philadelphia.