Eagles' Josh Sweat Out vs. Bucs; Underwent Surgery for 'Life-Threatening' Matter
January 16, 2022
The Philadelphia Eagles announced Sunday morning that defensive end Josh Sweat would miss the team's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after undergoing an "emergency procedure" Tuesday to address a "life-threatening situation."
Per the team's statement:
"Josh and our medical team did everything possible to help him return to play. He improved every day but it was determined by the doctors today that he was not quite ready. The fact that Josh came so close to playing is a credit to his toughness and our medical staff."
Sweat, 24, had a solid 2021 season for the Eagles, registering 45 tackles (seven for loss), 7.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, one forced fumble and four pass deflections. His continued development was important for an Eagles team that lost Brandon Graham for the season after he ruptured his Achilles in September.
Without Sweat, the Eagles may struggle to create much pressure off the edge.
While the interior pair of Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave have combined for 11 sacks and are one of the better defensive tackle duos in the league, players like Derek Barnett (two sacks) and Ryan Kerrigan (zero sacks) haven't offered as much of a threat.
The Eagles could call on rookie Milton Williams (two sacks) to fill a bigger role Sunday. Williams has played on both the interior and edge for the team this season.
The 9-8 Eagles face Tom Brady and the 13-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon. With or without Sweat, slowing down Tampa's dangerous offense was always going to be a tough proposition.