Eagles' Jalen Carter, Darius Slay Ruled out vs. Jets with Ankle, Knee Injuries

The Philadelphia Eagles defense is banged up and will be without defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Darius Slay for Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday that Carter sustained "a little injury" to his ankle in practice earlier this week, but he's not concerned it will keep him out for an extended period of time. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carter is dealing with a sprained ankle.

Sirianni also said Slay's knee injury doesn't seem like a long-term issue.

Slay didn't participate in the Eagles' first two practice sessions this week. Carter was a surprise addition to the injury report on Thursday when he didn't participate due to an ankle issue.

Philadelphia's defense had to navigate things without Fletcher Cox in last week's win over the Los Angeles Rams because of a back injury. He looks to be on track to return in Week 6 after being a full practice participant on Thursday.

The Eagles will miss Slay and Carter. Slay has started each of the first five games this season and ranks second on the team with four pass breakups.

Carter has been outstanding so far in his rookie season. The 22-year-old has yet to start a game and didn't play more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the first four weeks, but he leads the team with 3.5 sacks and ranks second with four quarterback hits.

Despite some of their early-season injury issues, the Eagles are off to a 5-0 start. The offense has gained at least 400 yards in each of the past four games. The defense hasn't been as dominant as it was in 2022, but opposing teams have been held to under 21 points in three of five games.

With Slay unable to play, Josh Jobe could see significant playing time in the secondary opposite James Bradberry. Cox and Jordan Davis will be the primary defensive tackles against the Jets, with Milton Williams rotating in regularly.