With cornerback Ellis Hobbs out for the year and cornerback Joselio Hanson suspended four games for taking a banned diuretic, the Eagles couldn’t afford another injury to a key member of their defensive backfield.
And that’s precisely what the team is currently dealing with.
Coach Andy Reid said Monday that cornerback Sheldon Brown has a strained hamstring, and that an MRI was conducted earlier today.
“We’ll just see how he does throughout the week,” Reid said.
Reid also discussed whether running back Brian Westbrook will play again this season after suffering another concussion.
“I don’t know,” Reid said. “I think it’s too early to tell right now. It’s the last thing on my mind. First thing is that he’s OK and that we take care of him. Football right now for Brian Westbrook is not the important thing. It’s making sure that we get him analyzed, tested and taken care of and then we’ll go from there.
“Not that we didn’t do that before. We took every precautionary measure that we could before and it happened again. Obviously we’re going to check with experts and make sure that we listen to them like we did before. The number one thing is Brian’s health. You can put football aside and make sure that he’s taken care of here.”
Unlike the last time around, Westbrook maintained consciousness after the hit.
“He was foggy,” Reid said. “He stood up and walked off the field, but you could sense that there was something wrong there.”
Given that it’s his second concussion in three weeks, here’s hoping that the Eagles give serious consideration to shutting him down for the rest of the season -- and that Westbrook gives serious consideration in the offseason to shutting it down for good. For his own good.