Jordan Davis Activated From IR, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Heads to IR

The Eagles brought their rookie DT back to the 53-man roster, but made room by placing the NFL's interception leader on IR

USA Today

The Eagles waited until five minutes after the deadline of 4 p.m. before announcing that Jordan Davis was activated from Injured Reserve.

The rookie defensive tackle is eligible to play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday (1 p.m./FOX) after missing the previous four games with an ankle sprain.

The bad news is that to make room for Davis, the Eagles placed the league’s interception leader, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on IR with a lacerated kidney.

The Eagles also elevated linebacker Christian Elliss from the practice squad.

There was some speculation that Robert Quinn’s knee injury on Friday, which was serious enough to sideline him for Sunday’s game, would head to IR and that Gardner-Johnson would be able to return to play before missing the four-game minimum required by IR.

Gardner-Johnson won’t be eligible to return until Jan. 1, when the New Orleans Saints visit in Week 17. He sits with six picks.

The Eagles will hit the road for three straight games following their date with the Titans, starting with the Giants and followed by the Bears and Cowboys on Christmas Eve.

Davis’s return will add to the Eagles’ deep defensive line.

In his absence, GM Howie Roseman added veteran D-tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to go along with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and Milton Williams.

Earlier in the week, Davis was asked about the injury and if he believed he might be able to play on Sunday.

“Rome isn’t built in a day,” he said. “It’s still a day-by-day process. At the end of the day, they’ll make a decision when it comes time. We want to be smart about it. These things don’t go away like magic (snaps fingers), but at the end of the day, just to be out practicing, we hit one of our benchmarks.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.