Eagles' Nick Sirianni Claims Comfort on In-House Slot CB Options

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni says he's OK in the slot despite losing Avonte Maddox.

PHILADELPHIA - Nick Sirianni wasn’t quite ready to rule out slot cornerback Avonte Maddox for the rest of the season. The Philadelphia Eagles head coach did admit that his team will be without the sixth-year pro for the foreseeable future, however.

An NFL source confirmed to SI.com’s Eagles Today that Maddox did suffer a torn pec in the Eagles’ 34-28 win over Minnesota last Thursday night and he's scheduled to undergo surgery this week so it’s unlikely that the playmaking inside cornerback will be able to make it back even if Philadelphia embarks on another deep playoff run.

#Eagles DB Avonte Maddox will have surgery this week to repair a torn pec, sources say after an MRI and additional opinions. The injury will keep him out indefinitely, potentially for the season.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 18, 2023

Maddox’s projected backup dating back to the spring, Zech McPhearson, was also already lost for the season with a torn Achilles in the preseason.

The only “natural” slot cornerback left standing on the Eagles’ 53-man roster is first-year player Mario Goodrich, who got his first shot at extensive playing time against the Vikings after Maddox was injured.

“We feel like we have good options in-house to be able to move forward,” Sirianni said Monday. “... That’s why we cross-train people whether that’s a corner, whether that’s a safety, whether that’s the guys that play nickel so we feel we have good in-house options there.”

Those in-house options presumably start with Goodrich and there was some good and some bad for the Clemson product as he tried to deal with a very talented receiving corps against the Vikings.

Goodrich played 35 defensive snaps and was credited with four tackles against Minnesota but also missed two opportunities, including one that turned into a touchdown for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson.

In the passing game, Goodrich was targeted six times and allowed six completions for 60 yards, including 31 yards after the catch and a 147.9 passer rating per Pro Football Focus. Minnesota All-Pro Justin Jefferson did most of the damage with three receptions for 51 yards, while Hockenson had a 5-yard touchdown on his lone test vs. Goodrich and both running back Ty Chandler and Alexander Mattison each caught one pass for minimal gains, an indicator Goodrich was fine rallying up.

Overall, PFF gave Goodrich a 63.5 grade, which is serviceable.

Mario Goodrich could be the next man up / USA Today

Philadelphia will no doubt be using the extra time the mini-bye affords to further contemplate the path forward.

Moving ahead, Goodrich would have to be viewed as the early favorite to start on Sept. 25 at Tampa Bay. That said, All-Pro outside cornerback James Bradberry, who missed the Thursday night game while in the NFL’s concussion protocol, is expected to return against the Bucs and spent some time cross-training in the slot this summer.

A team source told SI.com’s Eagles Today at the time, giving Bradberry looks inside was just preparing for the occasional rep where a bigger slot player would be needed and not indicative of a major sea change.

By moving Bradberry inside you would also be taking an All-Pro player out of his comfort zone and weakening two positions so it would make a little sense.

Another path could be starting safety Justin Evans, who has slot experience in New Orleans from last season. In that case, Evans would rotate down with Terrell Edmunds likely rotating in at safety.

“We like some of our options and this is the benefit of (GM) Howie (Roseman) and his staff building depth and so that’s our job as coaches to make sure we have options with the depth that we have,” Sirianni said. “We feel comfortable with that and no doubt we’ll miss Avonte while the’s gone.”

Maddox has proven to be a very physical player despite his undersized 5-foot-9, 184-pound frame and played just nine games last season due to a litany of injuries, ultimately needing offseason toe surgery. He has one year left on a three-year extension he signed in 2021, but the Eagles also added the suspended Isaiah Rodgers in the offseason, who might be the long-term answer at the position in the organization’s eyes.

“Listen, are we going to miss Avonte? Sure, of course, we are,” Sirianni said. “He’s a great football player who’s made a lot of plays here. I thought he was playing really good football, really being aggressive, caused that fumble (against Minnesota), made some really good plays on the perimeter so we will miss his contributions both as a teammate and on the field.”