PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – You’d be hard-pressed to find three words used in football more than “next man up.” Injuries happen often during the course of a 16-game season, and in the NFL, backups are just as important as the starters.
Josh Sweat. (Courtesy: Philadelphia Eagles)
With the Eagles losing defensive end Derek Barnett, the team is calling on fourth-round draft pick Josh Sweat to fill the void.
“I think he’s done a great job,” said Eagles head coach Doug Pederson Wednesday. “He’s explosive off the ball, has been around the passer can be disruptive, it’s going to be a great opportunity for him.”
Sweat, an Oscar Smith graduate out of Chesapeake, has played 15 snaps on defense for the Eagles this season. “I’ve been ready to go, for the longest,” Sweat told media Wednesday.
“I thought I would be playing a lot sooner but it doesn’t work out like that. I’ve always been ready. I’m still ready, always practice hard, always run to the ball and do what I need to do.”
The Eagles face the Jaguars in London Sunday.
