The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of a disappointing 3-8 season after losing 30-22 to the Carolina Panthers on Monday night and things seem to be getting worse.
Head coach Andy Reid announced on Tuesday that wide receiver DeSean Jackson suffered a serious rib injury in the loss against the Panthers and will be placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
According to Reid, Jackson fractured multiple ribs in the first quarter and the injury could take over a month to fully heal.
Jackson was the leading receiver on the team, making 45 receptions for 700 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games. Before getting injured, Jackson had one catch for nine yards and one rushing attempt against the Panthers.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jackson is "tied with the Lions' Calvin Johnson for the most 30-yard receptions in the league with 48 since his NFL debut in 2008."
Last year Jackson was in a contract dispute with the team, but signed a new five-year, $48.5 million contract this past offseason that pays him $18 million in guaranteed money.
Reid also announced that the team has placed offensive lineman Jason Peters on the season-ending injured reserve list. He was injured during the offseason and had been on the reserve/non-football injury list while rehabbing from a Achilles tendon injury.
According to Yahoo Sports, "By placing Jackson and Peters on injured reserve, the Eagles now have $24.6 million in 2012 cash compensation on their injured reserve list, second only to the league-high $30.6 million in 2012 cash the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have on their injured reserve list."
The Eagles have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season and are currently in a seven-game losing streak. Reid fired his defensive coordinator Juan Castillo in October and things have only gotten worse since.
Philadelphia openend the year with two close wins against Cleveland and Baltimore, but lost their third game 27-6 to the Arizona Cardinals. The team rebounded to beat the New York Giants 19-17 after kicker Lawrence Tynes missed a field goal as time expired, but hasn't won since.
Over the past three games the team has allowed at least 30 points to opposing offenses and are averaging only 14 points in the past two games.
The team has dealt with concussion injuries to quarterback Michael Vick and running back LeSean McCoy, who both sat out of Monday's game, and now will have to overcome the loss of another explosive offensive player.
Vick has missed two straight games, with rookie Nick Foles starting in his place. Reid said on Tuesday that Vick would likely miss a third straight game.
"If I had to tell you here, I'd tell you you'll probably see Nick again," Reid said, according to PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
Running back Bryce Brown started for McCoy on Monday night and had a big game, rushing for a franchise rookie-record 178 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two costly fumbles. He could also start next week if McCoy can't go on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, "if the Eagles fall to the Cowboys, they'll be saddled with their first eight-game losing streak since 1968."
The Eagles made a surprising roster move on Tuesday, releasing defensive end Jason Babin and placing him on waivers.
He spoke on ESPN's "NFL Live" about the move.
"Anytime your cell phone rings and it says Andy Reid, you know it's not good," he said.
"In the game of football, you can never be too sure of anything," Babin said according to ESPN.com.
Babin originally signed with the Eagles in 2011 to a five-year, $27.5 contract and made the Pro Bowl after registering 18 sacks that season.
According to Yahoo Sports, "Through 11 games in 2012, Babin has made 11 starts, played in 60.61 percent of the team's defensive snaps and has a team-high 5.5 sacks."
"We appreciate everything that Jason has given this team over the last couple of years. We wish him all the best as he continues his career," coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "By releasing him today, this gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of the younger guys in the defensive line rotation."
Reid was referring to rookie defensive end Vinny Curry, who played for the first time this season against the Panthers, registering five tackles.
Babin can be claimed by any NFL team off waivers and can play in any type of defensive scheme. The team that claims him will still have to pay the $1,639,706 that remains on his 2012 salary, according to Yahoo Sports.
"I like to win, I like to compete and I like to sack the quarterback. I imagine there's a team out there looking for that," Babin said to ESPN.com.
