Two of the NFL’s most high-profile (and fragile) players find themselves yet again on the injured list.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens will be on the sidelines for at least two weeks with a broken hand. That’s bad news for Cowboys supporters, but it’s nothing compared to what fans of the Philadelphia Eagles are going through. Star defensive end Jevon Kearse is out for the year after spraining several ligaments in his left knee.
The impact of the Owens injury is mitigated by the fact that the Cowboys have a bye this Sunday. But the talented wide receiver still had to undergo surgery Monday night on his right ring finger – doctors inserted a metal plate with three screws. Owens hopes to be back in action in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans; if not, it’s already assumed T.O. will suit up the following week when the Cowboys meet his previous employers, the aforementioned Eagles. Coach Bill Parcells has already indicated he won’t try to bring in a veteran wideout as a short-term replacement, opting instead to give youngsters Jamaica Rector and Sam Hurd a chance to get their feet wet. As for the Eagles, they’ve been using an eight-man rotation on the defensive line, so the Kearse injury is not as damaging to the club as it may appear.
Still, the Eagles just can’t seem to shake the injury bug that has bitten them for the past few seasons. Joining Kearse in the Philadelphia infirmary after Week 2 are tailback Brian Westbrook (swollen knee), tight end L.J. Smith (shoulder), guard Shawn Andrews (shoulder), and cornerback Rod Hood (heel).
Westbrook and Smith are listed as probable for this Sunday’s trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers. The Eagles were listed as 7-point favorites with a total of 42.
