Eagles lose key LB heading into Dallas showdown

Philadelphia has lost a key player to injury days before a clash with the Cowboys. Dallas fans may remember this Eagle for other reasons.

Their fight song is “Fly, Eagles, Fly,” but Philadelphia will be noticeably limping into their critical Week 16 showdown with Dallas.

At stake is nothing less than the NFC East. The Cowboys can claim the division title with a win on Sunday. The Eagles’ only chance at making the playoffs will be blown with a loss to their rivals. But if Philly hopes to win this battle of 7-7 underachievers, they’ll have to do it at less than full strength.

The Eagles have placed linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill on season-ending injured reserve, it was announced on Wednesday. The veteran in his fourth year out of Eastern Illinois has a back injury that will require surgery, according to the team.

Grugier-Hill has just 20 tackles over 10 game appearances in 2019, but had become a key member of the Eagles’ defensive rotation. The team has been decimated with injuries on both sides of the ball this year; Grugier-Hill joins Corey Clement, DeSean Jackson, Malik Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, and Darren Sproles among others on the team’s injured reserve list.

That name may ring a bell with Cowboys fans. The linebacker made headlines last December with some smack talk ahead of a late-season clash with their Dallas rivals.

“Look at Dallas’ history,” Grugier-Hill had claimed. “They always choke, so we’ll go down there and make them choke.”

The Cowboys won the game that followed, 29-23, in a game that went to overtime and gave Dallas the lead in the NFC East. They went on to secure the division title a few weeks later.

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