Running back Darren Sproles will practice with the Eagles on Thursday, head coach Doug Pederson announced in his press conference.
Sproles has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since playing Week 1 against the Falcons. He was expected to play in the Eagles' Week 10 game against the Dallas Cowboys but suffered another injury to his hamstring during the week of practice and was sidelined again.
Sproles remained on the active roster through the second injury and will now have a chance to get back on the field
"He so wants to be on the field so bad that it will be exciting to get him out there today in a limited capacity," Pederson said. "Regardless of what happens after this season (Sproles has said he will retire), he's such a competitor and a leader of this football team, and he wants to be out there really, really, really bad."
In addition to Sproles, Pederson said that cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas will practice Thursday for the Eagles as well. Jones returned from a Week 6 hamstring injury in the Eagles' Week 11 loss to the Saints and re-injured the hamstring early in the game. Douglas was limited in last week's win against the Giants with knee and ankle injuries that he also suffered in New Orleans. Their increased availability would be great news for a secondary lacking depth.
"They're day to day," Pederson said. "We don't want to rush them back obviously or set anybody back, so we'll mix them in and see where they're at at the end of the day."
Safety Avonte Maddox (knee, ankle), cornerback Jalen Mills (foot), and linebacker Jordan Hicks (calf) will likely not play Monday against Washington. The secondary has seen a lot of shifting with the continued absence of defensive backs. Linebacker Nigel Bradham revealed on Wednesday that he has a broken thumb. He plans to play through it, as he took over signal-calling duties for the defensive front with Hicks out.
"Those three are probably the furthest away even though Mills and Maddox are a little bit closer," Pederson said.
Hicks, Maddox, and Mills did not practice Thursday while Bradham and Sproles were limited participants. Douglas and Jones fully participated. Guard Brandon Brooks was limited with an ankle injury and defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, who made his 2018 debut against the Giants, was limited with illness. Cornerback Chandon Sullivan suffered a shoulder injury against the Giants but was a full participant. Defensive end Michael Bennett (foot) and tackle Jason Peters (not injury related - personal) did not practice.
