Head Coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday that safety Rodney McLeod will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee. McLeod, the Eagles' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, tore the ACL in his right knee early in the 2018 season.
McLeod sustained the injury midway through the third quarter when he blitzed Saints quarterback Taysom Hill. It was a non-contact injury.
A captain on defense, McLeod was well on his way to a second straight and fourth season overall with at least 100 tackles. He bounced back from the 2018 knee injury to play 99 percent of the snaps in 2019 and every snap prior to Sunday's game.
McLeod was a playmaker on the back end for the Eagles, with two fumble recoveries, one returned for a touchdown, and an interception this season.
More importantly, the Eagles lose one of their best leaders on the entire team.
The Eagles battled through several injuries on Sunday. The Eagles entered the game without defensive back Grayland Arnold and cornerback Michael Jacquet due to injury. Cornerback Darius Slay suffered a concussion making the tackle on the play where McLeod was injured. This is Slay's second concussion of the season. Cornerback Avonte Maddox suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for at least Sunday's game against Arizona.
Jalen Mills moved from safety to cornerback and played with Kevon Seymour and Nickell Robey-Coleman, while Marcus Epps and K'Von Wallace handled the duties at safety.
Pederson said that he hopes to have Arnold and Jacquet back in the lineup. Slay will have to go through the concussion protocol. Cornerbacks Craig James and Cre'Von LeBlanc are on Injured Reserve, but Pederson did not indicate that they'd be able to return this week.
