One week after suffering a concussion on a late hit by Falcons safety Lawyer Milloy, Eagles tight end L.J. Smith has been ruled out for Sunday's game at Seattle, head coach Andy Reid said Friday.
Reid said tests relating to Smith's injury hadn't come out as consistent as the team would have liked to allow Smith to play, although the Eagles were optimistic he could go earlier in the week. In his stead, Brent Celek will make the start at tight end.
"(Smith)'s a tough guy. It can be frustrating, but this is a little different. A concussion is a little different than some of the other things he's had," Reid said. "But he wants to play, he's a competitor. It's one of those things that will pass and he'll be fine."
Also banged up, though making the trip, is wide receiver Jason Avant, who left last week's game with back spasms. The trap strain that resulted is still bothering Avant, Reid said.
In a bit of good news, wide receiver Reggie Brown is likely to return to action, though DeSean Jackson will start alongside Kevin Curtis. But Reid said a frequent rotation looks to be the team's strategy.
"(We'll) kind of mix and match them on both run and pass plays," Reid said. "We'll just see."
Reid said defensive end Juqua Parker, who has been limited in practice with knee swelling, is listed as probable for Sunday. Parker was held out of drills on Friday as a precaution.
Cornerback Asante Samuel, who tweaked his hip this week, was removed from the injury report and will play.