Eagles should get double dose of safety after bye week

PHILADELPHIA — Some might think the Eagles have a safety problem. They don’t, and here’s why: They could get not one, but two players back after their bye week.

A source said Sydney Brown will be activated after the four games he is scheduled to miss because he started the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and Caden Sterns could also be ready to return by then.

The Eagles get an early bye, starting in Week 5 on October 6.

That means Brown and possibly Sterns could be back for the Eagles’ home game against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 13. Two weeks later, the Eagles will face the Cincinnati Bengals, who feature Sydney’s twin brother, Chase Brown, at running back.

You know the Browns both surrounded that one.

Brown is certainly ready to return. He’s accomplished all the necessary goals, but the Eagles are going easy on him, and for good reason.

They’re extremely optimistic about last year’s third-round pick after a rookie season that showed glimpses of a player who can stand out in this league, including an electric 99-yard interception return against the Arizona Cardinals on New Year’s Eve.

The slow road to a return is also being worked out, as Brown tore his ACL on Jan. 7. Typically, it takes eight months to return from such an injury. An extra month to be on the safe side is the right path to take, though Brown is no doubt eager to return.

Sterns’ situation is more delicate. He suffered a serious knee injury in last year’s season opener against the Denver Broncos, tearing his patellar tendon. The Broncos released him, and after he was quickly signed by the Carolina Panthers, he failed his physical.

The Eagles signed him, thanks in part to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who was Sterns’ head coach for a time in Denver, and placed him on the practice squad, giving him time to heal and rehab.

“Players come back from kneecap injuries, especially with rehab and everything we have,” Sterns said before the Eagles’ Labor Day practice. “But it’s just part of my career. If I get healthy, I’ll be fine. I’m not worried about how I’m going to play on the field. I think that speaks for itself when I’ve played.”

Sterns had four interceptions in his first 20 NFL games after being selected in the fifth round in 2021, the 152nd overall pick. The Eagles selected running back Kenny Gainwell with the 150th overall pick in the same draft.

The security official said he was close to being fully recovered and ready to return, although he did not give a timetable.

“Staying healthy has been my priority and I’m just grateful the Eagles brought me in,” he said. “They have a great coaching staff here and it’s a great organization. They took a chance on me.”

If both Brown and Sterns are ready after the bye week, the Eagles will have to make moves to add them to the 53-man roster.

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