The NFL allows teams to have 48 active players on game days, 49 including the emergency quarterback, but when the Eagles faced the Rams in Week 4, they only had 47 available.
Teams are only allowed 48 players if they carry 8 offensive lineman, which the Eagles typically do. However, just a couple hours ahead of kickoff, Lane Johnson was revealed to be a surprise inactive due to personal reasons. If they had this information on Saturday, they would’ve been able to move some players around to fill that spot, but since they didn’t find out until Sunday morning, there wasn’t anything they could do.
Johnson joined an already long list of injured players sidelined on Sunday, including DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun, Dallas Goedert, Fred Johnson, Hollywood Brown, Marcus Epps, and Cole Payton.
Payton is QB4 on the roster, and per league rules, teams can’t dress four quarterbacks when one is already the emergency third QB. The rookie quarterback was the only healthy scratch for the Birds, and the window to elevate players from the practice squad had already passed, so they were forced to go into their game against the Rams with just 47 players.
There have been more than a few questions about the Eagles roster management since training camp. They’ve had available spots on the 53-man roster at times, and now they’re playing a man short. Howie Roseman has done enough to earn the trust of fans, but his moves this season so far seem unusual.
