The Philadelphia Eagles got some rough injury news following their disheartening 24-21 Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba fractured his ankle in the game against Dallas and will need to undergo surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
At this point in time it’s not known if Mukaba will be able to return for Philadelphia this season. That will be determined during the surgery.
This is a big blow for the Eagles, who are already thin in the secondary. Mukuba has started in 10 games for Philadelphia this season and recorded 46 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and a quarterback hit.
Mukuba wasn't the only Eagles safety who got banged up in the game against Dallas. Reed Blankenship exited the game with a thigh injury and never returned. His status moving forward at this point is unknown.
Philadelphia has a short week, which is tough for recovery time. The Eagles will host the Chicago Bears in an afternoon matchup on Black Friday. That will be a showdown between two 8-3, division-leading teams and could have some serious playoff implications for both teams.
The Bears will enter that game looking for a fifth consecutive win, while the Eagles will look to bounce back from the disaster that was their loss to Dallas. Philly won't have Mukuba for the matchup with the Bears, and it remains to be seen if they'll have Blankenship.
Given their injury issues, the Eagles might want to consider adding some additional depth at the safety spot.