Eagles’ Landon Dickerson Receives Thumb Surgery, Will Not Go On IR

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Landon Dickerson received thumb surgery Wednesday after injuring his hand Monday in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. He will miss at least one game but the team is not placing him on the Injured Reserve list.

It is unclear when Dickerson sustained his injury, as he played nearly every offensive snap for the Eagles Monday. The only play he missed was after his face mask nearly detached from his helmet early in the first quarter and he had to have it fixed on the sidelines.

Dickerson has already been ruled out of the Eagles’ game against the Giants on Christmas Day. There isn’t an official timetable for his recovery yet, but he could be available as early as Week 17.

Dodging a serious injury on the offensive line is extremely important for Philadelphia, a team that has struggled in recent weeks after amassing a 10-1 record to start the season. The Eagles are now 10-4 after consecutive losses to the 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks, putting them on the back foot in the NFC with the playoffs fast approaching. Keeping one of the best offensive lines in football together will be a necessary step in their bounce-back effort.

After three tough matchups in a row, Philadelphia’s schedule is significantly easier to end the regular season. The team plays the Giants in Weeks 16 and 18 and the Cardinals in Week 17. Both of these teams are expected to miss the playoffs, though New York could play up to its division rival as NFC East teams have been known to do in the past.

The Eagles’ problems as of late, from Jalen Hurts’ ineffective passing attack to a porous defense, do not concern Dickerson or the rest of Philadelphia’s offensive line. But a long-term loss to that offensive line would have removed one of the constants that have made the team so successful in recent years. It appears that that crisis has been averted, as Dickerson will return soon.