The struggling secondary for the Philadelphia Eagles is going to be without Darius Slay for at least one game.
Head coach Nick Sirianni announced the five-time Pro Bowl cornerback will miss Monday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his knee.
“We’ll see,” Sirianni said when asked how long the team expects to be without the 32-year-old.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Slay is expected to return by the end of the regular season.
Sirianni also declined to name a replacement for Slay in the starting lineup, though he did note the team won’t place him on injured reserve.
He was dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of the first two days of practice leading up to last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Even though Slay was able to play against the Cowboys, he only played 82 percent of the defensive snaps. It was his lowest percentage of snaps in a game he’s played since Week 14 last season against the New York Giants.
Philadelphia’s options with Slay out of action for the time being include Eli Ricks, Josh Jobe and Kelee Ringo. James Bradberry is the other outside cornerback, with Bradley Roby handling things at nickel corner.
Ricks is an undrafted rookie who has played his way into the secondary rotation since Week 5. He played a season-high 47 snaps in the first game against the Cowboys on Nov. 5.
Jobe is in his second season with the Eagles after going undrafted out of Alabama in 2022. The 25-year-old has primarily played on special teams and has five snaps with the defense since Week 7.
Ringo was a fourth-round pick out of Georgia in the 2023 NFL draft. He played 22 snaps against the Cowboys last week with Slay coming out at times. His one notable moment in the game was getting called for a facemask and pass interference on the same play for grabbing Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Slay’s injury only further highlights how important it will be for Philadelphia’s pass rush to get home and take pressure off the secondary.
The reigning NFC champs have allowed at least 394 yards in five of their last six games. They rank 28th in pass yards allowed per game (259.9) this season.
Philadelphia will take on the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Monday looking to end its two-game losing streak.