Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett tore his ACL during the team’s Week 1 win over the Lions, coach Nick Sirianni announced Monday afternoon. Barnett, a six-year veteran, is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
With Barnett, 26, lined up from the right side of the defensive line on Sunday afternoon, he attempted to rush Lions quarterback Jared Goff, but Barnett appeared to fall to the turf without sustaining any contact. Trainers immediately attended to Barnett, while a majority of his teammates kneeled around him. He eventually walked off under his own power, but did not return to the game.
“I love the way Derek Barnett comes to work every day and plays with grittiness and toughness, he’s nasty,” Sirianni said. “I am a huge Derek Barnett fan. He will be missed. It sucks. I hate it for this team. I can’t tell you how much I think of Derek.”
This past offseason, Barnett tested the open market as a free agent, but he returned to the Eagles on a two-year contract that guaranteed him $4.5 million in the first year. After the Eagles finished second to last in sacks, they emphasized improving their pass rush, highlighted by the addition of edge rusher/linebacker Haason Reddick, who signed a three-year deal worth $45 million. Reddick leaped Barnett and veteran Brandon Graham on the depth chart; 2021 Pro Bowler Josh Sweat and Reddick started on the edges against the Lions.
But with Barnett more than likely out for the rest of the season, the team’s depth will be tested. Second-year defensive end Tarron Jackson was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game. Sirianni specifically mentioned Jackson while discussing Barnett’s injury.
The Eagles’ first-round draft pick in 2017, Barnett has compiled 147 tackles, including 36 tackles for loss, 21 1/5 sacks, and three forced fumbles across 64 games (45 starts) in five-plus seasons. Barnett has missed multiple games due to injury, including 10 games in 2018, two in 2019, and three in 2020. During Sirianni’s first year as coach in 2021, he was infamously caught mouthing the words, ‘It’s always in him,’ in reference to Barnett being penalized during a September game versus the Cowboys.
“We have some good options there,” Sirianni said. “Tarron wasn’t up yesterday, but how quickly can it turn from you not being up for a game to you having a significant role. If you’re a backup, you’re one snap away from going in. That’s how it’s going to play for Tarron. My heart breaks for Derek. I’m looking forward to Tarron getting more reps.”
The Eagles also welcomed back Graham, who successfully returned from a torn Achilles injury that ended his 2021 season. Graham, the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia, 34, was one of the only defenders to record a sack against the Lions (he and Fletcher Cox combined for a sack on Goff).
“It was huge to have Brandon Graham back,” Sirianni said. “In the scenario we’re in right now, you want as much depth as you possibly can there. BG seems like he’s always the one that can pick us up with his infectious personality. Guys gravitate toward him. That’s why he’s one of our captains. Good to see him back making plays.”
