Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles superstar defensive tackle Jalen Carter has dealt with a variety of injuries already this season. Entering a primetime Thursday night matchup with NFC East rival New York Giants, it sounds like Carter is once again dealing with an unfortunate health problem.

According to the Eagles' final injury report before Thursday night's game, Carter is dealing with a tricky heel injury that only arose this week. He was a limited participant in Wednesday's warm-up practice as a result. It remains unclear just how much this injury is actually affecting Carter's movement and availability, and whether limiting him in practice also means he'll be limited in the game.

Either way, given Carter's essentialness to the Eagles' stout defense as a disruptor, having him less than 100 percent or out altogether is a huge blow to Philadelphia. We'll see how well Carter fares against the Giants' offensive line, if at all, on Thursday night.

Who is Jalen Carter's backup on the Eagles?

Officially, the Eagles don't really have a true backup for Carter. Veteran pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith is listed as Carter's replacement on the depth chart, but Smith is also starting for the Eagles at the moment. So, you can see Philadelphia's problem in trying to potentially replace one of its least replaceable players in Carter.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is Jalen Carter playing for Eagles on Thursday night?

Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, For The Win / For The Win

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