‘They Want the Earl Back That Flies Around’

The Eagles have placed safety Earl Wolff on injured reserve with a knee injury, meaning his season is over.

Taking his place on the roster is cornerback Roc Carmichael.

A fifth-round pick in 2013, it’s fair to wonder whether Wolff will play another game with the Eagles. He started six games as a rookie, but only got on the field this year when Nate Allen suffered an injury. Wolff didn’t even dress the past two weeks, and the coaching staff has not expressed confidence in him all season long.

“I approached them about it, tell them how I feel every day, tell them how I feel when I went home every day,” Wolff said. “Basically, it was sore every day, sore after every game, every practice. But I just tried to continue to fight through it, push through it, not thinking too much of it. Got another MRI. We just came to the conclusion that the best thing for me to do is rest.”

When asked specifically what the knee injury is, Wolff said: “a lesion, in my knee, kind of like between the bone.”

He added that the knee has been bothering him on and off all season long. Against Houston in Week 9, Wolff started and played all the snaps. He has not been listed on the injury report.

“I talked to Coach [Chip] Kelly,” Wolff said. “He said basically they want the Earl back that flies around, has a 40-inch vertical. They just want me back [to normal]. …I’ve just been pushing through it, hoping and praying that it would get better, I would just heal completely, but it didn’t heal completely. The MRI showed that it wasn’t getting better.”

Wolff is not sure if he will need surgery, but thinks he will get news one way or another later this week.

Meanwhile, the Eagles continue to be thin at safety. Malcolm Jenkins and Allen will start. Chris Prosinski and Chris Maragos are the backups. Both are primarily special teamers. Prosinski has started nine games in his career. Maragos has never started a game at safety.

Rookie Jaylen Watkins had been practicing at cornerback, but he said today he practiced at safety for the first time.

“Previously it had been corner and nickel, but now I’m getting safety reps,” said Watkins.

Carmichael spent the summer with the team. He joins cornerbacks Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll on the roster.