Dannell Ellerbe is inactive in Sundayâs NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings, leaving the Eagles without their starting middle linebacker.
Ellerbe has a hamstring injury, which kept him out of practice on Wednesday and limited him on Thursday and Friday. Najee Goode will likely take Ellerbeâs role in the base defense.
The Eaglesâ other inactives are tackle Will Beatty, wide receiver Marcus Johnson, cornerback Sidney Jones, defensive end Steven Means, defensive tackle Elijah Qualls, and running back Wendell Smallwood.
Defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao is active this week after he was a healthy scratch last week. That gives the Eagles four defensive tackles.
Ellerbeâs absence is the most notable, although the middle linebacker only plays for the Eagles when theyâre in their base defense. They play most of the game with three cornerbacks on the game. Goode is a veteran who has played 200 defensive snaps this season. The Eagles lose some size going from Ellerbe to Goode, but Goode is faster and has experience in the defense.
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