Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers returns to practice but stays on injured reserve
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The gist
Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers practiced fully Thursday but remains on injured reserve after hamstring and quad injuries.
Philadelphia must activate him within two weeks or he sits out his entire rookie season.
Background
Eli Stowers is a second-round rookie tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles who has been on injured reserve since Sept. 12 with hamstring and quadriceps injuries. He was activated to practice but not to the game-day roster, and the Eagles ruled him out for their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers. A report by NJ.com's Cayden Steele says Stowers has not become an impactful NFL player and will need great strides to succeed Dallas Goedert, the Eagles tight end who will be a free agent after the season. With the Eagles' season described as spiraling, the report lists Goedert among players the team could trade before the Nov. 10 deadline, which would open snaps for Stowers.
How it unfolded
- Sep 12, 2026Eli Stowers is placed on injured reserve while recovering from hamstring and quadriceps injuries.
- Oct 18, 2026The Eagles downgrade Stowers (quadriceps) to out for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
- Oct 19, 2026A report says Stowers has not become an impactful NFL player and the Eagles must activate him from injured reserve within two weeks or he will remain there all season.
- Oct 22, 2026Stowers is listed as questionable with a hamstring/quad injury.
- Oct 23, 2026Stowers has a full practice Thursday after his 21-day practice window; he was activated to practice but remains on injured reserve and was ruled out for the Panthers game.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- NJ.com's Cayden Steele writes that Stowers has not become an impactful NFL player and will have to make great strides over the next year to become Goedert's successor.
- Analysts
- The same report says trading Goedert would open the door for Stowers to get on the field this season.
Still unverified
Stowers' status is listed as questionable with a hamstring/quad injury since Aug 31, 2026, with no projection for Week 7.