Key starters in doubt for Eagles and 49ers after Friday injury report

For the third time in the last five years, the Philadelphia Eagles enter the NFL Playoffs with 21 of their 22 Opening Night starters available to play for the start of the NFL Playoffs.

Even though Head Coach Nick Sirianni has been criticized for resting starters the final week of this season, and almost every year he does not play the starters in the preseason, these decisions have paid off with a healthy roster for the time of year that health matters the most.

When the Eagles take the field on Sunday for the first round of the NFL Playoffs, they will be facing a 49ers team that have four starters on Injured Reserve. San Francisco is Top 10 in Injury Rate every NFL season under Head Coach Kyle Shanahan since 2017 except for 2023.

Who Will Be Available To Play In This Sunday's NFL Wild Card Round Game?

All 53 players on Philadelphia's Active Roster were on the practice field on Friday. The most important player who returned to practice this week is All-Pro Right Tackle Lane Johnson.

But Johnson is still listed as Questionable for Sunday's game versus the 49ers after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. He missed the last seven games after sustaining a Lisfranc Sprain against the Detroit Lions on November 16th. If the future Hall of Famer cannot go, Fred Johnson will continue to fill in at Right Tackle.

The one Eagles player who has not practicing both Wednesday and Thursday was backup Offensive Lineman Brett Toth. The 29-year-old former US Army Officer suffered a concussion during Philadelphia's loss to the Washington Commanders in the final game of the regular season.

Toth need to pass the NFL Concussion Protocol in the next 24 hours in order to be cleared to play on Sunday. He is an important reserve player because he has been the player who comes in when Left Guard Landon Dickerson and Center Cam Jurgens have gotten injured this season.

The good news for the Eagles is that starters Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips, and Dallas Goedert have all been cleared, along with Marcus Epps, are all good to go for Sunday's playoff game.

49ers List Seven Players As Questionable For Philadelphia Matchup

After Left Tackle Trent Williams sustained a Hamstring Injury in NFL Week 17, he did not participate in practice for 10 days. He returned to practice as a Limited Participant on Thursday and was seen working with the training staff at Friday's Practice.

San Francisco Head Coach Kyle Shanahan told the media on Friday that Williams, Wide Receiver Ricky Pearsall, and Linebacker Dee Winters were all game-time decisions. The 49ers do not want to put any expectations on those players' availability to play against the Eagles.

Both Ricky Pearsall and Dee Winters have not participated in any 49ers practices this week. Thanks to what appeared to be an illegal Hip-Drop Tackle, Pearsall suffered an Ankle Injury and aggravated a previous Knee Injury in NFL Week 15, and without him the 49ers top Wide Receivers are Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Kendrick Bourne.

Winters sustained an Ankle Injury in the 49ers' loss to the Seattle Seahawks in NFL Week 18. He is already filling in for All-Pro Linebacker Frd Warner, and if Winters cannot play on Sunday, the 49ers will be down all of their starting Linebackers for the matchup in Philadelphia.