The Philadelphia Eagles had a particularly rough night on Thursday, August 17, when two players were taken off the field on stretchers.
During the team’s preseason matchup against the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo both sustained neck injuries and were carted away by medical staff.
Cleveland, 25, was hurt during the third quarter when he landed on his head while catching a pass. He stayed lying on the turf for several minutes before he was strapped to a stretcher and removed from the field.
In the fourth quarter, Ojomo, 22, was accidentally hit by a teammate during a tackle attempt on Browns quarterback Kellen Mond. Like Cleveland, he laid on the field for several minutes before he was placed on a stretcher and driven off the field.
After the incidents, the Eagles’ official account tweeted that both players suffered neck injuries but had “movement in all of his extremities.”
Ojomo joined the Eagles this year after declaring for the NFL Draft following his college career at the University of Texas at Austin. Cleveland, for his part, joined the team last year after playing for the Denver Broncos for two years. He played college football at the University of Florida before declaring for the NFL Draft in 2020.
“Your heart goes out to them first and foremost, and you just think about your teammate,” Eagles quarterback Marcus Mariota told ESPN. “We play a game and it’s a blessing to play a game, but when these situations get like that, it is scary.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, meanwhile, said on Thursday night that he hadn’t yet spoken to doctors treating Cleveland and Ojomo. “It sounds like they’re moving around,” he said. “I don’t know anything else besides that.”
Earlier in the evening, cornerback Zech McPhearson tore his Achilles tendon during the second quarter of Thursday’s game and was ruled out. NBC Sports Philadelphia and ESPN reported on Friday, August 18, that McPhearson, 25, will be out for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Three additional players were also injured during Thursday’s game, which ended in an 18-18 tie. Linebacker Nolan Smith and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus both sustained shoulder injuries, while offensive lineman Josh Andrews left the game with an ankle injury in the first half.
The Eagles made it all the way to Super Bowl LVII last season, but they ultimately lost the big game to the Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
