It's been a stressful short week for the Philadelphia Eagles as fans try to figure out whether star wide receiver DeVonta Smith will play in their critical Week 13 showdown against the Chicago Bears.
Smith has been dealing with a shoulder/chest injury while also having an illness. He missed the first walkthrough on Tuesday and the full practice on Wednesday.
It appeared to many that the Eagles had a strong chance of their leading receiver being out for the game with no practice time, but will that necessarily mean it's over for him?
Will Smith be on the field for the Eagles against the Bears?
In the Eagles' final practice, surprisingly, Smith was listed as a full participant despite all his injuries, and he had no injury designation. That meant that he would be available and play for the Eagles.
Smith is pacing to have one of the best seasons of his career as he leads the team in receptions (55) and yards (754), while also adding three touchdowns in 11 games. Despite missing time last year with an injury, Smith has been able to fight through this season and play in every single game.
Being a former first-round pick of the Eagles back in 2021, Smith has spent most of his career playing as the second pass target to A.J. Brown. Smith has had two 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023, but has never been selected to the Pro Bowl.
With so much drama surrounding Brown and the rough season he has had, Smith has picked up the load in the Eagles' passing game, becoming Jalen Hurts' most reliable target. Smith's best game of the season came against the Minnesota Vikings, where he had nine receptions for a career-high 183 yards and a 79-yard touchdown catch.
Read more:Nick Sirianni is playing with fire while Eagles’ playoff hopes are on the line
The Bears are getting their top cornerbacks back in Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon from the IR, which leaves more pressure on Smith and Brown to step up in the passing game. With Brown commanding so much attention, watch for Smith to have a big game and show why he is a number-one receiver in the NFL.