The Eagles on Wednesday placed veteran receiver Charles Johnson on Injured Reserve.
Johnson, 30, has been dealing with an ankle injury since Aug. 19. He was seen working out on a side field this week during practice.
The Eagles put Johnson on IR to create a roster spot they used to sign rookie offensive tackle Riley Mayfield, who should play in Thursday’s preseason finale. The Eagles’ roster is still full at 90, but will have to be down to 53 by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
By placing him on IR, the Eagles will keep the former seventh-round pick (2013) out of Grand Valley State around the facility for now. It is important to note that while Johnson is on IR, since he wasn’t on the initial 53-man roster after final cuts, he will not be eligible to return from IR this season. Remember last year, when the Eagles kept Richard Rodgers and Mack Hollins, only to put them on IR before the first game.
There’s probably be a good chance the team will eventually reach an injury settlement with Johnson and release him at some point, freeing him to sign with another team.
For a while it seemed like Johnson had a real chance to make the Eagles’ 53-man roster. After all, he was the leading receiver in the short-lived AAF and has had success in the NFL before. From 2014-16, he caught 60 passes for 834 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Vikings.
And in the AAF, Johnson had 45 catches for 687 yards and 5 touchdowns for the first-place Orlando Apollos. His short stint in the now-defunct league also helped him re-find his love for the game.
Mayfield was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following rookie minicamp back in the spring.
The 6-7, 302-pound tackle is a product of North Texas University. In the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he started 27 games at right tackle for the Mean Green. Mayfield was also a member of the InTouch Credit Union Conference USA All-Academic team both years.
Prior to his time at North Texas, he attended Abilene Christian University for two years. Mayfield was named honorable mention all-conference as a redshirt sophomore for the Wildcats in 2016.
