Eagles DE Josh Sweat out vs. Bucs after 'emergency procedure' for 'life-threatening situation'

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat will not play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the team has announced in a statement. He underwent an "emergency procedure" on Tuesday to address a "life-threatening situation."

The Eagles didn't release any information about what "life-threatening" medical situation Sweat was facing. He was listed as having an illness on the Eagles' medical report this week, and head coach Nick Sirianni mentioned on Friday that Sweat was back in the building after dealing with abdominal pain. That would seem to indicate a burst appendix, but the Eagles shot that down quickly.

While we don't know what issue Sweat was dealing with, the Eagles did say that he was very close to being cleared to play on Sunday. His status improved every day, but in the end his doctors decided he wasn't totally ready to go. Considering he had an "emergency procedure" just five days ago, that's mighty impressive.

Sweat, one of the team's best pass rushers, had a career year in 2021, and the Eagles will definitely miss him on the field on Sunday. He played in 16 games this season, starting 13, and set a personal record for sacks with 7.5 (tied for the highest on the team). He also had a career-high 45 tackles. In his absence, rookie Tarron Jackson and veteran Ryan Kerrigan are likely to see more playing time.