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Eagles put cornerback Jalen Mills on injured reserve

He had 42 tackles and nine pass breakups in eight games this season.

Japen Mills injured his foot on Oct. 28. The Eagles kept him on the 53-man roster, hoping he would return, but he will not this season.
Japen Mills injured his foot on Oct. 28. The Eagles kept him on the 53-man roster, hoping he would return, but he will not this season.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a foot injury that has sidelined him since Oct. 28. The move ends Mills' season and forces the Eagles to make their playoff push without one of their key starters. Defensive tackle Bruce Hector was promoted to the active roster.

The Eagles had kept Mills on the 53-man roster since the injury, hoping he would return. They wanted to give him a chance to recover and contribute to a playoff run. However, it became clear that Mills would not return in time for the postseason. He was seen wearing a boot on his foot this week. He did not wear a boot in the initial weeks after the injury.

In eight games this season, Mills had 42 tackles and nine pass breakups.

The Eagles already lost starting cornerback Ronald Darby and starting safety Rodney McLeod for the season. That means they will play almost the entire second half of the season without three quarters of their starting secondary. Mills became the 10th player and sixth starter on the Eagles' injured reserve.

Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas will remain the starters. They were the Eagles' two picks on Day 2 of the 2017 draft, and the Eagles will need them to play well to go on a late-season run. The Eagles also have cornerbacks Cre’von LeBlanc, DeVante Bausby and Chandon Sullivan in reserve. Avonte Maddox, who is fighting knee and ankle injuries, can play cornerback and safety.

Hector, who has bounced between the active roster and practice squad this season, provides insurance for Tim Jernigan. Jernigan missed Monday’s game and did not practice during the week because of back spasms. He’s listed a questionable for Sunday’s game.