For the first time in three weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles finally have good injury news. Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt gave an update on the injury that had everybody fearing the worst. Coach Nick Sirianni sounded optimistic about the offense as questions swirled around running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith. On top of that, a wave of key players returned to the practice field. After the stretch this team has been through, I’ll take it.

Jalyx Hunt’s injury update is a blessing for the Eagles

Let’s start with Hunt, because this one shocked me. Hunt delivered an update on where things stand. His injury is not as serious as was once feared and he’s already comfortable moving around.

That is not how it looked when it happened. Hunt went down in an ugly spot, and by his own account, the moment was terrifying. He thought he was done for this season. He said his ankle, his knee, he thought it was all shattered. It was done.

So how does Hunt walk away from that with minor injuries? I have no idea, but that is incredible. And maybe it’s the blessing in disguise Philadelphia needed. You went from bracing to lose another young, explosive piece on defense to potentially having one of your best edge rushers back on the field. If everything breaks the right way, Hunt could be back in a couple of weeks. We’re all hoping so, right?

Nick Sirianni sees help coming for the offense

Now, the good news didn’t stop with the defense. Sirianni faced questions about Barkley and Smith. He’s hopeful he will get offensive reinforcements this week.

That’s encouraging to hear, but the practice report told a more cautious story. Barkley wasn’t spotted at practice, and Smith worked on a side field. Not the most optimal update for two of the most important pieces of this offense. Still, both players appear to be getting closer to a return.

Beyond those two, the list of returning players is long. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard was back on the practice field. Safety Marcus Epps was back. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown was back, too.

And the Eagles opened practice windows for tight end Grant Calcaterra, guard Landon Dickerson, tight end Eli Stowers, and cornerback Jakorian Bennett. That is a lot of talent working its way back toward the lineup at once.

Getting healthy is the first step for Philadelphia

Here’s the thing: this is exactly what the Eagles need. Sure, we could spend all day picking apart the situational decision-making and how this team has handled the end of the fourth quarter. Those are fair criticisms, and I’m not letting anybody off the hook for them.

But realistically, no team survives when this many players keep getting hurt. Philadelphia has usually had pretty good luck on the injury front. So far, this season has been a disaster in that department.

They need bodies back. The front office made a trade to patch things up, but that only goes so far. Dickerson has been out, and this offensive line needs him back badly. Getting the tight end room healthy would also go a long way toward helping the passing game. Add Barkley and Smith to the mix, and suddenly you’re looking at a far more complete version of this football team.

Keep in mind, getting healthy doesn’t fix everything on its own. Once these guys are back on the field, the Eagles still have to execute. That part is on the players and the coaching staff, and nobody gets a pass there.

Even so, this is the first positive thing I’ve heard about this team in three weeks. Hunt dodging a season-ending injury, Sirianni sounding hopeful, and half a depth chart’s worth of players returning to practice is a real start. We’ll see what happens once the injury reports start coming out, but for once, things are trending in the right direction. Get the firepower back, and then we’ll find out who this team really is.