The Philadelphia Eagles are still awaiting a tangible return on their high-dollar offseason investments in Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell.
After two weeks, their investment in Kiko Alonso has already been lost for an extended period.
The third-year linebacker acquired in the LeSean McCoy trade partially tore his left ACL in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning, citing sources informed of the player's situation.
The injury isn't as bad as the Eagles initially feared, per Rapoport, and the linebacker will meet with Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion. That will determine if Alonso's season is over or if he can return to the field at some point this year.
The injury is to the same knee that was surgically repaired following an ACL tear in the summer of 2014. Alonso also tore his right ACL in college and underwent hip surgery earlier in 2014.
Although Mychal Kendricks and DeMeco Ryans have been starting at inside linebacker, Alonso had been playing meaningful snaps in nickel packages, which are utilized on more than 60 percent of snaps in the modern NFL.
This is a big loss for Philadelphia and a crushing blow to Alonso's future prospects.
With Kendricks nursing a hamstring injury and Ryans less than ideal in coverage, the Eagles will turn to third-round rookie Jordan Hicks, who delivered the blow that broke Tony Romo's clavicle on Sunday. Philadelphia also signed linebacker Najee Goode on Tuesday as an Alonso fill-in.
While the Eagles' underrated front seven remains solid, the pass defense figures to be a liability throughout the season.
