Report: Eagles plan to limit or deactivate Nelson Agholor vs. Packers

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Unsurprisingly, the Eagles plan to either limit Nelson Agholor's snaps tonight against the Packers or deactivate him altogether, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Per Rapoport, the plan vs. Green Bay is for the Eagles to use Jordan Matthews more as an outside receiver and recently signed Paul Turner in the slot.

It's been a rocky few weeks for Agholor, who had already been struggling but hit rock bottom in Seattle, finishing with no catches, a costly drop and an even costlier penalty that negated a 57-yard Zach Ertz touchdown. 

The Eagles appear committed to giving Agholor a chance to clear his head. He met last week with a sports psychologist provided by the team.

"Whatever the coach’s decision is, it’s something I have to respect," Agholor said Friday. "To be honest with you, he made a decision. And every day as it churns in my mind, I feel like I’m growing. I respect it. And that’s what you gotta do. You just gotta respond. We talked about thinking earlier. It’s not about thinking. It’s about responding."

If Agholor is indeed limited or deactivated, an opportunity will open up for Turner, who led the NFL with 17 catches in the preseason. Turner had spent the entire season on the practice squad until being signed to the Eagles' 53-man roster last week. It could also give Matthews a chance to produce on the outside since Turner fits best as an inside receiver.

Billed as a slot receiver since being drafted in the second round out of Vanderbilt in 2014, Matthews has played mostly inside for two different Eagles head coaches. This season, 74.5 percent of Matthews' pass routes have been run from the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. 

There will be some expectations tonight for Matthews, Turner and the rest of the Eagles' pass catchers despite the unit's mediocre production to this point. The Packers have allowed 153 points the last four weeks and have one of the NFL's weakest and most injury-ravaged secondaries.

Agholor, who has disappointed for two seasons now, apparently won't have a chance to try his luck against that thin secondary. The Eagles will announce their inactive players around 7 p.m.

"He put me in a situation where I have to react," Agholor said of Pederson. "And my plan is to react the right way."

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