Reid doesn't rule out return by Andrews

One day after he shut down Shawn Andrews for the season, Eagles coach Andy Reid wasn't closing the door on the tackle's future with the Eagles or his future in the sport.

Asked if Andrews' back injury was career-threatening, Reid answered yesterday, "I wouldn't say that at all."

The Eagles placed Andrews on injured reserve Tuesday after a roller-coaster preseason that saw the tackle go from nearly invisible to making bold proclamations about his return to suddenly reinjuring his back three days before the opener.

Despite what team sources have described as an exasperating situation for the coach, Reid said that placing his right tackle on IR wasn't symbolically giving the team closure.

"Closure? There was no closure," Reid said. "It was just that he is not able to function right now, and it's been quite a period of time now. I think he just needs to take the time right now and get that thing right, and that's all that was."

Andrews missed most of the preseason as he recovered from a back injury that flared up on the first day of training camp for veterans. After being examined by back specialist Robert Watkins on Aug. 18, Andrews returned to practice 11 days later. Another 11 days later, he tweaked his back again, was out for the Carolina game, and now is out for the season.

"He'll be around here for a week and then he's going to resume his rehab elsewhere," Reid said. "We're in the process of setting that up right now. There's a chance that he might go out to Los Angeles, close to where Dr. Watkins is."

Winston Justice, who had a solid debut at right tackle against the Panthers, has the job all to himself. Even though the Eagles brought former right tackle Jon Runyan in for a workout last week, Reid said he was "good with" the roster as it is.

With Andrews gone and Todd Herremans still recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, the Eagles are down to eight active offensive linemen. Reid originally said that Herremans would miss two games, but it looks more and more as if the starting left guard will be out longer.

DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and four other Eagles were fined $10,000 each for their end-zone celebration after Celek's second-quarter touchdown in the Eagles' 38-10 win over Carolina.

Jamaal Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Stacy Andrews, and Alex Smith also were fined. The players received notification from the league office yesterday.

After Celek scored on a 9-yard reception, he handed the football to Jamaal Jackson. Several players encircled Jamaal Jackson and DeSean Jackson. Jamaal Jackson spiked the football, at which point DeSean Jackson flopped to the ground. The other players - Celek, Curtis, Andrews, and Smith - hopped upon the spike. Celek plans to appeal the ruling.

Also, Justice was fined $5,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a running play. He said he would appeal.