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Eagles Notes: Sheldon Brown playing hurt, unofficially

You won't find Sheldon Brown's name anywhere on the Eagles' injury report, but that doesn't mean he's not playing hurt.

You won't find Sheldon Brown's name anywhere on the Eagles' injury report, but that doesn't mean he's not playing hurt.

After being a full participant in practice yesterday, the veteran cornerback unwrapped protective padding from his right hand. He confirmed a report from a source close to the situation that he injured his hand during pregame warm-ups against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The injury occurred when Brown ran into a member of the Eagles' security staff who had inadvertently wandered onto the field.

"I think it was during a seven-on-seven drill or maybe the team drill," Brown said. "I was in coverage and I ran into the guy. I never saw him. He shouldn't have been there."

Brown was immediately taken in for X-rays, but he said his hand was not fractured and he doesn't think he should be listed on the injury report.

"There's just some stuff in there," he said before adding that he might have to wear the protective padding for another four or five weeks.

Gaither still matters. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott insisted that Omar Gaither remains a vital part of the Eagles' defense even though it appears veteran Jeremiah Trotter will likely start and play in run situations during the Eagles' game Sunday against Tampa Bay.

"It's important to understand that Omar Gaither is a heck of a football player and his impact on this defense will not change," McDermott said. "He will be called upon to make an important impact both on and off the field. The same way he was before we brought Jeremiah in."

So what does Trotter bring to the table that Gaither and Joe Mays could not?

"Jeremiah has a number of years of experience on both of those guys, and then he gives us leadership off the field and on the field, which is important," McDermott said.

Trotter is certainly looking forward to the rush of being on the football field again, especially the charge he gets from a home crowd before the game.

"I missed it a lot," he said. "I'm not going to lie. That's the number-one thing: coming out of that tunnel and seeing all those fans screaming. And then just making plays. I really missed that."

Gaither, without a tinge of animosity, admitted that he wishes he was still the full-time middle linebacker.

"Trott is mainly the MIKE on run downs," said Gaither, who plans to wear pink cleats as part of Sunday's Breast Cancer Awareness theme. "I don't like it. Obviously, I want to be out there, but the team makes choices that I obviously can't do anything about. All I have to do is keep playing and that's what I'm doing. Hopefully, I make enough plays on nickel that they say, 'We need this guy to be out there every snap.' "

The guard rotation. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg indicated the Eagles' three-guard rotation would continue against the Bucs. With Stacy Andrews recovering from major surgery on his right knee, the Eagles have opted to let him split time at right guard with Max Jean-Gilles. Nick Cole has been the left guard.

"We feel like both of those men are starters," Mornhinweg said. "I think it's a unique situation on the offensive line because we've talked about this before: It's so important in this league to play at a high level as a unit. You can play pretty good as individuals and still not play well as a unit. It is a little bit unique that way . . . and it has worked up to this point."

Mornhinweg admitted he has never seen an offensive line rotation like this before.

"I've never done it personally," he said. "Look, if they're good players, it will generally work if they're getting enough repetitions. Strategically in practice, you have to get enough reps and we have."

The Eagles' guard rotation could expand to four when Todd Herremans returns from foot surgery.

"We'll see when that happens," Mornhinweg said. "Todd is getting closer and closer."