Eagles LB/FB Ben VanSumeren Done For Season

Ben VanSumeren is done for the season. The Eagles linebacker/special teamer/part-time fullback suffered a season-ending knee injury during Friday’s practice, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. VanSumeren is set to undergo more testing to determine the extent of the injury, but the initial diagnosis indicated that the player will miss the rest of the campaign.

The former UDFA caught on with the Eagles ahead of the 2023 campaign. He proceeded to get into nine games (one start) as a rookie, compiling 13 tackles while playing 180 of his 230 total snaps on special teams.

VanSumeren has seen a different role during his sophomore season. The 24-year-old has continued to play on special teams (213 snaps), but his defensive gig has completely disappeared. However, he has earned a job on the other side of the ball. As McLane notes, VanSumeren has served as the team’s fullback since they “shifted to more of a run-based offense” post-bye. VanSumeren was recruited to Michigan as a fullback, and that experience helped garner him some extra snaps in 2024.

While VanSumeren is a respected member of Philly’s special teams unit, the team’s more pressing need will come on offense. McLane suggests that practice squad tight end C.J. Uzomah might be the best option to serve as fullback during those handful of plays each game.