Rodgers suffered a knee injury in the second preseason game. The veteran was going to be the No. 3 tight end this season before the injury. The Eagles kept Joshua Perkins on the active roster as an extra tight end, and now he moves up on the depth chart.
Wheaton, 27, spent the offseason with the Eagles before he was released on Saturday. His arrival is a bad sign for Mack Hollins' health. Hollins missed practice on Monday with a groin injury. The Eagles will already miss Alshon Jeffery on Thursday and require depth at the position. Wheaton's contract becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster Week 1, so the Eagles clearly thought they needed him this week.