Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan had surgery last week to repair a herniated disc in his back. As a result, he might not be available for the start of the team’s championship defense.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates, Jernigan is expected to be out for four to six months, which could see him miss the beginning of the regular season.

The Eagles start their regular season on Sept. 6, which is almost exactly four months from now. Given the sensitive nature of back injuries, it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be ready in time for the season opener. And even if he were miraculously fully recovered in just four months, it’s hard to believe the Eagles would even risk playing him so soon after a significant surgery.

Jernigan, 25, played and started 15 games last season, which was his first year in Philadelphia. The one game he missed was the team’s meaningless Week 17 game. He had 39 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in his debut season with Philly.

While Jernigan proved to be an important piece on the Eagles’ impressive defense, the team has enough depth on the defensive line to compensate for his likely absence to start the season.

The Eagles can count on veteran Haloti Ngata to play alongside Fletcher Cox for the first few weeks. Ngata, who was signed earlier this offseason in free agency, spent the past three years in Detroit. Michael Bennett, who was also acquired this offseason, can slide in and play in the interior during certain situations.