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Auburn hybrid Justin Garrett was back at practice today for the first time in ten days. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

-- A pair of Auburn defenders who may be out for the season due to injury are contemplating taking redshirts due to injuries, according to defensive coordinator

Ellis Johnson

.

Both linebacker

Justin Garrett

and defensive tackle

Jeff Whitaker

are contemplating taking redshirts due to injuries.

Garrett cracked a bone in his right foot last week in practice, an injury that's not related to the left foot sprain he suffered in training camp that forced him to miss the first two games of the season.

Auburn's Jeff Whitaker is trying to decide whether or not to take a redshirt season. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

"I don’t know what the final decision (will be)," Johnson said. "It’s got a crack in it and I think Coach (Malzahn), they’re going to sit down and talk to parents and whatever and Coach will make a decision maybe about

Tuesday

."

Both players saw action as freshmen, so they have their first redshirt season available.

After missing the first two games, Garrett, who started out at Star, moved back to weak-side linebacker and played against Mississippi State and LSU, making four tackles and one tackle-for-loss.

A player is still eligible for a medical redshirt if he's played in less than 30 percent of his team's games, so Garrett would still be eligible.

"I think that’s something he’s trying to think through right now because he’s going to miss some games, obviously, but he’s not going to miss the season," Johnson said. "It’s a thought he’s got to work through."

Whitaker, the senior defensive tackle and two-year starter who underwent a procedure on his right knee before the season-opener, is also working through the same decision.

Unlike Garrett, Whitaker hasn't played in a game yet this season.

"Jeff’s kind of trying to decide like Justin, does he want to come to try to come back pretty soon or does he want to maybe take this year," Johnson said.