Author: Ryan Novozinsky

Hollywood Brown did not see the field during the Eagles’ season-opening win over the Commanders on Sunday.

The veteran wide receiver, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract as a free agent this offseason, said he was “surprised” by the decision and mostly offered short responses when asked about it after Wednesday’s practice.

“No conversations [about his workload] leading up to it, but, I don’t know, I just come to work and when my opportunity come, be ready for it,” Brown said.

Is he confident that an opportunity will come?

“That I don’t know,” Brown said. “I just got to come to work. If it do, it do. If it don’t, it don’t.”

Coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Brown’s snap count on Monday and said it will change moving forward. The Eagles coach knows the 29-year-old can create space with his speed and playmaking skills and acknowledged he’s been a decent fit in Mannion’s offense.

“So, with [Sunday’s game], we have our rotations that we’re doing, you know, Hollywood could obviously help us,” Sirianni said. “We obviously want to get him into the football game because his speed is real. It just didn’t work out that way [Sunday]. … But we know that Hollywood can help us win football games, and his speed is real, and, quite frankly, just from my end, we want to get him into the football game, right?”

Does it make Brown feel any better that Sirianni made those comments one day after the game?

“Nah, no, it don’t,” he said. “But I’m not dwelling on it. I’m ready for next week.”

Brown has bounced around the NFL after a strong start to his career. The No. 25 overall pick by Baltimore in the 2019 draft peaked in 2021 when he finished with 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six of his 33 career touchdowns.

He was traded in April 2022 to the Arizona Cardinals, where he played two seasons, then spent two years with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he battled injuries.

He had an up-and-down preseason with the Eagles, but said he feels comfortable in Mannion’s offense.

The Eagles offense was looking for a spark.

After logging just 2 total yards in the first two series of the Sean Mannion era, they needed someone — anyone — to step up in a crucial Week 1 divisional game vs. the Commanders.

Thankfully for them, their most underrated offseason acquisition answered the call. Twice.

With 1 minute, 57 seconds to go in the first quarter, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks hauled in a 64-yard pass from Jalen Hurts in what would become the Eagles’ first touchdown drive of the season (Wicks was tackled at the 6-yard line, but tight end Dallas Goedert scored three plays later). Wicks came down with the ball — which traveled 40-plus yards through the air — after he darted past Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil in coverage. It was the longest reception of his career.

One quarter later, Wicks worked his magic again.

Again with Sainristil in coverage, Wicks motioned left before shimmying past the Commanders cornerback to break free and secure a 9-yard touchdown that put the Birds up 14-3. His final stat line in the 24-22 victory? Two catches on four targets for 73 yards and one touchdown. He only eclipsed 70 yards one time last season with the Packers.

The new Eagles weapon was all smiles in the locker room afterward.

“Man, just going out there and doing my role, I know it’ll help us win,” he said. “The coaches trust me, letting me go on out and do that and make plays. That’s what I did.”

Wicks, 25, was the Eagles’ clear WR2 in the game. He finished with 50 snaps according to Pro Football Focus, trailing only DeVonta Smith (52). This is a welcome change for a player who was buried deep in the Packers’ receiver room last season (he never played more than 54% of the offensive snaps in a single season).

Could that change in Philadelphia? If he continues playing like this, he’ll earn it.

“In Green Bay, we had so many guys. Over here, I’m able to get those looks,” said Wicks. “Over there, I ain’t really had [opportunities].”

The Eagles traded for Wicks this offseason after he spent three seasons with the Packers, the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2023 out of Virginia. The Eagles signed him to a one-year, $10.5 million extension, keeping him under contract through 2027.

They brought him in large part due to his connection with Mannion, with whom he overlapped for two seasons in Green Bay when Mannion served as an offensive assistant in 2024 and the quarterbacks coach in 2025.

How does Wicks feel about the offense, which generated 318 total yards on 12 drives?

“I think [the presnap motion] messed the defense up,” Wicks said. “I think it does a lot with showing us what the defense is going to be in. … So once I motion over and see a DB is chatting and locking, it’s man[-to-man coverage]. …. So, you do motions, they help with tells.”

Hurts, who compiled 203 passing yards and three touchdowns, praised his new weapon after the game.

“I think there’s an opportunity to grow and be able to maintain that level of attack, but I can’t say enough on how he showed up, played, and executed,” said Hurts.

“I think there’s going to be a natural maturation within this system, and particularly maturation within the end-game chemistry that we build, because that’s something that is very important.”

The spotlight on Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru has mostly faded for now. They each had a decent preseason as football novices, but as Vic Fangio said in August, they’re both “light years away.”

And yet, here they still are.

After being waived in general manager Howie Roseman’s final roster cuts last week, Bernard and Weru cleared waivers and landed back on the team’s practice squad.

How did the two International Player Pathway program (IPP) players react to the news?

“When I came in and talked to Howie, Nick [Sirianni] and my coaches, they told me that I made the decision harder for them,” Weru said. “So the reviews had been positive. I’m just so happy to still be here.”

“It’s a great move for us because we never knew we could even make the practice squad,” said Bernard. “All glory to God, we made it. And from there, who knows what could happen if we keep working hard?”

There was some concern that at least one of them would be claimed. Teams love project players and Bernard — a 6-foot-4, 306-pound super athlete from Nigeria whom the Eagles drafted in the seventh round — and Weru — who looked like he could be a legitimate rotational edge rusher — certainly fit that mold.

They backed it up with some glimpses in the preseason too, with Bernard recording two solo tackles and Weru posting five tackles and a sack. But landing back with the Eagles — a team that benefited from the IPP in a huge way when they developed All-Pro tackle Jordan Mailata — was their preferred outcome.

“Philly’s home for us now,” said Bernard.

“Before I came here, I knew Philadelphia was like the biggest when it came to fans, like the most dedicated fans sports wise,” said Weru.
”I’ve seen that and I’ve heard from Eagles fans and I love it.”

It’s still going to be a steep climb for the pair. Defensive ends coach Jeremiah Washburn and defensive linecoach Clint Hurtt are being patient while teaching them the fundamentals of football, so don’t expect to see them making an impact any time soon (if ever).

Roseman emphasized that point last week, cautioning fans and pundits when comparing anyone to Mailata — who is widely considered the greatest player in the history of the IPP.

“I think if we’re just judging everyone through the lens of Jordan Mailata, it’s going to be hard to give these guys a fair chance,” said Roseman. “Still very excited about them, really glad that they did get through. Certainly wasn’t certain about that, but I’m glad they’re back here.”