A bird is nothing without its wings, and Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean now has a historic partnership to give him his.
DeJean was announced as the newest athlete for Red Bull on Thursday, ahead of the Red Bull Championship Run on Saturday at Spruce Street Harbor Park, where DeJean will make his first appearance as a Red Bull athlete.
In honor of the announcement, Cooper was gifted a Mini Cooper, complete with the Red Bull branding and a giant can of the energy drink on top, which he then took for a test drive on a football field.
The 23-year-old is the first Eagles player and the first defensive back to team up with Red Bull.
While DeJean is the sixth NFL player to join the brand, he’s one of just two active players, joining Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Lions quarterback Jared Goff was also once in partnership with the brand in 2018.
Previous NFL players included Reggie Bush, Devin Hester, and DeMarcus Ware, while most of Red Bull’s football profile extends into the college market with Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Oregon’s Dakorien Moore, and Team USA women’s flag football player Izzy Geraci.
Saturday’s Championship Run features participants racing up a greased telephone poll with the goal of capturing a flag, or what DeJean and Eagles fans would consider an average celebration on Broad Street.
The Eagles will take the field for their final preseason game Friday night, but the broadcast will look and feel different for Birds fans.
For starters, the game isn’t airing on NBC10, which has broadcast Eagles preseason games since 2015. Instead, the game will air nationally on CBS, with veteran play-by-player Andrew Catalon calling the action.
In theory, that means Birds fans won’t get a hometown TV broadcast and will also hear about backup Cincinnati Bengals players all night. But Catalon, who also calls Buffalo Bills preseason games, will be joined in the booth by regular Eagles preseason announcer Ross Tucker, so expect a fair amount of focus on the Birds’ backups.
“Doing Bills preseason games for as long as I have, I don’t really focus on the other teams,” Catalon said. “But that’s why I think having Ross is a huge plus for us … You’ll have someone who’s been at Eagles practice every day.”
Andrew Catalon (left) called NFL games last season on CBS alongside Jason McCourty and Charles Davis.CBS
That’s not to say Catalon hasn’t done his research. The New Jersey native can normally fit the names and information on all the players on a manilla folder, front and back. For Friday’s game, which could see more than 160 players take the field, Catalon will be walking into the booth with a giant poster board with information.
Like everyone else, Catalon is most interested to see rookie defenders Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru, dubbed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as the Birds’ “foreign exchange students,” because of how new they are to football.
“They’re both tremendous stories,” Catalon said. “I’m fascinated after the game how Howie Roseman’s going to deal with them. Do you expose them to waivers or not?”
Catalon isn’t stressed about the game or working with Tucker for the first time — Catalon has had five different broadcast partners the last six seasons, so he’s used to a shuffling crew. What he’s most worried about is getting from Buffalo to Philadelphia on Friday without major delays.
“I don’t typically travel the day of the game,” Catalon said, “but [sideline reporter] AJ Ross and I will be doing that because we got the Bills-Steelers game Thursday night.”
While Catalon has only ever called a handful of Eagles games, he’s been around Philly a lot the past few months to call the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club and some men’s NCAA championship games at Xfinity Mobile Arena alongside Steve Lappas. He’s also not trekking too far away following the game.
“My parents live down in Point Pleasant,” Catalon said. “So I’ll be at the Shore not too long after that final horn sounds.”
Eagles-Bengals preseason TV and radio details
When: Friday, Aug. 28
Where: Lincoln Financial Field
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: CBS (Andrew Catalon, Ross Tucker, AJ Ross)
Radio: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
Where can I stream the Eagles-Bengals preseason game?
Friday’s game will be free to stream on the Eagles app and PhiladelphiaEagles.com if you live in the Philadelphia or Cincinnati TV market.
The game will also stream on any so-called skinny bundle that carries CBS, including YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Most offer a free trial. You can also stream it on Paramount+, the network’s subscription streaming service.
CBS3 is also available for free in and around Philadelphia using a digital antenna.
Fans can also stream the game on NFL+, the league streaming service. It’ll set you back $6.99 a month, though there is a free seven-day trial.
Live Eagles coverage from The Inquirer
Staff writers Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, and Jeff Neiburg will be covering the action live on GameDay Central. Notes and observations about the game will be at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman signs autographs before the team’s first preseason game.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
NFL teams have been able to keep their rosters at 90 players throughout the preseason. But that will end Sunday, with the Eagles and every other team must cut their rosters down to 53-players.
In addition to the 53-man active roster, the Eagles will be able to carry up to 16 players on their practice squad.
Optimism is generally high this time of year, especially for an Eagles offense that struggled throughout the 2025 season with consistency and continuity. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense has shown flashes of encouraging play along with concerning stretches during training camp, but most fans are excited to watch the offense in full when the season kicks off in a few weeks.
For second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers, the confidence in his potential role this season seems to be far less positive. He hasn’t been a standout player much this preseason, which has caused some angst among fans.
As history has shown with mid-round tight end prospects, the range of outcomes is wide, and most have the same thing in common: They required patience and time to adjust to the NFL game. Very rarely over the last five drafts has a tight end taken after the first round made an immediate impact. Those who have, like the Lions’ Sam LaPorta, Cardinals’ Trey McBride, and Packers’ Tucker Kraft, quickly ascended to become major receiving weapons with in-line blocking ability.
To provide some perspective on what Stowers can ultimately become, here are three buckets the Eagles tight end could fall under at a position that typically requires patience to see the player’s finished product.
Improved in a key area
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Though Knox and Stowers are different styles of players — Knox was a more rugged run blocker and not quite as explosive of an athlete — they share a similar background. Both were high school quarterbacks who had to learn a new position in college.
Knox walked on at Ole Miss after missing most of his senior high school season, and didn’t get true tight end reps until his junior season. Stowers switched to tight end just three years ago and is still relatively new to the position.
What helped Knox see the field early on in Buffalo was the blocking ability he displayed in college, but his key area of improvement has been his reliability in a passing game where he’s averaged 50 targets across his seven-year career.
Knox’s two highest receiving success rates have come in the last two years, even though his numbers aren’t eye-popping. In Knox, Stowers can see a player that has adapted to the NFL game, and by the Buffalo tight end’s third year — his best statistical season — he became a much more prevalent receiving threat.
Dawson Knox made an impressive catch vs Lions on a ‘gotta have it’ concept from the past. Rather than running the play in short yardage or a ‘gotta have it’ down and distance, Brady busted it out on 2nd down late in the game. The Dart variation & salesmanship were $$ pic.twitter.com/d9xpUnu7ty
We added LaPorta here because since his rookie season, when he exploded for 889 yards on 86 catches and 10 touchdowns, he has continued to add more to his game — including becoming a more reliable in-line blocker, which was a weakness in college. It even showed up early on in his NFL career, especially with one-on-one blocks against defensive ends.
LaPorta was limited to nine games last season because of injury — he missed the last eight games with a herniated disk in his back — but showed some progression as a blocker for the Lions.
Though Brock Wright handled more of the blocking duties, LaPorta, when healthy, has been a dynamic field stretcher and creator after the catch. What Stowers can learn from LaPorta — who also entered the league at sub-250 pounds — is that blocking can be improved, even in the NFL. Stowers likely will not reach the same level of involvement in the Eagles offense as LaPorta had in Detroit as a rookie, though.
Struggled to block, contributed as part of a rotation
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Among current players, there may not be a closer comparable to Stowers than Gesicki. Both were dynamic receiving tight ends who did their damage in college when split out wide, in the slot, or as off-the-ball tight ends.
They share another commonality too: struggling to block in one-on-one scenarios against defensive linemen and generating displacement at the line of scrimmage. Gesicki’s best years of production — from 2019-21 — are likely behind him. Since leaving the Miami Dolphins in 2022, Gesicki has averaged about 45% of snaps across his time with the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.
The former 2018 second-rounder has been relatively healthy throughout his career, but never improved even marginally as a blocker, which limits how much he can be on the field in the modern NFL.
Jonnu Smith
The Philadelphia native, currently a free agent, was best known for his ability to create explosive plays with the ball in his hands, though he has surpassed 600 receiving yards in a season just once. His usage in Arthur Smith’s offenses, first in Tennessee and then in Atlanta, made him a threat to turn a routine play into a big gain after the catch.
NE debuted a fun wrinkle vs NYJ with a "full house" backfield using Hunter Henry + Jonnu Smith as split fullbacks.
5/6 of these snaps featured inside zone with two lead blockers or Henry sift-blocking and Jonnu releasing to the flat to remove a defender from the box pic.twitter.com/QcGtXV8odX
But across his five NFL stops, the one inconsistency of his game has been his blocking. He showed much more promise than Gesicki as a blocker, but Smith has never consistently been able to block as an in-line player, and it’s a big reason he likely has not drawn a ton of interest entering Year 10.
His last stop, in Pittsburgh last season, produced career-worst numbers in a loaded tight end room: 38 catches, 222 yards for a 5.8 yards per catch average.
The Bills dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball
Smith, a former third-round pick, never assumed the top tight end role at any of his stops but has played nearly a decade in the league. He has carved out a niche role as an undersized tight end that is a run-after-catch threat , but he isn’t a fit for every offense as he ages.
Receiving skills kept them on the field regardless of blocking struggles
Jared Cook
When you look up Stowers on Mockdraftable, which draws comparisons to previous players at a position, Cook’s name is his third-highest match at 73.9%, and for good reason. Cook was a nonfactor as a blocker and just not valuable when asked to handle defensive ends and linebackers in those blocking situations.
Rarely see Jared Cook in for run plays and usually Richard Rodgers in during early downs. Hard to find EX of Cook blocking. Effort = 👎🏼 pic.twitter.com/p2Bl2pULrJ
When you look back at the receiving numbers, though, he was a matchup problem for linebackers, safeties, and even some cornerbacks. But his success took a while as he struggled early with the Tennessee Titans, but by his third year, he was consistently contributing as a receiver. In the last 10 years of his 13-season NFL career, Cook averaged just over 600 receiving yards and four touchdowns, including a career-best 896 receiving yards in Year 10 with Oakland.
The Chargers were 20th in RZ efficiency The Saints were 5th in RZ efficiency
I don't know about what happens from touchback to 20, but within that final 20 you find your reason to sign Jared Cook. pic.twitter.com/HhzLIHDQmH
If Stowers never truly develops as a reliable blocker, a career similar to Cook’s, who was a second-round pick in 2009, would be an ideal outcome.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
Like Stowers, former fourth-rounder Likely walked into a veteran-laden tight end room as a rookie, and though there was excitement around the Baltimore Ravens tight end early on, his development took time, as did the production. Likely didn’t truly get going until the back half of his rookie season, with 26 of his 36 total catches and 279 of his 373 total receiving yards coming from Week 8 through the rest of the season.
Monken loves crack toss in the redzone – did it a lot at Georgia too.
Here you get great inside work by Zay Flowers to disrupt and Morgan Moses to finish on the pull.
but Isaiah Likely deserves flowers – hell of a kickout block.
Blocking in space was a strength for Likely at Coastal Carolina, but translating it to the NFL game as a full-time in-line player has never materialized. It didn’t in Baltimore, with Mark Andrews and later Charlie Kolar taking more of those responsibilities.
Likely, who signed with the New York Giants in the offseason (three years, $40 million), is best known for his receiving ability, specifically stretching the field vertically. Despite a down season last year, Likely’s greatest abilities are finding soft spots in zone coverage and winning his one-on-one matchups downfield.
If Stowers can be serviceable as a blocker, similar to how Likely was in Baltimore, that can help the Eagles rookie earn more snaps early in his career.
Patience, patience, patience
It’s too early to write off Stowers, even if he isn’t productive in Year 1 in Philly. As we wrote on the night the Vanderbilt tight end was drafted, his true impact could come three or four years down the line. And leaning on previous examples, those breakouts for non-first-round tight ends often happened in Year 3 or 4.
With Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt likely filling the top two roles for the Eagles tight end room, there should be no rush to force Stowers onto the field. The season is long, and should he make an impact in 2026, it’ll likely come deep into the season.
The Eagles used to value the backup quarterback position, perhaps more than any other team in the NFL. Looking at their rosters in 2025 and 2026, it’s hard to believe they still do.
This might not matter at all, except Eagles starter Jalen Hurts gets hurt a lot, and quarterbacks are the most important players in all of team sports.
Still, it seems like a lot of energy to spend on a guy who won’t play much. Backup quarterback angst: The sort of nattering matter that makes the NFL preseason interminable; the sort of infuriating football geek-talk that fantasy nerds Snapchat about.
You know. Guys like Lurie and Roseman.
In 2017, the Eagles committed $11 million to their backup quarterback spot. So important was the position to owner Jeffrey Lurie that he told GM Howie Roseman to sign Nick Foles, whom Andy Reid had just cut from the Chiefs. It meant eating $7 million of the contract of Chase Daniel, whom the Eagles promptly released.
Despite missing the playoffs in 2016 with rookie Carson Wentz at quarterback, Lurie saw 2017 as a real chance to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl, and he considered Foles, who’d had a strong run as an Eagle, to be a better option than Daniel, who’d never had a strong run anywhere.
The rest, as they say, is history: Wentz got injured, Foles replaced him, played well down the stretch, and won the MVP award inSuper Bowl LII where he outplayed Patriots legend Tom Brady and outfoxed coach Bill Belichick.
Nick Foles became an unassailable Eagles legend, but that doesn’t mean all backup quarterbacks are created equal. Michael Bryant / Staff Photographer
“Our priority, as you’ve seen, is to make sure we have the very best possible other starting quarterback,” Lurie said during Super Bowl week.
That’s generally been true, and it’s generally made sense for the Birds, since Lurie prefers mobile quarterbacks, who, of course, are more likely to get hurt.
Lurie signed Michael Vick out of prison in 2009, and Vick supplanted Donovan McNabb the next season and went to the Pro Bowl in his second of four years as an Eagle. Lurie drafted Hurts in the second round in 2020 with plans that Hurts would be the long-term backup to Wentz, but that’s before Ginger Jesus lost his job, and maybe his mind. Lurie sanctioned the recent, sensible acquisitions of Gardner Minshew, Marcus Mariota, and Kenny Pickett.
But in 2019, Lurie also approved the signing of Josh McCown, a 40-year-old with a 79.7 passer rating with eight other teams. McCown replaced Wentz early in the Eagles’ home wild-card playoff game, played atrociously (predictably), and cost the Birds their postseason.
Last season, Lurie allowed the Birds to enter the season with third-year sixth-round pick Tanner McKee as the backup of a team defending its second Super Bowl title. It didn’t matter, since Hurts stayed healthy. But McKee got to start game 17 against the Commanders, and he was poor: 21-for-40, 241 yards, one touchdown, one interception, with a forgettable fourth quarter that cost the Eagles their chance to win the game and capture a better seed. It looked OK in the moment, but upon further review, the Eagles (and I) decided that McKee is not the answer.
The Eagles (not I) determined that Andy Dalton is the answer.
They were wrong.
The Eagles’ bet on Andy Dalton does not appear to be going according to plan. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Birds in March traded a seventh-round pick to the Panthers for Dalton.
No player at Eagles preseason work or in training camp has been a bigger disappointment than Dalton.
That isn’t really fair. There should have been minimal expectations of Dalton.
He’ll be 39 in October. He’s 1-6 in his last seven starts over the past three years, during which time his passer rating is 84.5. Aberration? No. In the five seasons before that, his rating was 85.5 in 57 games. He’s been the backup in Carolina the past three seasons, essentially a big brother for Bryce Young, the underperforming No. 1 overall pick from 2023, and an assistant coach of sorts.
That’s the role he was expected to serve in Philadelphia, where new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has installed a new scheme. Dalton can help with the adjustment for Hurts, and you’d think Dalton would have a significant advantage over McKee in executing the offense.
Tanner McKee again appears to be the best backup option for the Eagles. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
But no. Dalton has looked appreciably worse than McKee — so much worse that McKee’s unremarkable performance looks good by comparison.
Entering the third and final preseason game Friday, the competition, such as it is, for the backup job clearly tilts in McKee’s favor. Which delivers this uncomfortable truth:
The Eagles, who have made the playoffs five years in a row, don’t really have a viable backup quarterback. That’s the fault of the front office.
Roseman.
Lurie.
What should they have done?
Maybe they should have signed Mitch Trubisky, who got two years and $10.5 million to back up Cam Ward in Tennessee. Maybe another dance with Minshew, who got $8.25 million to back up Jacoby Brissett in Arizona. Both would have cost a lot more than Dalton’s $1.5 million, but that’s also just about what Tua Tagovailoa got from the Falcons to be the emergency plan if Michael Penix Jr. wasn’t back in time from his knee injury.
All three of those QBs are in spots where they will have a likelier chance to resurrect their careers. Maybe that’s why the Eagles weren’t able to land one of them, and why they had to trade a pick for Dalton.
To be fair to Roseman and Lurie, the Birds also drafted a quarterback in April: Cole Payton, in the fifth round, out of North Dakota State, who currently is not close to being an option.
To be fair to Payton, he might be as good an option as the other two.
The Eagles held the 17th and final open practice of their 2026 training camp on Wednesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 17 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16):
Ouch couch
Guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Lane Johnson were back in action and without injury designations after Tuesday night’s open practice at the Linc. Dickerson was given a rest day Tuesday, while Johnson left the scrimmage early, never to return. Cornerback Jonathan Jones also returned after an extended absence due to a shoulder injury. He was limited in what was a light practice without pads.
The following players were still sidelined: tight end Eli Stowers (hamstring), tackle Markel Bell (thumb/leg), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), and safety Cole Wisniewski (concussion). Center/ guard Willie Lampkin appeared to tweak something late in practice and left team drills. He missed Monday’s workout after suffering a stinger in the second preseason game on Saturday.
Quinyon Mitchell (27) has looked every bit the All-Pro in his third training camp as an Eagle. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Corner boys
Now is as good a time as any to recognize the Eagles’ triumvirate of cornerbacks. They could have the best unit in the NFL, although only time will tell if Riq Woolen can be consistent enough to be mentioned alongside Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. He’s had a good camp, with more than five interceptions at last count. There have been down days like the first joint practice in New England. Vic Fangio said before practice that Woolen can get “a little sloppy,” but overall he’s had a solid summer.
More could be said of Mitchell and DeJean. The occasional struggles of Jalen Hurts and the first-unit offense, as Sean Mannion installs his new scheme, can be partly attributed to all three corners. Woolen broke up Hurts’ first pass in seven-on-sevens to receiver DeVonta Smith. In team drills, Mitchell had sticky coverage on receiver Hollywood Brown and notched a pass breakup. A little later, DeJean didn’t bite on a Smith double move and forced Hurts to throw the ball out of reach.
It was another hot-and-cold practice for Jalen Hurts (1). Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Quick draw
Hurts and the offense had some moments after a messy practice in front of fans at the Linc. He hit Smith on a post route in the back of the end zone vs. zone coverage in seven-on-sevens. Later, in 11-on-11s, Hurts did well to get the ball to an open Makai Lemon after his primary read. He had what appeared to be a touchdown himself off a draw. And in a later set, he dumped to tight end Cameron Latu, who had room after the catch.
Mannion likes his offense to get out of the huddle and get the play off quickly at times. The change of pace can throw off a defense, although it denies Hurts the chance to read the coverage presnap. Mannion had a play dialed up on Wednesday that got Smith matched up against linebacker Zack Baun after a play-action fake. Hurts just flicked his receiver the ball for a decent gain after the catch.
Johnny Mundt (83) continues to try to build chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts (1). Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Tight lies
There were also unsuccessful moments, of course. Hurts appeared to have Lemon on a dig route over the middle — even if he wasn’t part of his initial read — and left the pocket and threw the ball away. Screens to running backs haven’t been a huge part of the offense in camp, but there have been intermittent sprinkles. Saquon Barkley got the ball in the flat in team drills and received a boundary block from Smith. But left tackle Jordan Mailata couldn’t square up safety Andrew Mukuba, who made the stop.
Tight ends haven’t been as featured in the pass offense either, but that could come with time or be dependent upon the opponent. Hurts has history with Dallas Goedert. They have had their connections over the last month. Johnny Mundt is the clear “Y” blocking tight end, but when Hurts has gone to him through the air, there have been apparent miscommunications. There was another on a hitch route Wednesday when the ball flew behind Mundt.
Eagles tight end Stone Smartt works out as special teams coordinator Michael Clay (left) looks on earlier in training camp.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
This and that
The tight end position is a little uncertain after the top two guys. One guy who hasn’t gotten much mention here, but has performed better the last few weeks is Stone Smartt. He has four years of NFL experience and has showed it of late. He had five catches vs. the New England Patriots on Saturday and a couple on Wednesday, including a snag just ahead of defender Michael Carter II.
Keyshawn James-Newby missed most of camp with an ankle injury. But the rookie edge is back and he flashed for the first time when he rushed around tackle Myles Hinton for a pressure.
Tanner McKee (16) appears likely to see action on Friday against the Bengals.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Back to the future
It seems likely that Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee will play in Friday’s preseason finale, if Nick Sirianni’s claim that the backup quarterback competition not being over is true. McKee was first up during seven-on-sevens. It was a mixed bag. He hit Brown underneath and then Lemon, who still caught the pass after it hit one of the simulated pass rushers. McKee then just oddly tossed a pass into the dirt. But he hooked up with running back Tank Bigsby for a touchdown.
Both quarterbacks had their moments in team drills. Dalton lofted a touchdown pass to receiver Quez Watkins, while McKee hooked up with receiver Elijah Moore for positive yardage. Latu lost a defender with a double move, but McKee’s strike sailed through his hands. Watkins picked up more than a first down when he had blockers on a downfield screen.
Trending up
With camp officially over, and Wednesday’s practice short on competitive periods, here’s one beat reporter’s list for players trending up:
Jalyx Hunt. The outside linebacker has been one of the best defensive players and drew raves from Patriots people after last week’s joint practices. On Wednesday, Hunt beat Mundt — as he should — and met Barkley in the backfield for a would-be tackle for loss.
Drew Kendall / Lampkin. I’m splitting this entry between the two second-year interior O-linemen. They were relative unknowns coming into camp, but have seemingly solidified the center and guard backup spots. There are concerns about experience, size and durability with both, but new O-line coach Chris Kuper has them looking ready. Kendall and Lampkin had key blocks on two Dameon Pierce rushes on Wednesday.
Moro Ojomo. The defensive tackle just keeps raising the bar. Ojomo is in a contract year and will likely price out the Eagles — who just extended Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis —next offseason.
Tyler Steen. The right guard is another player entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. Steen has a better chance of staying in Philly than Ojomo, but his return could cost some if he continues to grow in confidence.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The inside linebacker is entering his third season and is still a backup. But if either Baun or Jihaad Campbell goes down, Trotter should be able to step in without missing a beat. He’s been that good in camp.
Honorable mention: Michael Carter II pushed in the safety chase and should be the dime defensive back. Outside linebacker Joshua Weru, despite his inexperience, has flashed enough potential to make the 53-man roster. Marcus Epps never let Carter supplant him at safety. A.J. Epenesa has done enough to earn the third edge spot — for now. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks locked down the No. 2 spot opposite Smith.
Was down, now up:Ty Robinson was relegated to developmental period duty at the start of camp, but the light bulb went off and the defensive tackle started racking up sacks. Will Shipley didn’t exactly struggle in the early going, but he came on strong and was excellent in the joint practices. Cornerback Kelee Ringo might not have been on the outside looking in, but he needed to show he was more than just a good special teams gunner. He’s got liabilities but should be a roster lock.
Hollywood Brown has a 1,000-yard NFL season to his credit but his play in training camp was not a revelation. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Trending down
Hollywood Brown. He’s probably on the 53-man roster, and may end up getting more playing time if Lemon needs developing. But Brown hasn’t popped like the speedster was expected to. He may need some time to adjust to a new scheme.
Andy Dalton. The veteran quarterback didn’t ask to be traded here. That doesn’t excuse his spotty play in an offense he had experience with. But it’s hard to see why the Eagles felt it necessary to push McKee and cut into his repetitions in a new scheme. Maybe Dalton can turn it on at the end to win the job.
Dickerson. No one can deny the left guard’s toughness and what he’s already accomplished. He still has gas in the tank. But of the five starting O-linemen, he may not be an ideal fit in the new wide-zone blocking scheme. As for whether he can make it through the season, that is to be determined. An example of Dickerson’s sluggishness in the new scheme came on Wednesday when he was late to the second level and Campbell plugged Barkley.
Jonathan Greenard. The Eagles’ big offseason trade acquisition has missed all of camp with a pectoral muscle injury. Fangio indicated he might not be ready for the opener. Greenard should be the top edge when healthy, but his start in Philly has been underwhelming.
Lemon / Stowers. Rookies should be given the benefit of doubt. Lemon and Stowers could end up delivering on their draft stock. But when you’re a first- and second-rounder, expectations are higher and you should be ready to contribute early. Lemon was out for three weeks with a hamstring injury. He’s back, but there’s going to be an obvious learning curve. Stowers was improving, but a recent hamstring injury has set him back. He’s not yet an NFL blocker and has hardly practiced with Hurts. How much can he realistically do early in the season?
Honorable mention:Jakorian Bennett has been out since injuring his knee in the preseason opener. The corner didn’t look like a roster lock before the setback. Grant Calcaterra is a decent receiver, but blocking isn’t a strength. A recent back injury could end his roster hopes. Fred Johnson has stepped in and helped the Eagles win games the previous two seasons. But like Dickerson, the tackle may not be best-suited to the new scheme. The Eagles may be waiting for another team to cut a more NFL-ready long snapper rather than stick with a rookie in Rocco Underwood.
Was up, now down:Darius Cooper shined early in camp, especially when Smith and Lemon were sidelined. But he’s been inconsistent of late. Case in point: He eased up on a route on Wednesday and allowed safety Andre Sam to tip the ball to Carter for an interception. Jonathan Jones seemed like the obvious first guy off the bench at outside cornerback. But a shoulder injury has clouded his future. Jones’ experience could keep him inside the bubble.
Extra points
Owner Jeffrey Lurie will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame at halftime of the Oct. 26 game vs. the Cowboys at the Linc. … The Eagles will have a closed walkthrough on Thursday ahead of hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in Friday’s final preseason game. … Practices are now closed except for the warm-up and individual drills periods for the rest of the season. This will be my last batch of observations until workouts next spring. Thanks for reading.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio effectively offered an update when asked for the latest on the safety battle between Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II — the Eagles’ most contentious position battle in training camp.
“It is close,” Fangio said. “Michael has been doing a good job back there. It’s just all new to him and we need to get him more exposure, which is hard to do, but I do think Michael eventually can do it.”
Fangio’s rationale makes sense, too. Epps, who was a key starter during the Eagles’ 2022 Super Bowl run, has a much lengthier resumé than Carter’s. The former has 49 starts in 94 career games with three interceptions and 315 career tackles, while Carter has 26 starts in 73 games with two interceptions and 233 tackles.
Barring an outside acquisition, it appears that Marcus Epps has wrapped up a starting safety job. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Time will tell if general manager Howie Roseman makes an additional move at safety, which is widely considered the thinnest position on the Eagles roster. But for now, the job is Epps’ — which “means everything” to him.
“I worked real hard to get back to where I’m at, man, and there were a lot of dark days,” Epps said Tuesday. “But I still got work to do. I haven’t arrived by any means. It’s a long season, and we’re still here just in camp. That’s where my focus is, on camp, finishing out camp the right way and just continuing to get better.”
Revealing the starting safety wasn’t the only tidbit Fangio dropped before Wednesday’s practice, which was the team’s final session of their 2026 training camp. The veteran defensive coordinator also gave a glimpse into where the cornerback room currently stands. When asked a question about the depth at the position, Fangio tipped his hand on five of the six most likely corners to make the final 53-man roster — Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Jonathan Jones, Mac McWilliams and Kelee Ringo.
“I feel good about Q [Mitchell] and Riq,” Fangio said. “Jonathan Jones has missed a lot of time here, so hopefully we can get him back at some point. I think Mac has made a lot of strides. He’s dinged right now a little bit, [and] wasn’t able to finish the other night. Kelee, I think, is making strides.
“Those are the five main ones, plus the guys that are competing for the sixth spot.”
The “guys competing for the sixth spot” are Jakorian Bennett, Ambry Thomas, Shaun Wade, Tariq Castro-Fields, and Isaiah Bolden, with Friday’s game against the Bengals possibly offering another chance for players to set themselves apart.
What Fangio’s complete group looks like will become more clear when the final roster is due Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Back in the early days of training camp, Jalen Hurts used the term “calibrating” to describe the state of the offense as it installed Sean Mannion’s new system.
Hurts and his teammates have spent the past month taking Mannion’s broad playbook and putting those designs to life on the practice field. Those experiences in practice — from the touchdowns to the interceptions — have helped inform Hurts on how to approach any given play.
The Eagles held their last practice of training camp on Wednesday and will play their final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday, signaling the impending end of the “calibrating” phase.
Still, it’s not time to put a label on the Eagles’ offensive identity in 2026 just yet.
“We’re very widespread in what we’re doing right now, and I think that’s good,” Hurts said Wednesday. “So when we can hone it down and see who we are, establish what exactly the identity is for us, it’ll come together. So, still very early.”
Rarely has an Eagles offense looked the same in Week 1 and Week 18. It evolves over the course of the season, and from year-to-year. In 2024, it was rooted in the highly successful run game behind Saquon Barkley and a dominant offensive line. Last year, it was less clear-cut, and in turn, the offense wasn’t nearly as efficient as it was when it won the Super Bowl the season before.
At the very least, with the season opener against the Washington Commanders just 18 days away, the Eagles offense has a foundation. Setting that foundation has been Mannion’s responsibility this summer.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion (left) has praised Jalen Hurts’ work in helping to evolve the team’s scheme.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Mannion has been clear with his “intent” for the offense, Hurts said. As the season gets underway, it will be on the new coordinator to shape the offensive identity for the Eagles based on the strengths of the personnel and the concepts they execute well.
“As you see who you have on your team and you begin to progress forward, you hone things down and you say, ‘This is who we are. This is how I want to lead it,’” Hurts said. “So I think that’s where Sean is. And a lot of that is, it’s up for him to mold and put together so in the end, we can go out there and be in the best position to win.”
Hurts called the offense “multifaceted” at this moment in time. Once the coaches begin game-planning for the regular season, the 28-year-old quarterback expects the breadth of the offense to narrow down to a specific direction depending on the opponent.
With all of the changes to the offense, will there be room for the Eagles to incorporate plays that have been successful in the past?
“I think that’s a great question,” Hurts said. “And it’s something that you keep in mind of when you’ve had so much success. How will it look? You don’t really know. Do you want to win? Absolutely.
“So we’ve got to figure out who we are as a team. Obviously, coaches come in with a great mindset, great philosophy and putting everything together. It brings us a bit more structure. In the end, it’s about what’s going to go out there and be the best for our team.”
The offense that Mannion is installing and some of its personnel are new to Hurts. The schematic shift isn’t a novel concept to him. Hurts has adapted to a new play-caller almost every season as a starter. This year, he has new receivers, too, in Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and Hollywood Brown, who are expected to contribute alongside DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.
Lemon was sidelined for three weeks of camp with a hamstring injury. He returned to action in team drills on Monday as he eyes the opportunity to play in Friday’s final preseason game. Hurts said he was happy to have Lemon back on the field as the duo continues to build chemistry.
As Hurts gets acclimated to all of the newcomers, from his teammates to his offensive play-caller, he takes the same approach.
“I think any time you’re playing with a new unit, it’s just about being on the same page,” Hurts said. “That’s no different than coaching, too. When you’ve got [a] new play-caller, you’ve got [a] new voice, you’ve got new perspective. Everybody’s chasing the same thing. Everybody wants the same outcome. Everybody’s process looks a little different. So being able to navigate how does our process look? How does this look for this unit, this team?”
Hurts said he is in a “good spot” with his command of the offense heading into the start of the season. He said it was a “good camp” overall in which he has been in “sponge mode” while learning from Mannion and the rest of his coaches.
He said the team has built chemistry over the course of camp through their time spent together, both competing on the field and spending “fun moments” off it.
Hurts can’t yet answer the question of what this iteration of the Eagles offense will look like. But the past month has offered glimpses into what the group could become, he acknowledged.
“I think this camp has given us an opportunity to come closer to [an identity], and we’ve still got time before we tee it off and it’s live ball,” Hurts said. “We just want to continue to progress every day. Keep the communication open. Being on the same page, being aligned, and going out there and doing it together as a team.”
Last year at this time — one year ago Wednesday, to be exact — Marcus Epps was staring a sort of career mortality in the face.
That’s life in the NFL for a 29-year-old safety who works his way back from ACL surgery and signs a one-year contract only to be cut at the end of training camp. The New England Patriots didn’t have a spot for him. They had a Super Bowl-contending roster, to be sure, but Epps was only two years removed from parlaying his starting safety job on an Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl into a two-year, $12 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Working his way back from the ACL tear that ended his 2024 season — his second year with the Raiders — in Week 3 presented Epps with “dark days” that challenged him physically and mentally. He relied on his loved ones and trained at the gym he owns in Costa Mesa, Calif., unsure what his future held.
The Eagles, who initially claimed Epps in November of 2019 after Minnesota waived Epps just months after selecting him in the sixth round, offered Epps a second chance for the second time. They signed him to their practice squad two days after the Patriots cut him, needing to add some reinforcements at a position that lacked quality depth. He later was called on to start down the stretch after rookie Andrew Mukuba suffered a season-ending injury.
The Eagles brought Epps back on a one-year deal and put him in a competition with a converted nickel corner, Michael Carter II, for the safety spot next to Mukuba whenever the Eagles are in nickel or dime packages (All-Pro nickel Cooper DeJean will play safety in the base package). Epps hasn’t yet been named the winner of that competition, but all signs point to him getting the nod come Sept. 13 when the Eagles open their season at home vs. the Washington Commanders.
“It feels good to just be back healthy, have a clear mind, kind of be out of that dark place that I was in,” Epps said Monday. “I’m just grateful. I don’t take any day for granted, and I’m truly blessed to be here, right where I want to be. I’m just trying to keep my head down and grinding every day.”
Safety Marcus Epps works out during training camp last month.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Being a starter again would “mean everything” to Epps.
“I worked real hard to get back to where I’m at, man, and there were a lot of dark days,” he said. “But I still got work to do. I haven’t arrived by any means. It’s a long season, and we’re still here just in camp. That’s where my focus is, on camp, finishing out camp the right way and just continuing to get better.”
Safety remains the thinnest position on the roster as far as NFL talent and experience goes. Besides Mukuba, who has 11 games under his belt, Epps, and Carter, who hasn’t played the position, the rest of the team’s safeties have combined for three defensive snaps in the NFL, all from Andre Sam, who has been a mainstay on the practice squad the past few seasons.
It’s possible Howie Roseman makes a move to acquire a starting-caliber safety that bumps Epps down the depth chart between now and the start of the season. It’s possible, too, that the Eagles decide to only keep three safeties — Carter, Epps, and Mukuba — on the initial 53-man roster due Sunday night. With DeJean logging at least a chunk of snaps, they may decide they don’t need to roster more than three.
That stuff is out of Epps’ control. He has taken the vast majority of the first-team reps, though Carter has been sprinkled in at times throughout camp.
“I feel good both physically and mentally, just trying to stay grounded and keep my head down and keep on working,” Epps said. “I still got a lot of things I got to work on and clean up, so that’s where my focus is, to continue to get better.”
With Reed Blankenship gone, pre-snap communication from the back line to the rest of the defense will be a shared responsibility between Mukuba and DeJean in base, and Mukuba and Epps, assuming he’s the starter, in the sub packages. That comes naturally, Epps said, and he’s watched the 23-year-old Mukuba make strides, too, both in his communicating and overall play at safety this summer.
At 30, Epps is among the oldest defensive players in the locker room. Only cornerback Jonathan Jones, 32, is older. It’s a different gig than when Epps was first with the Eagles seven years ago.
“It’s cool being the older guy, being able to be somebody that the younger guys can lean on, continue to pass down knowledge and pass down game to these guys,” Epps said. “It’s an important role in every locker room and I don’t take it for granted.”
The Eagles held the 16th open practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at Lincoln Financial Field. Here were my observations from Day 16 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15):
Stowers update
Eli Stowers missed a second straight practice with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the second preseason game against the New England Patriots. The rookie tight end is expected to be out for about two weeks, from what I understand. If he’s healthy by the Wednesday before Week 1 of the regular season, he could be available for the season opener.
The following Eagles were also held out because of injury: Tackle Markel Bell (thumb/leg), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee) and safety Cole Wisniewski (concussion). Cornerback Mac McWilliams (shoulder) was limited.
The Eagles had a number of players make full returns from injury, including center/guard Willie Lampkin (stinger), defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), wide receiver Quez Watkins (foot), cornerback Ambry Thomas (groin), and receiver Danny Gray (groin).
Eagles fans were back at the Linc and witnessed a defense-dominated display. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Oh, O-line
Guard Landon Dickerson was given a not-injury-related rest day. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, he tore the meniscus in his knee during last year’s open practice at the Linc. The Eagles may have sat him to stay away from potential bad juju. Dickerson rushed back from surgery in time for the opener a year ago, but recently said that he should have waited until he was fully recovered.
Drew Kendall took all the repetitions at left guard in Dickerson’s place. He had his ups and downs in a scrimmage that favored the Eagles defense, particularly the first unit. Kendall got toasted by defensive tackle Moro Ojomo on an inside rush that resulted in a sack at one point. Right tackle Lane Johnson left early not long after edge Nolan Smith Jr. beat him inside for a hurry. Fred Johnson took his spot with Bell out. Ojukwu got bumped up the depth chart and filled in the few times left tackle Jordan Mailata took a rest.
DeVonta Smith (right) was an offensive standout and gave Eagles fans something about which to cheer. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
D-lightful
The makeshift O-line likely had something to do with the struggles of Jalen Hurts and Co. The quarterback was pressured a bunch. But Sean Mannion’s unit was often out of sync except for a couple successful red-zone plays and one good drive after being backed up. Hurts’ two interceptions to cornerback Riq Woolen will make headlines — as they should for both parties — but there were a lot of reasons why the first-unit offense looked sloppy.
Credit has to be given to Vic Fangio’s group. He’s had all of his starters for most of the summer and that same 11 was in the lineup again. Mannion’s installation has been completed for over a week, so there isn’t much new to throw at the defense. The group knows the plays, the snap count, and often what’s coming before it even happens.
On the first series, Hurts hit receiver Dontayvion Wicks for a short gain and Saquon Barkley had a solid run to the left, but it was mostly defensive dominance thereafter. Safety Marcus Epps snuffed out a Hurts draw play. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter met Barkley at the line of scrimmage for a stop. Hurts hooked up with receiver DeVonta Smith after getting forced to his right. But his pass to receiver Makai Lemon on an inside route was broken up by cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Jalen Hurts and the offense remains a work in progress. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Hurts so much
The next set was less productive for the offense or more fruitful for the defense — take your pick. Hurts went to Lemon on a schemed-up pass off play-action, but cornerback Cooper DeJean was in the receiver’s pocket. Smith burned Mitchell on a deep post route, but Hurts’ pass was underthrown and Mitchell recovered to break up the pass. Smith is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the Eagles’ receivers.
Jalyx Hunt made Fred Johnson look like a turnstile on the way to a would-be sack. Hurts continued the play and hit Wicks over the middle, but the play was given to the defense. Another short toss to Lemon netted few yards with cornerback Michael Carter II in tight coverage. Jalen Carter touched up Barkley for a stop. And when Hurts did well to roll away from an unblocked blitzer and found Smith as his outlet, the receiver dropped the ball. On the last play of the set, Hurts chucked the ball wide and out of bounds with a covered Smith.
Jalen Hurts missed some throws behind a patchwork line but was more effective in the red zone. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Lemon aid
Lemon has been getting a tutorial from DeJean, one of the best slots in the NFL. Mannion called for another quick hitter to the receiver off a naked bootleg, but with Hunt in Hurts’ mug, DeJean was all over Lemon by the time the ball arrived. Jalen Carter gifted the offense five yards when he jumped offside, but a Barkley outside zone run on the next play was blown up in the backfield. Hurts likely needed to check out of that call with so many defenders in the box.
It just got worse. A Fangio blitz collapsed the pocket, but Hurts still threw to Lemon on a crossing route. It wasn’t the greatest route and Woolen snatched the ball for his first interception of the night. An offensive false start followed. Hurts did hook up with receiver Darius Cooper on a button hook. And running back Tank Bigsby had decent gains up the middle on the ground.
But Ojomo’s sack and another drop — this time from Cooper — ended the set.
Fans watched as the Eagles defense defeated the offense by a count of 58-36, based on practice scoring. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Red zone district
The offense rebounded in the red zone. On the first play from the 20-yard line, Barkley ran a sort-of corner route and got behind linebacker Zack Baun. Hurts’ throw was perfect and the running back made the catch for a touchdown.
On the next red-zone possession, Barkley gobbled yards up the middle on first down. But on the next play, Hurts’ downfield throw to Lemon off play-action was broken up by Mitchell. The rookie receiver didn’t appear to get enough depth on his route. The ball went back to Lemon on his next pattern — when he motioned inside and ran a wheel route — and the defense didn’t account for him. He waltzed into the end zone untouched.
Hurts built off that modicum of success during the backup portion. A first-down run didn’t net many yards. In fact, it resulted in defensive tackle Jordan Davis hobbling off after he dinged his left arm. (He later returned, outfitted with a brace.) But Bigsby churned ahead on the ground on a couple carries. And Hurts again rolled away from the rush and found tight end Cam Latu for a first down.
We got a rare glimpse of tight end Johnny Mundt in the backfield. The Bigsby rush was thwarted, but not exclusively because of Mundt’s lead block. A screen pass to Smith on the ensuing play was blown up by DeJean. But Hurts wisely kept feeding his best receiver. He rifled a dart to Smith on a comebacker ahead of Mitchell. And two plays later, tossed a strike to No. 6 just out of Woolen’s reach and Smith jetted upfield for chunk yards.
A busted play that forced Hurts into a throwaway and DeJean snuffing out a Will Shipley draw forced another third down. But receiver Hollywood Brown got wide-open downfield and raced the last 10 yards untouched into the end zone.
Saquon Barkley had a frustrating night on the ground in the open practice. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Two for two
The first two-minute drill was an odd one as the offense worked on getting the defense to jump offside. Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert looked back at their coaches upset or confused or something else when a couple of the tailback’s rushes were curtailed. Center Cam Jurgens walked out of the huddle and was replaced by Jake Majors. Jurgens didn’t appear hurt. But Hurts’ hard count finally did get an impatient Ojomo to jump. It wasn’t exactly riveting stuff for the fans.
Nevertheless, the first units came out for one last hurry-up period. The offense got off to a solid start with a Barkley catch-and-run out of the backfield, a checkdown to Smith and a Hurts seed to Wicks over the middle. But when Hurts was pressured again by Hunt, he tried for Smith near the sideline. Woolen was in lockstep with the receiver, jumped the route and went the other way with the ball for a pick-six.
Nick Sirianni gave Andy Dalton the first crack at No. 2 reps on Tuesday night. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Second best
This was a night almost exclusively for the starters with fans in the house, and the final preseason game reserved for guys fighting to make the roster or the practice squad. There were some periods for the second and third units. Andy Dalton got the nod at quarterback as he and Tanner McKee continued to split snaps in their battle for the No. 2 job.
Dalton overthrew Cooper on his first drop. But he got into a rhythm with receiver Elijah Moore and scored on their third connection when Moore found space on a crossing route and zigzagged into the end zone.
McKee had some good moments, too. He went to Brown for a couple quickies vs. zone coverage. He found Moore as his outlet vs. the blitz. And on fourth down, he hit tight end E.J. Jenkins on a short release. Shipley did the rest on the ground and scored when he ran off right tackle. McKee’s two-point conversion try in the back of the end zone went off Brown’s hands.
McKee shined in the two-minute period. He hooked up with Cooper on a deep crosser and hit Moore on a 15-yard out. His downfield pass to Cooper was on target, but the receiver eased up his route and the ball sailed by. Cooper reacted as if he knew he messed up.
Extra points
The final score was Defense 58, Offense 36. … Rookie quarterback Cole Payton got a few reps in the backup period. … Britain Covey was again the first up to field punts, but Lemon took turns as well. If the Eagles believe the rookie can handle punts, it could make Covey expendable on game days … Shipley and Bigsby were paired as the first two kick returners. … The Eagles announced attendance of more than 45,000. Pennsylvania governor and noted Eagles fan Josh Shapiro was among them. … The Eagles will return to the Jefferson Health Training Complex for practice on Wednesday afternoon. They will have a closed walkthrough on Thursday ahead of Friday’s preseason finale at the Linc vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
Josh Shapiro spent his formative years in Montgomery County as a rabid Philadelphia sports fan, but as an undersized point guard at Akiba Hebrew Academy, the path to signing autographs for Philadelphia fans as a sports star wasn’t all that probable.
As the governor of Pennsylvania, though? Shapiro found himself catching miniature footballs and jerseys from fans and tossing them back into the stands after applying his signature Tuesday night as the Eagles warmed up at Lincoln Financial Field ahead of their open practice.
“I was joking with some of the kids, I think I was decreasing the value of their Jalen Hurts jersey,” Shapiro joked.
“Look, it’s humbling. It’s an honor to be with all these folks and to be with fellow Birds fans, who are not only out here to watch our team but also support an incredible cause. The amount of money they’re raising, about $800,000 tonight for the Eagles Autism Foundation, it’s an amazing thing Jeffrey [Lurie] has done for this city and the example he’s set for the entire country.”
Shapiro, after finishing with autographs and pictures, made his way to the sideline, where he chatted with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who he later called “the best GM in all of sports, although Mike Gansey is giving him a hell of a run for his money landing LeBron.” The longtime Eagles fan is optimistic that Roseman has put together a team that can compete for another Super Bowl. Shapiro attended each of the last two Eagles Super Bowl appearances.
“I think there’s a lot of hope, there’s a lot of optimism, a lot of excitement after, obviously, a down year last year,” Shapiro said. “It didn’t end how we wanted. Folks are pumped up. I think there’s something unique about this city that 50,000 people came out to watch a practice. They’re fired up and so am I.”
Tuesday was the team’s annual open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. The stadium itself has been a topic of conversation since Lurie made public statements earlier this year about his team’s future home, indicating all options were on the table when it comes to the type of stadium and even where it’s located.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (left) talks with Eagles GM Howie Roseman during an open Eagles practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Tuesday. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“I appreciate the way [team president] Don [Smolenski] and Jeffrey and the entire franchise are thinking really critically about what they want for the future of a home for the Philadelphia Eagles,” Shapiro said Tuesday. “Here’s what I can tell you for sure: It’s going to be in the city of Philadelphia, and we’ll work with the Eagles once they determine what it is they’re interested in doing, but I appreciate the thoughtful and deliberate approach that they’ve taken to this process.”
The Eagles are at Lincoln Financial Field until 2032 under their current lease agreement. But the team has begun what Lurie called “exploratory research” on a new or renovated stadium. Last year, the organization sent out surveys to season-ticket holders to seek input on the prospects of a stadium renovation or a new building. It is similar to what the Eagles did before they moved from Veterans Stadium to Lincoln Financial Field in 2003.
Lurie said the goal is to have a more “definitive approach” to the team’s stadium plans in a year or two.
“They’re going to think about what they want as a home for the next 30, 40, 50 years, and then we’ll have a conversation when they’re ready to have that,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro won’t be in his current office when the lease expires. He’s up for reelection in November, and while polls show him with a 16-point lead, he’s term-limited and can’t be governor beyond the next four-year term. It remains possible, too, that he considers a run for president in 2028.
