To Andrew Mukuba, there is no sense dwelling on the past.
The fractured fibula that ruined his rookie season with the Eagles in a Week 12 loss in Dallas, the demanding rehabilitation that followed, the emotional ups and downs that come with all of it, that’s all behind him, he says.
When he hits the football field next to play a game, which could be as soon as the preseason opener Saturday night in Baltimore, he won’t be seeking any closure.
“I feel comfortable out here despite what I had going on,” Mukuba said after practice Thursday. “I’ve already put everything behind, just focused on what’s next and what’s in front of me.”
There still is a lot in front of the 23-year-old. The Eagles are putting a lot of trust in their second-round pick from last year’s draft. They lost Reed Blankenship in free agency and did not make major upgrades to the position group in part because they feel like Mukuba is capable of being an every-down difference maker. There were “shaky” moments during his rookie season, Vic Fangio said in the spring, but the longtime defensive coordinator felt like Mukuba was “coming on” in the five or six games leading up to his injury.
Drew Mukuba suffered a season-ending injury on this play last season after colliding with teammate Sydney Brown late in the fourth quarter of a Week 12 loss in Dallas.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
What’s the biggest difference year-over-year?
“It’s just experience, knowledge, and know-how of the defense,” Fangio said last week. “You might look and say, ‘Man, he looks quicker. He’s in better shape.’ I think it’s just the thought process [speeding] up, comfortability with the defense, and what he has to do. He’s in a little bit better shape too.”
That part always helps, especially in the steamy conditions training camp practices come with. But Mukuba agreed that the biggest difference between this version of him and the rookie version this time last year was on the mental side of the game. His offseason was dominated by rehab. He wasn’t fully cleared for workouts during the offseason program, and a lot of his time away from the field was spent watching film and diving into the playbook.
“In that situation, you can’t do anything but try to learn,” he said.
He said he sees the preparation paying off in his ability to recognize plays — “letting the formation talk to you,” he said — and pick up on cues from the running backs and offensive linemen.
“Little things I feel like rookies might struggle with coming in and having a lot thrown at you,” Mukuba said.
The safety position is an interesting one during this Eagles camp. Mukuba is the lone constant, but he has different players next to him at times. When the Eagles are in their base defense, with just two cornerbacks on the field, Cooper DeJean has been sliding from the nickel spot to safety next to Mukuba. When they’re not in base, which is the majority of the time, Marcus Epps has seen a lot of first-team work, as has Michael Carter II, who, like DeJean, is making a transition from nickel to safety.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Eagles search for an upgrade to pair next to Mukuba before the season begins, but Fangio has expressed comfort in Epps and Carter.
Mukuba said earlier this month that DeJean, a “natural defensive back,” was picking up his new occasional position well, but there are challenges.
“You think differently, you play differently with the runs because you’re closer to the ball,” Mukuba said of a nickel. “Obviously with safety you’re further away from the ball. Finding right angles and trying to play in space is a little different than when you’re closer to the ball.”
Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba intercepts a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Mukuba, who had 46 tackles in 11 games last season, will have some new duties thrown his way. Blankenship, who left for Houston in free agency, was the defensive quarterback who did a lot of communicating from the back. The safeties will share those responsibilities, Fangio said.
Mukuba said his next steps for year two are to continue getting more comfortable in the NFL and keep growing in his role.
“Trying to see how much I’ve grown from last year, trying to remove the mental errors or the little things that I was struggling with last year,” he said. “A lot of things I struggled with last year, I feel like this year I’ve overcome and I’m playing more confident and faster.
“I feel good. I worked hard to get to this point.”
It’s been a while since Eagles fans last saw white helmets paired with kelly green wings on the field in Philly. The last time came over 50 years ago, in 1973, but after the team posted a seemingly innocent video that featured the retro style, some fans are dreaming of a potential return.
The video, posted Wednesday afternoon, featured Jalyx Hunt and new defensive back Riq Woolen blindly trying to match up different team helmets, but the comments were all focused on one thing: the white kelly green helmet that was curiously included in the lineup.
Across platforms, fans speculated. “Give us the white Kelly jerseys!” someone commented on TikTok, and below the video shared on X, someone responded, “Just take my money now if y’all are dropping the white kelly green.”
So it raises the question: Are the Eagles teasing a return of the vintage look?
Well, it’s complicated.
The team cannot just add another uniform or swap elements, like helmets, at random. The NFL imposes strict regulations. Per the league’s last update in 2024, teams are capped at four uniforms and three distinct helmet designs, and must give the league significant advance notice before using them. Of course, for the purposes of this game, the team needed a fourth helmet.
The Eagles’ current uniform lineup includes the midnight green home jerseys, the white-and-midnight green away uniforms, the all-black set, and the throwback kelly greens. Both the standard home and away uniforms use the midnight green helmet, while the other two uniforms have their own matching helmets. The throwback kelly green alternate uniform, when announced in 2023, sent fans into a frenzy to get their hands on the Harold Carmichael-and Randall Cunningham-era favorites.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and adding white kelly green uniforms and a matching helmet could be an opportunity to have fans lining up to get their hands on the vintage look.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts is certainly on board. In a video shared in May announcing the 2026 schedule, Hurts said he “needs” the white kelly greens to make a comeback, prompting Saquon Barkley to remind him, “Well, you got the power to change that, Mr. Hurts.”
Perhaps Hurts, and many fans, will get their wish. Hurts, after all, has a history of seeing those wishes come true. In 2021, he successfully pushed for the team to wear black pants with its white jerseys, so maybe the QB has some sway. But unless this is one of the best-kept secrets in Philly sports, it might take more than a year to see that come to fruition.
Another possible path to seeing the retro design return is through the NFL and Nike “Rivalries” program, a community-inspired concept similar to MLB’s “City Connect” series. Over the next few seasons, the partnership plans to bring new uniforms to select teams during home games, alongside specialized merchandise — a possible opportunity for the Eagles to reintroduce the white kelly green look, but that wouldn’t happen until at least the 2027 season. This year’s teams are already locked in, with the eight teams in the NFC North and AFC South set to unveil their new uniforms on Aug. 25.
Outside of Hurts in May and the match-the-helmet video on Wednesday, the Eagles have not so much as whispered the words “white kelly green” anywhere. And it doesn’t look like they plan to acknowledge the flood of comments speculating over the style the team wore for only for parts of five seasons (1969-73). But if Eagles fans are anything, it’s dedicated and persistent, even, perhaps especially, when it comes to how they look in the stadium.
Lane Johnson rejoined training camp this past week after a multi-day absence, but his return brought with it the announcement that 2026 is “probably” going to be his last NFL season. What does the prospect of the All-Pro’s retirement mean in both the short- and long-term? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Ryan Novozinsky take a look at what the Eagles can expect from Johnson in his 14th year as a pro, and who might be waiting in the wings to replace him.
00:00 Will this actually be Lane Johnson’s final hurrah, and if it is, who’s next?
13:42 An overdue discussion about about Saquon Barkley
26:10 Training camp stock report
38:12 Jeff’s mailbag: Makai Lemon’s status, and other key injuries
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season. We’re always looking for mailbag questions! Hit Jeff up on his socials, or drop a question in the comments. Jeff could answer it in a future episode!
Despite his implication that American hero Dr. Anthony Fauci somehow acted improperly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite his denials that he was considering retiring over the winter (he was), Vic Fangio is a compulsive truth-teller — at least, in his own mind. He dogged the Dolphins when he was there, he’s told us that Jalen Carter has been out of shape, and he said last year that Adoree’ Jackson was playing so badly he might not start.
On Tuesday, Veritas Vic revealed a truth about 2025 that had been self-evident:
Jalen Hurts lost a step.
From 2021-24, Hurts was the second-most dynamic running quarterback in the NFL, a sabertooth tiger on the hunt. But in 2025 he looked like a woolly mammoth trying to escape the La Brea Tar Pits.
Teams no longer feared his ability to convert first downs and his ability to turn broken plays in the red zone into rushing touchdowns or scramble TD throws.
Expect that fear to return.
In public last year, Hurts, his coaches, and the front office swore that there was no real difference in Hurts’ speed. In Fangio parlance, they pled the Fifth (Fangio last week ripped Fauci’s performance at a Senate hearing: “I’m gonna be like Fauci and just take the Fifth Amendment on all questions.”).
Vic seems to miss Trump taking the 5th 450 times. Classic Trump supporter. https://t.co/UpUqzbq54N
In private, NFL sources swore that Hurts was not the same player in 2025 that he had been in previous seasons.
Just two weeks into 2026 training camp, for Fangio, the difference is palpable.
Fangio was asked his perspective as a defensive coordinator regarding how Hurts was acclimating to the new offense being installed by first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Fangio did not hesitate:
“He looks faster,” Fangio said.
There you have it.
In training camp practices, Hurts is eluding would-be tacklers the way he used to do. He’s breaking into the clear. He’s turning the corners. He’s finding gears he didn’t have in 2025, and, you can assume, he’ll locate the overdrive level that once struck fear into the hearts of defenders league-wide.
Vic Fangio’s comments on Jalen Hurts’ increased speed were telling. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
True, it’s just practice, but Fangio made it clear that Hurts didn’t perform this way this time last year. And no, it’s not as if Hurts’ defensive teammates can snag an arm or foot as he blasts past them, but Fangio’s been coaching pro football for more than 40 years, so you can trust him to gauge a quarterback’s potency.
“Obviously, we can’t touch him during practice,” Fangio said. “There’s been a few times where our guys think they had him and they really didn’t. He’s moving good.”
Last year, offseason reports surfaced that said Hurts wanted game plans to include fewer designed runs. Hamstring, ankle, shoulder, and finger issues cost Hurts time from 2020-23. A concussion in Game 16 of 2024 cost him the final two games of the season, though he returned in fine fettle and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl LIX title.
Things clearly changed for Hurts in the 2025 season. In his first four full seasons as a starter he’d averaged 9.9 rushing attempts and 44.8 yards per game. Last season he averaged 6.6 runs for 26.3 yards. He averaged 13 rushing touchdowns in his first four full seasons. He scored eight last year.
There were other factors.
Offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens all missed time with chronic injury issues that also diminished their effectiveness when they did play.
After a grueling, record-setting first season as an Eagle, featured back Saquon Barkley was far less explosive.
First-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was overmatched, and head coach Nick Sirianni was powerless to help him.
Star receiver A.J. Brown so badly regressed physically, mentally, and psychologically that the Eagles traded him for pennies on the dollar at a massive salary-cap hit on June 1.
And, finally, defenses realized that, all things being equal, they would rather force Hurts to beat them with his legs than Barkley, since Barkley was a home-run threat every time he was handled the ball. Then defenses realized that Hurts couldn’t beat them with his legs anymore.
Between 2021-24, Hurts ran for 267 first downs, 31 more than 2024 MVP Josh Allen, who was second, and 67 more than 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson, who was third. Hurts averaged 66.8 first downs in those four years. He ran for 37 first downs last season.
Hurts’ absence of speed answers questions independent of his abilities. It answers questions about his motivation.
The insidious question that loomed last season:
Was Hurts protecting himself because, with the Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP in his back pocket, even a modestly productive season was likely to produce a massive contract extension?
Eagles fans saw less running from Jalen Hurts in 2025. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Hurts is under contract through 2028, but 2026 is his last fully guaranteed season. Historically, the Eagles reward their best young players with early extensions that generally serve two purposes: Early extensions give the player cash in his pocket right away, and, if the player continues to play well, they give the Eagles a bargain — a player paid below comparable talents at comparable positions.
But Hurts didn’t have a moderately productive season. He had a poor season. The passing game, ranked 23rd, was abysmal considering its weapons. Hurts’ passer rating dropped from 103.7 in 2024, which ranked fifth, to 98.5 in 2025, which ranked 12th. His quarterback rating, which attempts to include all aspects of the position, fell from 62.5 in 2024, which was 10th, to 55.2 in 2025, which was 20th.
There was no extension in the offing. That might change during or after 2026, if, as Fangio says, he’s got his legs back.
New Eagles tight end Johnny Mundt likens his occupation as a tight end in the NFL to “a blue collar job.”
“Getting it done in the trenches next to the big guys is something I take pride in,” Mundt said after a recent Eagles practice.
It is why the Eagles signed the 31-year-old veteran. Their tight end corps lacked a requisite handyman in 2025. Dallas Goedert was his normal self as a weapon in the passing game, but his effectiveness as a blocker took a step back. Grant Calcaterra, meanwhile, is most useful as a pass catcher and not doing the dirty work in the trenches.
But the merit in Mundt’s signing was twofold. Not only has he been one of the better blocking tight ends in recent seasons, but he also broke into the NFL playing in Sean McVay’s offense and learned how to become a multifaceted tight end in a style of offense — the Kyle Shanahan-McVay system — that the Eagles are adopting under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
How will the Eagles replace A.J. Brown’s production? Will the offensive line be healthy enough? Can Jalen Hurts learn a new system and thrive? Those are worthy questions to contemplate when trying to evaluate what happens next with the 2026 offense, but the tight end position will be an underrated element to the engine.
The Eagles are asking their tight ends to do new things. The tight end in the wide zone running scheme is a critical cog, and Goedert, for example, will be asked to block at the point of attack more than he ever has. Tight ends have been crucial to executing the Shanahan-McVay scheme successfully.
Johnny Mundt (83) is among the new faces for the Eagles at tight end. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Nick Sirianni has used the term “marrying the run and pass” so often that he’s probably at this point ordained to officiate a wedding.
“We’re huge in that,” Mundt said. “Being attached to the line of scrimmage, being the point of attack on a lot of these blocks, you can do a lot of play-action stuff off that. The marriage of the run and the pass has been core to this offense ever since its start.”
The Eagles are installing an offense with more motion and play action. They are shifting from an offense that got to the line of scrimmage, read the defense, and tried to play chess to one that gets to the line of scrimmage and tries to attack.
In the new scheme, Shawn Syed of SumerSports calls the outside or wide zone run “home base.” It is effectively the starting point. The Eagles were formerly a running offense that utilized a lot of inside zone and gap scheme runs. Now, they’ll be implementing more outside or wide runs that aim to stretch the defense horizontally.
The Eagles have athletic tackles in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, but the tight end is a key part of outside running success. Assuming a run is going to the strong side, the back will set his running track to the outside hip of the tight end while starting to read the defense. A run to the strong side requires the tight end to block at the point of attack and seal off the edge.
“Our aiming points have changed, the back path has changed,” Goedert said recently. “Still trying to get comfortable with it, but I’ve been enjoying it. I think it makes our job as tight ends easier, being able to use the path of the running backs to help stretch the defense and trusting that the running back is going to make us right is a big piece of it.”
Johnny Mundt (86) most recently played in Jacksonville and has experience with new coordinator Sean Mannion, including as his teammate. Maria Lysaker
Sometimes, sealing an edge means going up against a bigger edge defender. Tight ends in this scheme sometimes motion into the backfield before a snap. Sometimes they line up at fullback. They’re then sometimes asked to execute a wham block against an interior defensive lineman, some of whom are more than 300 pounds.
“It’s sometimes a mismatch, but with the right technique and leverage, you can take care of it,” Mundt said.
“If you trust what you’re coached to do and you can win the first half of the snap, you’re going to put yourself in a better position to have success. It comes down to technique and attitude and effort.”
It’s important to note that there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for the offense when it comes to personnel deployment.
Last year San Francisco under Shanahan, and Miami under Shanahan disciple Mike McDaniel ran more 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end) than any other team in the league. Both teams had a versatile fullback. But Shanahan’s offense in Atlanta ran a lot of 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends).
McVay also has deployed different personnel packages that suited his roster. A few seasons ago, when the Rams had Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, two of the best blocking receivers in the league, the Rams ran the highest rate of 11 personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers) in the league. They used condensed sets and had receivers lined up close to the offensive line.
But with Kupp on a different team, the Rams last season used 13 personnel on a league-high 30.5% of their offensive plays, according to SumerSports. That was more than double the rate of the team (Pittsburgh) with the second-highest usage rate of 13.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni (center) talks to Los Rams coach Sean McVay (left) before a 2023 game. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Green Bay, meanwhile, ran the fifth-highest rate of 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends), which the Packers deployed on 33.8% of their offensive snaps, and used 11 personnel on 55.6% of their snaps.
Moral of the story: teams adapt their formations to the makeup of their roster.
What does that mean for the Eagles?
It remains to be seen how the Eagles deploy their personnel. Given their roster, 12 personnel seems like a pretty friendly position grouping that will keep Mundt on the field as a blocker and allow Goedert to use his versatile skill set to impact both the blocking and passing game. They also have a few receivers who can block in Darius Cooper and Makai Lemon, though both are inexperienced at the NFL level.
Perhaps there’s a world where second-round pick Eli Stowers, who has been open about his struggles adapting to the NFL game during camp, gets on the field and the Eagles deploy some 13 personnel. There’s also Cameron Latu, who can play fullback if needed. Calcaterra, meanwhile, is back with the Eagles and has gotten some recent first-team reps. The likeliest scenario has the Eagles keeping four tight ends on the initial 53-man roster: Goedert, Mundt, Stowers, and Latu.
Eagles tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey was a college tight end who made the transition to fullback. Mahaffey worked with Mannion in Green Bay and also has the title in Philadelphia of run game coordinator.
Mahaffey said in the spring that tight end is a “unique” position at the “cross section” of the offense being part of the passing game, the running game, and being involved in pass protection.
“I think tight ends, generally speaking, they’re intellectual guys,” Mahaffey said. “They got a little bit of a lineman mindset to them where they’ve got a workmanlike mentality and then you also get the pass-catching aspect of things.”
A lot has been made about the new blocking technique being asked of Goedert, but it’s not hard to imagine him having a major role in the passing game. Without Brown, the Eagles have DeVonta Smith and then some question marks behind him when it comes to who Hurts will be able to rely on to consistently make plays.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert works on footwork drills during training camp practice earlier this month. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The new offense utilizing more under-center play action should create opportunities for Goedert to impact the offense with his hands. George Kittle has long dominated in the 49ers’ offense as a tight end who blocks well in the running game and gets open in the passing game. Green Bay often found ways to get Tucker Kraft the ball. And the Rams had three tight ends with at least 24 catches last season.
The Eagles are in the early stages of putting it all together, and there’s still so much more of the offense that hasn’t been shown during the practices open to media.
Mundt so far has acted like a translator of sorts during camp.
“I’ve taken a few guys and taken a play and said, ‘This is how I look at it,’ and it marries well to how we’re coaching it,” he said.
He arrived in Los Angeles in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon who viewed himself as a pass-catching tight end. The Rams, he said, taught him how to get hands on defenders and take the steam out of a pass rusher. He morphed into a reliable blocker who had just 13 targets in his first four NFL seasons. Mundt overlapped with Mannion when the two played for Minnesota under former McVay assistant Kevin O’Connell. He was used more there in the passing game, and all four of his NFL touchdowns came with the Vikings. But he had just nine catches last year under Liam Coen — another former McVay assistant — in Jacksonville.
Mundt signed a one-year deal with the Eagles worth just $1.5 million. He said he was happy to be able to join a franchise that always seems to be competing for a championship. The Eagles were looking for some value and to upgrade their blocking chops at the tight end spot. The fit has been a good one so far.
“It’s a lot of what I’ve been brought up doing, a lot of point-of-attack blocking, making plays in the pass game, just being a multidimensional tight end and helping out any way I can,” Mundt said.
To some, the Eagles are priceless. But according to Sportico’s latest NFL franchise valuations, the team is worth about $10.31 billion.
Sportico’s report placed the Eagles at No. 6 in the league for the second year in a row. Globally, they rank seventh overall — only the Golden State Warriors moved ahead of them.
Despite a 22% increase in value over last year, the Birds came in below the leaguewide average of a 31% year-over-year increase. Last year, the Birds saw a 25% increase in value year over year, with Sportico valuing them at $8.43 billion. That came after Jeffrey Lurie sold minority stakes in the team in December 2024 that valued it at $8.3 million. He bought the team for $185 million in 1994.
The leaguewide increase contributed to the NFL’s most valuable season yet, with the league’s 32 teams collectively worth $299 billion for the 2025 season. This marks the biggest single-year value gain for the NFL since Sportico began its valuations in 2020. According to the report, the average team’s value has increased 141% over the past five years.
Sportico’s calculations factor in everything from revenue and merchandise sales to real estate owned by the franchises. The NFL also showed off its financial prowess compared with other sports leagues, with each of the 32 teams ranking among the top 38 most valuable sports franchises in the world — even the Cincinnati Bengals, who were ranked No. 32 for the seventh straight year, only saw six non-NFL teams above them.
At the top of the list once again are the Dallas Cowboys at $15.5 billion. The Los Angeles Rams ($12.7 billion), New York Giants ($12 billion), New England Patriots ($10.4 billion) and New York Jets ($10.35 billion) round out the top five. The Jets, who climbed three spots, were the only NFL team to leapfrog the Eagles, but the Birds remained at No. 6 with the San Francisco 49ers falling three spots.
It’s a big promotion for Tucker, a Wyomissing native and former NFL offensive lineman, though for now it’s just Week 1. He’ll replace former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, who will fill in for Romo alongside Jim Nantz in CBS’ No. 1 booth.
“I’m getting hundreds of text messages from people congratulating me. It’s kind of crazy,” Tucker said.
When Romo comes back is anyone’s guess. CBS placed him on indefinite leave following his arrest in Wisconsin on July 23 for suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. He’s scheduled to appear in court Monday, Sept. 21, at the end of Week 2.
“I don’t think they have a timeline on anything,” Tucker said. “It sounds like we’re taking it one week at a time.”
One reason CBS bumped Tucker up is that he and Eagle already have a great rapport in the booth. The two have called at least 20 games together on Westwood One, including the Eagles’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers last season.
“There’s a real comfort level and familiarity there,” Tucker said. “And he has the quickest wit of almost anybody I’ve ever been around.”
In just one example, during Westwood One’s radio broadcast of a 2024 Thursday Night Football game between the Eagles and Washington Commanders, Ross reacted to a play made by Birds defender Zack Baun with the call, “Baun. Zack Baun.”
“Ian, with no hesitation, said, ‘Shaken and stirred!’” Tucker said. “I wasn’t expecting him to have a follow-up … but he’s just so good.”
In addition to his role with CBS, Tucker will call all three Eagles preseason games — two on NBC10 with Scott Graham and one on CBS alongside Andrew Catalon. He’ll also call his fair share of Thursday Night Football games on Westwood One, which has given him something of an upper hand leading into Sunday’s games on TV.
“Sometimes on the field talking to players and coaches, I’ll ask them about the game I have Sunday and their opinion on it, and I’ll get good insight there,” Tucker said. “So there’s a lot of value in doing both.”
The only downside for now is he will no longer call games alongside Phillies announcer Tom McCarthy, whose friendship with Tucker goes back to calling his college football games at Princeton.
Instead, McCarthy will pair up former running back Robert Turbin, who has been a college football analyst for CBS Sports Network since 2022.
The other new face for CBS is former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week. Kuechly was also recently hired by Netflix as the streamer’s top NFL analyst, where he’ll call games alongside Noah Eagle.
Romo could miss an Eagles game … if he’s gone that long
Tony Romo, seen here before a 2022 game, is on indefinite leave at CBS. Michael Ainsworth
Romo wasn’t in New York on Tuesday for CBS’ media day event, a result of his indefinite suspension from the network following his arrest in Wisconsin last month.
The former Cowboys quarterback, entering his 10th season with CBS, was arrested and charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. He was also cited for having an open container in the vehicle and refusing to take an intoxication test. Bodycam footage of his arrest has been widely shared on social media.
David Berson, president of CBS Sports, told reporters it’s an “evolving situation” and there’s “no timetable or final decision” on when — or if — Romo could be back in the booth.
“Fortunately, we have a very deep bench, and I’m really proud of the way everyone’s stepping up and responding,” Berson said.
The Eagles have two games scheduled to air on CBS. Romo had been slated to call the Birds’ Week 11 matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 22, but that’s uncertain until his legal situation is resolved.
Sports media pundits have speculated that this could be a convenient way for CBS to move on from Romo and his reportedly $18-million-a-year contract, which runs through the 2029 season. But police have yet to release the results of his delayed blood alcohol test, and CBS could find itself ensnared in a nasty legal battle if it attempts to force Romo out using a morality clause in his contract.
“There is no extant reality in which CBS fires its No. 1 NFL analyst for ‘unsafe passing on the right’ or ‘crossing the gore area,’” Sportico’s Anthony Crupi wrote.
Other top announcers and sports media personalities have been able to come back from drunken driving incidents.
In 2009, Charles Barkley was suspended by TNT for six weeks after being arrested on New Year’s Eve for driving under the influence. Barkley ultimately pleaded guilty and served three days in jail.
Former Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. is headed to CBS. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Former Eagles defender and Super Bowl champ Darius Slay is headed to CBS as a studio analyst on The NFL Today+, the network’s streaming Sunday pregame show. He’ll be joined by fellow former NFLers Russell Wilson, Antonio Pierce, and Kyle Long. CBS Sports betting analyst Mackenzie Brooks, a Philly native and Central Bucks West alumna, will also contribute to the show.
Former Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Michele Tafoya easily won the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Minnesota on Tuesday night. She’ll face Democrat Peggy Flanagan in November’s midterm elections.
A couple of numbers that have jumped out at me during the number-crunching portion of my annual Eagles/NFL cram sessions …
When Jalen Carter was on the field, the Eagles were a top–five run defense. When he was off the field, they were a bottom–five run defense.
What makes a defensive tackle worth $40 million per year? Well, have a look at the Eagles’ first-and-10 rushing splits with and without Carter.
In 107 snaps without him, opponents averaged 5.1 rushing yards per attempt. Only the Dolphins and Bengals allowed more yards per carry on first-and-10 plays.
On 130 snaps with Carter on the field, opponents averaged just 4.08 yards per carry. Only six teams in the NFL allowed a lower average on first-and-10 plays.
Carter’s impact goes deeper than the yards an offense fails to gain. There are also the yards an offense doesn’t even try to gain. Last season, opponents ran the ball on nearly 60% of the snaps for which Carter was on the sideline. When he was on the field, they ran the ball on 52% of their snaps (on first-and-10).
Keep in mind, 2025 was a season when Carter was less than 100% for a stretch.
One of the underrated storylines of last season was the overall struggle of the Eagles’ run defense. I use that term relatively. In 2024, Fangio’s unit was top-10 in both total yards and yards per carry. In 2025, they ranked 22nd and 20th, respectively.
Quantifying run defense is an imperfect science, of course. Both total yardage and yards per carry are heavily influenced by game situation. Which is why I chose first-and-10 as a sample rather than overall numbers for the Carter on/off splits. That being said, there was nothing situational about the Bears’ 281 rushing yards on Black Friday, after which Carter decided to undergo surgical treatment on his shoulders. The Chargers ran for 169 yards the following week.
Jalen Carter (center) will be key in the Eagles’ run defense in 2026.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Carter aside, the Eagles clearly suffered from the loss of Milton Williams last season. Their on/off splits with and without Carter were far less drastic the two seasons prior. There are two big reasons to hope that the Eagles have a better run D this season. One, Carter will be healthier and more available. Two, Jonathan Greenard will be here for the whole season. Jaelan Phillips was excellent against the run, but he was only here post-trade deadline. The flip side is this: The Eagles were at their best with Phillips, and they will also be attempting to replace a starting safety in Reed Blankenship and a starting linebacker in Nakobe Dean. One way or another, it will be a big subplot to this season. Carter, as always, will play the biggest and most important role.
DeVonta Smith led the Eagles with 19 first–down catches on third down. He led the NFL in yards per catch on those conversions.
Here’s a list of the wide receivers who have finished a season averaging 20 yards per reception on at least 40 third-down targets over the last three seasons.
Those first three players had stretches where they have been on the short list for best receivers in the game. Smith has a fine reputation. The NFL is well aware of how good he is. But you’ll rarely hear him mentioned among that small group of WR1s who create their own receptions and dictate opponents’ game plans.
The deeper you look under the hood, though, the more favorably Smith’s numbers compare to the best of the best.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith led the team in third down catches with 19 last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Last year, he ranked 11th in the NFL in Tough Catch Percentage, a metric that I totally ham-and-egged using the nflfastR data package. It measures a receiver’s share of contested catches and receptions created (as determined by For the Numbers Fantasy) and catches in traffic (as determined by me, using YAC and tackling data, among other variables). Here are the other players who rank ahead and just behind Smith: Courtland Sutton, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, A.J. Brown, Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trey McBride, Collins, Justin Jefferson, George Pickens, Chris Olave, and Ja’Marr Chase. Whatever the metric signifies in abstract, those players are pretty good company to keep.
The presence of Brown on that list is significant, of course. Few players in the NFL have performed better in true 50-50 (or worse) situations than Brown has since joining the Eagles. Therein lies the real question about the Eagles’ receiving corps. It isn’t whether Smith can replace Brown as Jalen Hurts’ WR1. The question is whether the guys behind Smith can be anything close to the player he was as WR2. It’s not coincidence that the Eagles traded up for a receiver in Makai Lemon whose most impressive tape is his physicality and consistency in traffic. Hurts needs him on the field, sooner rather than later.
The Eagles held the 10th practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 10 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9):
Medical ward
The Eagles had no changes to their injury report. The following didn’t practice: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and receiver Danny Gray (concussion). Receiver Britain Covey (hamstring) and linebacker Chance Campbell (groin) were again limited.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard wouldn’t be back “for a couple more weeks, at least.” If “a couple” is two, than the earliest Greenard could return would be Aug. 25. Even if it’s a little later, it seems likely that he could be available by the season opener on Sept. 13.
Greenard’s level of involvement, however, would depend on his conditioning and comfort in a new defense. Fangio said as much about Jones and that he would need a ramp-up period to be “calloused” enough to play at full speed.
Vic Fangio hinted on Tuesday that the first-unit defense would play in the first preseason game, as has been customary under Fangio. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Start your engines
I don’t expect coach Nick Sirianni to reveal his plans for the first preseason game on Saturday at the Ravens, just as I don’t expect him to play the first-unit offense. There’s an argument for playing the starters considering the new scheme, but I just don’t see Sirianni taking the risk. The old-school Fangio has a different view and has been given free rein to play his starters. When I asked about his usage plans, he said, “We’ll see how that goes, but you guys have been around here.” In other words, the first defense will play some.
As for the offense, another sign that Jalen Hurts and Co. won’t play in Baltimore came with the lopsided number of practice repetitions they took over the second and third groups on Tuesday. Saquon Barkley has been getting as much work as he normally does in camp, but there was a slight uptick in his touches. He had nine carries in team drills and was targeted once as a receiver.
Barkley had some positive runs. It’s difficult to say for certain how many yards he would have gained with no tackling. But there was really only one rush when I felt he would have lost yards. He had far too many negative-yard runs last season. Obviously, there is hope the new blocking scheme will help keep defenders out of the backfield. I do wonder how Barkley will adjust to more outside zone, but he should thrive in any system.
As for the notion that he will have more opportunities as a receiver, that hasn’t been the case through most of camp. That could certainly change once the season begins. Hurts did go to his running back over the middle at one point on Tuesday, but his pass was a touch behind and Barkley couldn’t make the grab.
There have been encouraging signs in run-blocking during Sean Mannion’s first camp with the Eagles. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Blocking the run
There will be more horizontal stretching of defenses with increased outside zone runs, but Sean Mannion’s offense will have plenty of inside zone, gap schemes, and more. Guard Landon Dickerson downplayed a question about the Eagles employing more duo runs — an inside gap scheme play — this season. But it has long been a complement to the outside zone in the Shanahan offense.
We saw some of it on Tuesday with the O-linemen firing off the ball and creating double-team blocks — hence the name “duo” — that opened holes for Barkley and the other tailbacks. But we saw other concepts, too. Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata pulled and Barkley followed for a nice gain. And we saw tight end Johnny Mundt featured in the two-minute offense. He had successful back-to-back blocks on edge Jalyx Hunt — a wham and another at the point of the attack — that helped spring Barkley.
There were some struggles on the ground, too. Tight end Dallas Goedert couldn’t sustain a backside block on defensive tackle Jalen Carter — understandably so — and Carter caught Barkley by his jersey. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. diagnosed two outside runs during one period and center Cam Jurgens didn’t stand a chance of getting to him at the second level.
Hunt later got the stop when he got around Mailata, but it was Carter and nose tackle Jordan Davis who clogged the interior and forced Barkley to the edge.
Drew Kendall (66) has had a strong camp to date. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Drew carry more
Drew Kendall is getting closer to locking down the top interior O-line spot among the backups. He could be first off the bench at both center and guard. He more than held his own at left guard against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo in one-on-ones. And he had little trouble vs. Zion Wilson during his two repetitions at center.
Defensive tackle Byron Young got the better of Kendall at guard and sacked quarterback Andy Dalton during second-unit team drills. Later on, Kendall spelled Dickerson with the starters. Young appeared to win early with his pass rush, but Kendall recovered in time for Hurts to step up and heave a bomb.
Tyler Steen (56) was in the center of the action again on Tuesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Point of attack
Willie Lampkin continued to shine in one-on-ones. Eagles coaches keep upping the ante. Lampkin took his first turns at center against Ojomo and locked him up pretty good. Could Carter and Davis be next? That’ll be the true test for the 5-foot-11, 290-pound Lampkin.
Guard Tyler Steen and defensive tackle Ty Robinson matched up a day after their scrum in team drills. Steen was the aggressor. Robinson tried to power through, but Steen tied him up. Rookie tackle Markel Bell made easy work of edge Joshua Weru. Edge Tarron Jackson, a former Eagles draft pick who was re-signed on Monday, used a spin move to blow by tackle Cameron Williams.
Tarron Jackson appeared in 21 games with the Eagles in 2021-22 and is back on the squad. HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
Edge of tomorrow
Jackson gives the Eagles some much-needed depth on the edge. With Greenard and James-Newby sidelined, the top four outside linebackers — Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr., Arnold Ebiketie, and A.J. Epenesa — have shouldered a lot of snaps. Weru and Jose Ramirez haven’t done enough to earn time with the top two units.
Epenesa had an up-and-down day. He beat Mailata on the outside for a would-be sack. He also was in position when Hurts checked down to tight end Grant Calcaterra. But he was flagged later for holding Calcaterra (!) when he tried to release into a route. A few plays later, Epenesa’s false start gave the second-unit offense a first down in the two-minute period.
Ebiketie has been relatively quiet of late, but he did have a tackle for loss at one point.
Jalen Hurts and Elijah Moore hooked up for a nice connection on Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Bombs away
Hurts’ longest completion of the day came on the play in which Kendall recovered to block Young. Slot receiver Elijah Moore was open deep when he got safety Andre’ Sam to bite on his corner fake and Hurts hit him in stride for a walk-in touchdown. It was a beauty.
Moore and Darius Cooper have been Hurts’ go-to guys for the last week. Cooper wasn’t as active today, but as the quarterback said after practice the receiver has strong hands. Hurts was talking about the catch point, but you can also see Cooper’s strength vs. man press. Cornerback Kelee Ringo tried to lock him up at the line in one-on-ones, and Cooper simply swatted his hands away.
Dontayvion Wicks hasn’t seen the ball as much of late, but he did well to drag his feet inbounds on a Hurts pass he pulled in down by his shoelaces. Hollywood Brown has been underwhelming so far.
Will Shipley will need to show some growth in blitz pickup. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Blitz grits
The blitz remained a prominent part of team and individual drills. Barkley fared the best out of the running backs during one-on-ones. Technique has never been his biggest problem. It’s been recognizing where the extra rusher is coming from. He may have missed his assignment when Dickerson needed help with Trotter.
Tank Bigsby has been hot and cold in blitz pickup. He was ice cold when linebacker Smael Mondon cruised by him in team drills. Mondon notched another pressure when running back Will Shipley was late to block him. Shipley had a long conversation with running backs coach Jemal Singleton and O-line coach Chris Kuper after watching the video board replay.
Eli Stowers (87) made an impact with the third unit on Tuesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
This and that
Hurts took advantage of a clean pocket at one point and fired a missile to Goedert with safety Marcus Epps in man coverage. An unblocked Hunt chased Hurts from the pocket, but the quarterback couldn’t be caught. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers logged a few more grabs despite few reps for third-unit players.
Tight end E.J. Jenkins had a nice lead block on a Bigsby run. The Eagles keep him around for a reason. I was watching practice on another field, but my colleague Jeff Neiburg reported that Dalton tossed an ill-advised pass into a crowd that cornerback Cooper DeJean intercepted when the second-unit offense faced the starting defense.
Jake Elliott was again a perfect 6-for-6 during the field goal period. He was good from 33, 38, 40, 44, 45, and 50 yards. He’s missed only one kick so far this camp. … Cooper took the first return on kickoffs. Moore, Covey, and Bigsby also had returns. Lemon and Pierce watched nearby. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Wednesday and return to practice on Thursday.
Believe it or not, Jalen Carter’s biggest offseason distraction was not his contract situation or rehabbing the injuries that plagued him in 2025.
It was the friendly wager he had with Vic Fangio.
“Me and Coach Vic had a little thing going where he wanted me to come in at a certain amount of weight, and I made that weight,” said Carter, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 314 pounds but noted that he’s down 10 pounds since last season. “That also shows that the contract extension wasn’t my biggest focus. My biggest focus was putting a smile on Coach Vic’s face. … And he was happy and we dapped up and we hugged it out.”
Ten days into Eagles training camp, observers can see how this body transformation is helping the two-time Pro Bowler return to form. Carter, 25, looks as dominant as ever entering his fourth season. He consistently blasts through the Eagles’ interior offensive line to create pressure on quarterback Jalen Hurts and he even outraced all defensive linemen in sprints on Tuesday.
This certainly wasn’t the case last season. In 2025, Carter generated a career-low 7.7% pressure rate while facing a double-team on a career-low 41.7% of his pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats. This came after a wildly successful 2024 season, during which he played 79.4% of the defensive snaps and was a key contributor in Super Bowl LIX.
So, how did this change come to be? Carter attributes his weight-loss journey to fewer “big daddy meals” — which he said is when you “just fill the plate up” — and cutting out Minute Maid brand blue raspberry juice.
How, exactly, has a slimmer frame helped Carter in the early days of camp?
“I just feel better out there,” he said. “Getting out of the stacks feels much better, especially with what I was going through last year with the shoulders and all that. Everything just feels good right now.”
Getting Carter back to peak form is excellent news for an Eagles team that’s built around a tough defensive front. With Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo all looking sharp in camp, the Eagles should have one of the top defensive tackle rooms in the NFL in 2026.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio challenged Jalen Carter to improve his body this offseason and has been pleased with his defensive tackle’s progress. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Carter’s transformation even drew public praise from Fangio, who rarely goes out of his way to dish out compliments.
“[Carter has] had a good offseason of lifting,” Fangio said. “I think he started that earlier than normal for him and you can see the difference in that regard. I think he’s in a better spot now than he was.”
The next challenge for Carter is making sure he can stay locked in mentally. The Patriots are hosting the Eagles in a joint practice ahead of their preseason game on Aug. 22, which could lead to tempers flaring between the two clubs. When asked how he can stay composed, Carter said he’ll try his best.
“If I was to get into any altercations, I don’t try to start them, I just finish them,” he said with a wry smirk. “I think I pretty much know the lines. … There’s really ain’t too much I can do. You know, it’s football.
“It’s definitely fighting, that’s the main thing: We don’t want to fight. We want to get contact, get aggressive and all this, but fighting is the last thing we want.”
