Lane Johnson is considering retiring following the 2026 season, the five-time All-Pro right tackle said Saturday.
“As you get older, things change in your life,” Johnson said at a news conference. “Priorities. Your children get older, parents get older. It puts things in perspective. So it’s looking like, potentially, this is probably going to be my last year. I am getting to that point where priorities away from football are starting to merge.”
Johnson, 36, is entering his 14th NFL season, all with the Eagles. He cited his parents’ health issues as one of the reasons for his announcement. He was a key member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship teams in the 2017 and 2024 seasons. He has earned six Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors, including first-team citations in 2017 and 2022.
Johnson was excused from four days of practice earlier this week because of a personal matter. He returned to practice Friday morning, albeit in a limited role.
Johnson is part of an offensive line that is adjusting to a new scheme under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion and a new position coach in Chris Kuper, who succeeded longtime coach Jeff Stoutland.
“Not that I don’t enjoy it,” Johnson said. “I love this game and preparing for it, but that’s kind of where I’m at in my career. I’m looking forward to this year playing the best I can and stay healthy.”
Johnson said his decision is a motivating factor toward another All-Pro honor. He said he feels slighted when he reads NFL offensive lineman rankings and doesn’t see his name.
“I still feel like I can be a premier tackle in this league,” Johnson said. “I’m here, my team supported me, and I’m where I need to be.”
In Johnson’s absence this week, 2026 third-round pick Markel Bell took the bulk of the first-team right tackle reps. Johnson praised the 6-foot-9, 346-pound Bell on Saturday.
“He’s one of the best rookies I’ve been around,” Johnson said.
Johnson posted four straight All-Pro seasons from 2021 to 2024, but was limited to 10 games in 2025 because of a Lisfranc foot injury suffered in Week 11 vs. the Detroit Lions. He also missed the Eagles’ wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Fred Johnson replaced him during that stretch.
The Eagles are Elijah Moore’s fourth team in three seasons, and when you’re 26 years old and your career trajectory is like Moore’s, the end tends to seem a bit closer.
Moore was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in 2021 out of Ole Miss, where he was a college teammate of A.J. Brown. The Jets traded him after two seasons to Cleveland, attaching a third-round pick with him to acquire a second-round pick. Two seasons with the Browns yielded a combined 120 catches, 1,178 yards, and three touchdowns. Moore then signed a one-year deal with Buffalo last spring.
With the Bills, he appeared in nine games and was targeted 17 times before being waived in late November. He landed on Denver’s practice squad and made an appearance in the AFC championship game, with one catch for 4 yards in seven snaps.
The Eagles, preparing for life without Brown, brought in Moore to stockpile as much talent and depth at the position as they could. Moore entered training camp with an uncertain future. His roster spot is not guaranteed. He’s entering a season playing for a lower annual salary — $1.2 million — than he ever has.
Asked Friday after the seventh practice of camp about his NFL journey, Moore was a little philosophical.
“Life is not a linear path, I think, for any person,” Moore said. “There’s rarely — even some of the top players that get picked — that it goes exactly the way that they wanted. I think that’s there to teach you lessons. I’ve got kids. I got things I got to teach them outside of just having everything go my way. What example would I set if everything went my way? I wouldn’t have nothing to tell. I think it’s just brushing myself off, always having high hopes.”
Elijah Moore is on his fourth team in three seasons.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Right now, his hopes may be high for a reason. With DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon missing multiple practices with hamstring injuries, Moore has taken plenty of first-team reps and has flashed his abilities. It would be too strong to call him a camp standout, but his stock certainly is up from where it was before these seven camp practices.
“I’m super critical of myself so I always think there is so much improvement that I could do with my alignment, my assignment, my execution,” said Moore, who has 209 catches, 2,274 yards, and nine touchdowns through five NFL seasons. “Am I making the most of my opportunities? Yeah. Is there still opportunities I’m leaving out there? Yeah. I always want to be perfect, as perfect as I can.”
Wide receiver for the Eagles in a post-A.J. Brown world is interesting. Smith is the obvious No. 1, and Dontayvion Wicks has emerged as the likely No. 2 option, but beyond them there are question marks. How much time will Lemon miss in camp and how could that affect his preparedness come Week 1? What role will Hollywood Brown have? Will Darius Cooper carve out a role that is more than just the dirty work? Is having Brown and Moore redundant?
That last question is important for Moore, who has stood out more in camp so far than Brown, a player the Eagles signed to a deal with $5 million guaranteed. The Eagles could keep six receivers, but they may keep five, and Moore could find himself on the outside looking in if that’s the case (and even if the number is six).
There still is a lot of time for that to shake out. For now, Moore will continue to try to prove himself to his new coaching staff. Besides his work with the offense, Moore also has taken punt return reps. He has one career kick return and two career punt returns, but he said he wants to make himself available to the Eagles for whatever they ask or need of him.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean brings down Elijah Moore when he played for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“It’s one day at a time,” Moore said. “You got to make the most of every opportunity that you have. Whenever my number is called, it’s going to sound cliché, but you got to make the play.”
Earlier in the week, Jalen Hurts shouted out Moore for his role in a sequence from Monday’s practice. Moore made a mistake that resulted in Quinyon Mitchell picking Hurts off for a would-be touchdown. But several plays later, Moore ran a perfect route and caught a deep post near the goal line.
“We’re living in live bullets now, and everyone’s learning,” Moore said. “I made a mistake.”
It was a two-part route, Moore said, and he only ran the first part.
“That play is not going to make me,” he said. “You just keep playing.”
The Eagles held the seventh practice of their 2026 training camp on Friday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 7 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6):
Plenty Lane
Lane Johnson returned after an excused four-practice absence for a noninjury related reason. The right tackle will need a ramp-up period and didn’t participate in team drills. Johnson didn’t speak with reporters after practice.
The Eagles didn’t have additions to their list of players out after Wednesday’s light session and Thursday’s walkthrough. The following were sidelined: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), receiver Britain Covey (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring).
Linebacker Chance Campbell, who left early two days ago, was limited with a groin injury. Guard Micah Morris (shoulder) was also a partial participant.
Nolan Smith Jr. took part in one-on-ones at Friday’s steamy practice. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The loneliest number
Players were back in full pads for what was the hottest day of camp thus far. Eagles coaches continued to amp up the intensity with one-on-one drills between offensive and defensive linemen. Not many top-liners partook, but edges Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt had impressive pass rushes.
The former bested tackle Myles Hinton with back-to-back inside-outside moves. Hinton rebounded in a later turn. Tackle Cameron Williams flashed his hands too early vs. Hunt and never stood a chance. He held up on the next turn, though.
Center/guard Drew Kendall had a couple of strong blocks against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. The Eagles currently have Kendall as the first guard off the bench, and it seems deserved. Could Morris push Kendall? He stood out in his two reps, although defensive tackle Ty Robinson isn’t quite in Ojomo’s class.
Willie Lampkin has shown some ability as an interior offensive lineman. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Willie praise
I’ve yet to write much about second-year offensive lineman Willie Lampkin. The Eagles signed the undrafted North Carolina product last August after camp and he spent all of last season on injured reserve. So we never got to see Lampkin practice. He’s clearly undersized at a generously-listed 5-foot-11, 290 pounds. But it’s easy to see why the team felt he was worth developing.
Lampkin stoned undrafted rookie defensive tackle Zion Wilson in one-on-ones. He lined up mostly at center in the first week of camp, but he was at right guard on Friday. He’s a technically sound run blocker. He was able to move defensive tackle Byron Young. But he also didn’t cede much ground in pass protection.
Lampkin may be too small to play guard. At center, he’d have problems against bigger nose tackles in pass pro. The Eagles would have to often slide help his way. But I’m not discounting the mauler’s chances of making the roster.
Jalen Hurts (1) had a pleasant day at the office and was serenaded by his teammates. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Birthday gifts
Birthday boy Jalen Hurts continued to show steady improvement in Sean Mannion’s new offense as the installation proceeds. The quarterback was especially sharp early in team drills. He got things rolling with what should be a staple of the scheme: a naked bootleg off under-center play action that is married with an outside zone-run fake. Elijah Moore was the target on the shallow crossing route and picked up an easy 10 yards or so — just as he did later on the same play.
Moore has been the primary slot receiver since Lemon got hurt almost a week ago. Later in the set, Hurts hit tight end Dallas Goedert on a hitch route in front of cornerback Riq Woolen. The Eagles ran more hitch routes than any team last season. The number is sure to decrease in the new system, but there’s always a time and place for an easy five yards.
Later vs. the second-unit defense, Hurts didn’t have much on the first two reads to his left. But he checked to his third outlet on the right — receiver Hollywood Brown — for a short gain underneath. That might not sound sexy, but it was a successful play considering the coverage and Hurts going through his progression reads.
Tyler Steen (56) was the only starter available on the offensive line at one point on Friday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Running lines
Markel Bell was in Johnson’s place at right tackle once again. Fred Johnson spelled left tackle Jordan Mailata on occasion as did Kendall for Landon Dickerson at left guard. When Cam Jurgens left with an unspecified injury midway though the workout, Jake Majors stepped in at center. At one point that meant that right guard Tyler Steen was the only starter on the offensive line. It showed.
I’m not sure what happened to Jurgens. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis had a would-be run stop and sack on consecutive plays early on — and beat Jurgens soundly on the second — and that was the last I saw of the center in team drills.
Moro Ojomo found himself in the opposing backfield again on Friday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Under pressure
The missing pieces up front made it more difficult on Hurts and Co. A faulty exchange between Majors and the quarterback interrupted the flow of a Saquon Barkley run. Ojomo used a swim move to penetrate into the backfield for a tackle for loss on the next Barkley carry.
Smith split Fred Johnson and Kendall and notched a sack. Edge Arnold Ebiketie pressured Hurts out of the pocket. Ojomo jumped offside at one point. But Jalen Carter batted a Hurts pass after Ebiketie beat Bell once again from the outside.
I asked coach Nick Sirianni who he liked from his receiver group on contested balls. The subtext there could have been that the Eagles lost one of the strongest catch-point receivers in the NFL when A.J. Brown was traded. But they do have candidates beyond DeVonta Smith, who won in the air differently than Brown, who can pull in Hurts’ best throws.
Sirianni mentioned Darius Cooper first before getting to Dontayvion Wicks, Lemon and Smith. Cooper probably is the closest to Brown in terms of his body shape. It wasn’t exactly a 50-50 ball, but Cooper hauled in a Hurts pass over the middle with cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in close quarters. The second-year receiver caught another pass near the hashes after Hurts escaped the pocket and threw across his body.
Johnny Wilson is among those who could give the Eagles some size and help mitigate the departure of A.J. Brown. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Johnny Wilson wasn’t mentioned by Sirianni, but he has obvious size traits that should aid him on contested balls. The 6-6 receiver caught a deep pass from quarterback Andy Dalton after beating and boxing out cornerback Mac McWilliams. Wilson’s best moment of camp came when quarterback Tanner McKee went to him on a corner route in the end zone. He went up and over cornerback Jonathan Jones and got both feet inbounds.
Tanner day
McKee had maybe his best day in Mannion’s offense. He was first up with the second unit offense and connected on his first three passes — the best a pinpoint toss to receiver Danny Gray just out of corner Kelee Ringo’s reach. McKee would have gone 4 for 4 had receiver Erik Ezukanma not dropped one in his bread basket.
In a later period, McKee found Cooper on a hitch route. He threw wide of Gray near the sideline, but had better luck with the same route when Cooper beat McWilliams and late-arriving safety Michael Carter II.
Andy Dalton was solid Friday but might have seen Tanner McKee close the gap in their QB2 competition. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Still good Dalton
Dalton didn’t necessarily have a bad day, but McKee may have closed the gap in the backup competition. Dalton heaved a pass to Samori Toure in traffic, but Carter ran step for step with the receiver and was awarded with a pass breakup. Tight end Eli Stowers was the check down on a few occasions.
Dalton exposed Ambry Thomas when he completed back-to-back sideline tosses to Ezukanma and Brandon Hayes after each receiver turned the cornerback around. Rookie quarterback Cole Payton hasn’t gotten as many snaps over the last few practices. He nearly tossed another interception when Ringo jumped a route.
Extra points
Running back blocking has been sharp of late. Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley all had successful blitz pickups. … Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. drew a false start when he feigned a blitz pre-snap. … Linebacker Smael Mondon tipped a ball at the line when he rushed. … Linebacker Deontae Lawson ripped the ball from tight end E.J. Jenkins for a fumble. … The Eagles sang “Happy Birthday” to the 28-year-old Hurts during the post-practice team huddle. … There was a Boston flavor to VIP guests at practice. Former Red Sox (and Cubs) general manager Theo Epstein, who is a friend of Eagles GM Howie Roseman, took in the action. New 76er (and former Celtic) Jaylen Brown showed up to the delight of many in attendance. … The Eagles return to practice on Saturday and will be off on Sunday.
Lane Johnson returned to Eagles training camp practice on Friday after he missed the last four sessions with an excused absence that was not injury-related.
Johnson, the six-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro right tackle, was a limited participant in his first practice back from roughly a weeklong hiatus. He participated in individual drills to start the day, then observed from the side during team drills, as the Eagles are gradually progressing his workload.
The team has not disclosed the specific reason for Johnson’s absence.
Before practice, Nick Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the 36-year-old Johnson as he returns to an Eagles team that is in the process of learning a new offense orchestrated by Sean Mannion.
“Lane can pick things up very fast,” the Eagles head coach said. “Phenomenal football player. I’m not concerned there. You get to see a little portion of each day out at practice. But there’s 12 more hours of the day where they’re in walkthroughs, they’re in meetings, and things like that, so there’s so much more going on than some of the things you guys get to see here.”
Lane Johnson was excused from four practices for undisclosed, non-injury-related reasons. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Even though Johnson did not participate in team drills, his teammates still felt — and appreciated — his presence.
“He has a calming presence,” Jordan Davis said. “When I see him, I’m like, ‘All right, this is Lane.’ And one day, I’m not going to be able to say that I have him in the locker room. It’s just very good to have him out here. And everybody knows he’s a baller, man. He’s a f— baller. Lane, man, he’s a cornerstone, bro.”
The Eagles have been forced to replace their cornerstone at right tackle in team drills over the past week. On Friday, third-round rookie Markel Bell commanded those snaps with the starting offense. Bell, who is the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, is relatively new to the position, as he primarily played at left tackle through two seasons of junior college and two seasons at Miami.
“I think what you see with Markel is just his length and how big he is and how hard he is to get around in the pass rush,” Sirianni said. “Just working on getting on the same page with the combination blocks. There’s so many things that go on there with the offensive line of having to work in tandem.
“I’ve seen progression there, and that’s what you want with all your players.”
Davis growing as a pass rusher
Speaking of progression, the Eagles are looking for Davis to continue to evolve his pass-rush game as he enters Year 5.
He has made gradual improvement, which Vic Fangio said dates back to the end of the 2024 season. Around that time, the 6-6, 336-pound Davis improved his conditioning, allowing him to move better on the field.
“He needs to be 6-6 when it’s to his advantage, and he needs to bend his knees and be 6-3 when he needs to be,” Fangio said on Wednesday. “When you’re in better shape, weighing less, that’s easier to do and you can do it for a longer time. That’s what’s made his game take off.”
Jordan Davis (90) emphasized the need to stay low when rushing the passer. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Davis flashed his progress in practice on Friday, bolting into the backfield in 11-on-11s for a would-be sack of Jalen Hurts. More sacks could be in store for Davis in 2026. When the season begins, he will have the opportunity to build on his career-high 4½ sacks from last season.
Davis likely couldn’t have fathomed that total during his rookie season, as the run-stuffing defensive tackle didn’t notch a sack all year.
“Even when we watch our old film from Year 1, Year 2, it’s a crazy experience just to see how far I came,” Davis said. “But I think the beautiful part about this game is that we still have so much further to go. We just keep working at it.
“I always say Rome isn’t built in a day. You have to keep working at it, and Rome is an empire [that] lasted for a very long time. So we just got to keep building that so it can be sustainable and still be long-lasting.”
Davis has learned that the low man often wins in the trenches. He credited defensive line coach Clint Hurtt with helping him feel at ease in uncomfortable positions by running drills that utilize a lineman chute, which enforces the importance of keeping a low pad level.
“When you’re a pass rusher, you always want to be low,” Davis said. “You want to keep your center of gravity low … And I also notice it now when I’m driving and I’m bull rushing. I’m not bull rushing up high. I’m bull rushing more low.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m about to tilt over, bro. And [when] I feel like I’m about to tilt over, I know I’m at the perfect height.”
All eyes are on the revamped receiving corps in the latest iteration of the Eagles offense.
Dontayvion Wicks. Makai Lemon. Hollywood Brown — Howie Roseman allocated significant resources, including a first-round pick, to the room this offseason in preparation for life after A.J. Brown.
When the NFL Network asked Jalen Hurts on Wednesday which receivers have emerged from the crop behind DeVonta Smith, the 28-year-old quarterback could have picked any of the Eagles’ notable offseason acquisitions.
Instead, he mentioned a 2025 undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State.
“I think Darius Cooper has done a really good job,” Hurts said. “He’s always been a big-body, physical, strong-hands guy. But just to see how he’s transitioned going into Year 2, I’m definitely excited for him, along with the rest of them.”
Hurts’ selection of Cooper shouldn’t come as a surprise based on his body of work through six practices. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound receiver is in the early stages of reprising his 2025 training camp performance.
On the first practice of camp this year, Cooper had the play of the day when he made a diving catch down the middle of the field on a pass from Hurts, placed out of reach from Cooper DeJean in 7-on-7s. Four practices later, Cooper had a one-handed snag on a pass from Andy Dalton in the end zone, but he narrowly failed to drag both feet in bounds.
Darius Cooper has been a favorite target of Jalen Hurts and has built a good rapport with the quarterback. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Cooper called the near-touchdown a “pretty good catch,” but he acknowledged that the catch alone is only one facet of what it takes to pull off a play.
“The catch is going to happen,” Cooper said. “But it’s what you do after that. Do you get your foot in? Do you get on your back? Do you do the fundamentals? That’s what I’m focused on.”
A fixation on the small details is what earned Cooper a role in his rookie season. In June, Nick Sirianni referred to the 24-year-old receiver as one of the “dirty work guys” of the Eagles offense who is capable of executing unglamorous tasks such as blocking on the perimeter, chipping inline, and running clear-out routes.
Cooper is proving in camp that he is capable of more, especially in the absence of Smith and Lemon, who have missed practice time this week with hamstring injuries. But Cooper said he still takes pride in that dirty-work role, and he also expressed an understanding that his coaches will require those responsibilities of him if he wants a spot on the team.
“Still got to do the dirty work,” Cooper said. “Got to block on the perimeter. Still got to have that mentality on special teams as well. I’m in the same mindset. Nothing is changing for me.”
That mindset isn’t changing because the chip on Cooper’s shoulder hasn’t disappeared. He wasn’t highly recruited as a quarterback coming out of Hazelwood West High School just outside of his native St. Louis. He switched to receiver at Tarleton State, a FCS program in Stephenville, Texas, and became the school’s all-time receiving leader with 3,185 yards in five years.
Last year, Cooper became the 12th player from Tarleton State to make an NFL active roster, and the first since Colts and Texans outside linebacker E.J. Speed entered the league in 2019.
“That’s been my life for my whole football career,” Cooper said. “Coming from smaller schools, things of that nature, but still making a name for myself. But really just staying humble. Keeping my faith in everything and putting the work in and God’s going to handle the rest.”
Darius Cooper had nine catches for 92 yards in 13 games played with the Eagles as a rookie. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Cooper has kept that faith in his ability to carve out a role with the Eagles, even when Roseman infused the receivers room with new talent this offseason.
“It’s part of the game,” Cooper said. “It’s part of the industry that we play in. You’ve got to know how to adjust. You meet so many people in the NFL. So I’m happy to meet these new guys, learn from them, pour into them as they pour into me. It’s a blessing to me.”
He and Hurts have also been investing in their connection. This offseason, Cooper was among the group of Eagles receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks who traveled to Orlando, Fla., for workouts and off-the-field bonding. Cooper called the quality time he spent with Hurts “very important,” especially the conversations they had away from football.
Cooper has an advantage on some of the newcomers to the room given that he began building chemistry with Hurts last year. But Cooper isn’t relying on his rookie season to prove he deserves a spot on the initial 53-man roster and a role in the offense once again.
“Last year’s in the past,” Cooper said. “So this is a new year. Be where my feet [are] and I have that same mentality, for sure.”
Inspired by Pro Football Reference’s “Cups of Coffee” database, The Inquirer identified more than two dozen living players who appeared in just one NFL game — and played that game as an Eagle. We’re seeking to tell some of those stories in our semiregular Cups of Coffee series.
Ron Fazio was working at a racquetball club and serving as a substitute teacher in Willingboro in 1987, trying to make ends meet and decide what to do with his future. The New Jersey native certainly didn’t think it would include suiting up in the NFL.
Fazio had been in training camp with the Cowboys and Eagles, but the former University of Maryland tight end had not made an active roster in three attempts. While with Dallas in the summer of ’85, he suffered a hand injury that erased any chance he had to make the team. Fazio was connected with the Eagles a year later, when the athletic director of the Willingboro School District where he worked called Eagles general manager Harry Gamble as a favor to him.
Gamble invited Fazio to a team workout, where he got to catch passes from Randall Cunningham and Ron Jaworski, while working alongside Mike Quick and John Spagnola. Fazio was invited to training camp and got cut again, but he remembered that experience fondly.
“They didn’t treat me like a rookie. They treated me like a free agent, so it was kind of cool,” Fazio said.
His return to the NFL didn’t include similar sentiments from his would-be teammates.
Eagles GM Harry Gamble gave Ron Fazio his chance to suit up in the NFL.
When Gamble called in the fall of 1987 to see if Fazio was interested in playing for the replacement team amid the NFL player strike, his employers at the racquetball club — Jaworski, Quick, Spagnola, and former Eagle Joe Pisarcik — were not pleased by the prospect. Spagnola, the Eagles’ union rep and starting tight end, took Fazio aside.
“He goes, ‘You shouldn’t do this. You shouldn’t cross the picket line.’ And I said, ‘It’s an opportunity.’ I said, ‘You have every right to strike; I have every right to try to play.’”
Fazio promptly was fired from his day job. The general public supported his stint in the NFL about as much.
“You know that a lot of the unions are upset that there’s these replacement players and … you just kind of knew that things [were] probably gonna get nasty,” he said.
Growing up just a half hour from Veterans Stadium, the Oct. 4, 1987, game against the Chicago Bears should have been a true homecoming for Fazio. It was the Eagles’ only home game during the strike. But Fazio specifically told his family not to attend, out of concerns for their safety.
The controversy surrounding the game also necessitated significant logistical planning. The team was well-aware of the many pro-union protests planned to block anyone from entering Veterans Stadium. So the team buses arrived at the stadium at 5 a.m.
“That was unheard of,” Fazio said. “It was crazy.”
The game day environment ended up being tense, including for the 4,000 fans who showed up to one of the least-attended NFL games on record. Well before kickoff, unions coordinated the presence of trucks and tractor-trailers surrounding the perimeter of the Vet. Many of the fans who persisted were met by hostility from protesters.
“They had it very well-planned, and they were just circling the streets,” Fazio said.
Picketing Eagles Junior Tautalatasi (left), Reggie White, and Brad Booth blocked the entrance to the Vet in 1987.United Press International
Inside the stadium, Fazio earned his first and only game appearance as an Eagle. He played on the kickoff return team and was even on the field for a few offensive sets. While he didn’t see much time, getting a chance to play was extremely meaningful to him.
“It’s kind of cool, and I’m thinking, ‘That’s my pride and joy,’” said Fazio, whose NFL whirlwind came to an end just weeks later when the strike was settled.
As he sought a new career, Fazio bizarrely ended up starring in a sequel to a cult classic low-budget movie less than two years after his football career ended. He’d been working as a bouncer in New York City when a coworker signed up to be an extra in The Toxic Avenger, Part II. Out of curiosity, Fazio joined her. On the first day of filming, Fazio was asked to stay behind.
“Because I was 6-3, 6-4, 240 [pounds] at the time, they said they wanted to see if I could be the Toxic Avenger second-string guy, and I was like, ‘Oh, sounds great,’” Fazio said.
Fazio was hired primarily as the stuntman, while John Altamura was set to reprise his role as the lead. But the producers quickly grew tired of Altamura and his attitude toward those on set. So they got rid of him, and Fazio became the replacement Toxic Avenger. He’d never held an acting job and hadn’t acted in school — or ever. The way he got the gig was awfully similar to the way he made it to the NFL.
“When they came to me, I was like, ‘Oh, thank you. Yes of course I would do this. This is great. I’ll step right in and do whatever you need me to do,’” Fazio said.
The promotion also came with a significant pay raise, from $50 a day as an extra … to $70.
“They kind of had [me] by the good ones there … it’s like, ‘If you don’t want to do it, we’ll get someone else,’” Fazio said.
🚨Guest announcement!🚨
Welcome Ron Fazio! Ron portrayed Toxie in both The Toxic Avenger Part 2 & 3 as well as portraying Leon in the cult classic Basket Case 2! For the 🏈 fans out there, Ron also played in the #NFL for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles! pic.twitter.com/3MBkRgDMj4
What nobody knew at the time was that Fazio actually would star in two movies. Once filming wrapped, the producers realized they had overshot significantly. They decided to use the extra footage to create The Toxic Avenger Part III, which was released at the same time.
Neither film came close to the success of the original. And while they have provided Fazio the opportunity to sign autographs at conventions to this day, he couldn’t land much more acting work.
Ever since, Fazio has lived a life more removed from the spotlight. After a hospital visit, he was inspired to work in the medical field and has worked as a cardiovascular physician assistant for the past 36 years.
“You help people, that’s the bottom line,” Fazio said. “That’s what I like about it.”
The Eagles are grinding their way through the second week of training camp. Some parts of the team have looked good, others remain very much a work in progress. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg assess quarterback Jalen Hurts’ play, how some of his targets are faring, and why, regardless of how the offense is coming together, the defense could be elite enough to help the Eagles contend for another title.
00:00 Jalen Hurts’ so-so start to training camp in Sean Mannion’s new offense
14:51 The importance of and questions about the offensive line
26:20 Why this defense could be good enough to position the Eagles for Super Bowl contention
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!
Stefon Diggs is signing with the Washington Commanders, a big addition at wide receiver to give quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense a proven commodity who showed last season he can still be productive more than a decade into his NFL career.
The Commanders agreed with Diggs on a contract for this season, according to a person familiar with the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal had not been announced.
Diggs, a native of nearby Gaithersburg, Md., joins Washington for a 12th year in the league and reportedly can make up to $12 million. He spent last season with New England, making 99 catches for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 21 games, including the Patriots’ playoff run to the Super Bowl.
Stefon Diggs had 99 catches for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 21 games last season, including the Patriots’ playoff run to the Super Bowl.Robert F. Bukaty
New England released him in March, and the 32-year-old went unsigned in free agency while facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef. Diggs was found not guilty in May, and the NFL said in June that he wouldn’t face any discipline after a review determined there was not enough evidence to punish him under its personal conduct policy.
The Commanders had a hole at the position, and they are banking on Diggs filling it. The in-house options of Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey would have put Daniels in a tough spot and likely made No. 1 receiver McLaurin deal with plenty of double teams this coming season.
Signing Diggs could rule out going after Brandon Aiyuk, a friend of Daniels’ who is still under contract with San Francisco. Aiyuk said on social media in June that he would join Washington immediately if the 49ers released him.
Aiyuk remains on the reserve/left squad list out West, while Diggs is now in an NFC East that features receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens with Dallas, DeVonta Smith with Philadelphia and Malik Nabers with the New York Giants.
Diggs previously played for Minnesota, Buffalo and Houston during a career that included him being an All-Pro selection in 2020, when he led all players with 127 catches and 1,535 yards. Since making his debut in 2015 after the Vikings took him in the fifth round of the draft that year, Diggs has 1,025 catches for 12,523 yards and 79 TDs in the regular season and playoffs combined.
That included the “Minneapolis Miracle” catch for Minnesota in the divisional round in January 2018. With 10 seconds left, Diggs leapt and evaded a tackle to score a 61-yard touchdown and beat New Orleans 29-24.
Stefon Diggs (left) will join his fifth team in the NFL.Greg M. Cooper
Off the field, it has been a more tumultuous ride, including getting fined more than $200,000 by the Vikings during his final season with them in 2019 for unexcused practice absences. Diggs was traded to Buffalo in March 2020.
Diggs led the Bills in receiving four seasons in a row, but sideline outbursts and cryptic social media messages were also part of his tenure before being traded to Houston in April 2024. A torn ACL ended his time with the Texans, and skipping a voluntary offseason workout got him off to a bumpy start with the Patriots before he turned out to be a reliable option for QB Drake Maye.
Cut in part because he was owed $20.6 million, Diggs now is teaming up with Daniels, who was taken one spot ahead of Maye when they were the No. 2 and 3 picks in the 2024 draft.
The Eagles held the sixth practice of their 2026 training camp on Wednesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 6 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5):
Roll call
Tackle Lane Johnson missed a fourth straight practice for an excused noninjury related reason. He’s expected to return soon, from what I understand. Landon Dickerson took a non-injury-related rest day. The Eagles will be careful with their oft-injured left guard. Dickerson was spotted jogging midway through practice with a sleeve on his left leg.
Wide receiver Britain Covey was a new addition to the injury list. He left Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. The following remained injured and out: receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), edge Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring).
Rookie guards Micah Morris (shoulder) and Jaeden Roberts (calf contusion) returned to practice, but were limited.
Vic Fangio noted that defense has traditionally had the upper hand early in Eagles training camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Vic’s secret
After two straight days in full pads, coach Nick Sirianni dialed the intensity back. Players wore only shells for a 75-minute session — the shortest of camp thus far. Sean Mannion’s offense, overall, executed better after a difficult Tuesday vs. Vic Fangio’s defense.
“I told him, we obviously got the best of yesterday’s practice by a long shot,” Fangio said when asked about Mannion’s play-calling. “But that’s the way it’s been the last two years in training camp. The defense has gotten the best of the offense. So, not to be too concerned.”
I don’t think Fangio was puffing his chest out or anything. He was just being the truth teller that he can often be. He was also adding context. Defenses are traditionally ahead early in camp, especially when the offense is new. But I’m not so sure about his last comment. I’d be concerned if there were any similarities to last year’s offense.
Michael Carter II got some run with the first unit on Wednesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Cast and crew
Mannion’s first unit likely benefitted from four key defensive starters — linebacker Zack Baun, defensive back Cooper DeJean and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen — being held out of team drills. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Michael Carter II, Jonathan Jones and Kelee Ringo played in their spots.
With the offense down three starters, it might have made sense to even the playing field. Rookie Markel Bell and second-year offensive lineman Drew Kendall filled in for Johnson and Dickerson at right tackle and left guard, respectively.
It’s been a by-committee approach at receiver, especially with the bona fide No. 1 sidelined. Dontayvion Wicks has thus far made the best case to be Smith’s No. 2. He may have a leg up on the others, having played in the Kyle Shanahan-style scheme Mannion brought with him from Green Bay. But there has also been obvious rapport between quarterback Jalen Hurts and the former Packers receiver. Hurts delivered a 20-yardish strike to Wicks just ahead of arriving safety Andre’ Sam in seven-on-sevens on Wednesday.
Darius Cooper has looked good early in camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
If the receiver competition was based on the first week alone, Darius Cooper would have the edge on the other combatants. I said this to someone the other day: “If Lemon was having the camp Cooper was having, every reporter would be hyping the first-round rookie.” The Eagles have to take everything into account, of course. Veterans Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore have been unspectacular in camp, but also have proven track records, even if both have seen their numbers decline in recent years.
Cooper should be a lock for the roster, though. I know some have viewed the fifth receiver spot as a toss-up between him and Johnny Wilson. But Cooper has more upside, despite Wilson’s size and Sirianni’s appreciation for his blocking. Cooper didn’t make any splash catches on Wednesday. Hurts dropped a beauty to him in the back corner of the end zone, but the receiver couldn’t stick the landing after he dove for the ball.
Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were heavily featured on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Tighter ends
On cue, Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were featured in the passing game a day after I noted that they’ve been relatively quiet in that regard. Hurts went to tight ends on his first two dropbacks in seven-on-sevens. Goedert hauled in the first on a slant, while E.J. Jenkins couldn’t on a similar route from the other side of the formation.
Goedert caught another pass during the period on a short buttonhook and he was again Hurts’ first target in team drills. The tight end hung on despite linebacker Jihaad Campbell being in close quarters. Campbell later reached out and broke up a pass to receiver Samori Toure.
With Johnny Mundt often the second blocking tight end in under-center scenarios, Grant Calcaterra has gotten receiving opportunities on third downs. He appeared to short-arm a toss from Hurts with Ringo in the vicinity.
Even Cam Latu has seen more passes thrown his way than rookie tight end Eli Stowers. The Eagles are clearly not rushing their second-round draft pick. He’s low on the depth chart and has mostly run with the third offense. Stowers is a relative newcomer to the position. He switched from quarterback to tight end just three years ago and he wasn’t asked to block a ton at Vanderbilt.
Eli Stowers’ (87) acclimation to NFL-style blocking technique has been slow. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
So he has a lot to digest, beyond just the Xs and Os of a new scheme. Stowers is on the smaller side so learning the proper technique in blocking will be crucial. It could be some time before he’s placed in those circumstances. But he could get on the field on obvious passing downs. I found it interesting that he was split wide in the development period. The ball came his way, but cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was on his hip and broke up a pass that was thrown slightly behind.
Running on empty
There was a fair amount of run game activity. Saquon Barkley didn’t have much room to operate on his carries. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo knifed past Kendall on one Barkley carry. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt set the edge and helped contain the running back on an outside zone run. Nose tackle Jordan Davis easily defeated center Cam Jurgens one-on-one and picked up a tackle for loss.
Linebacker Jalyx Hunt defended the run well on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
I hesitate to mention Jurgens in the negative because he’s otherwise had a strong start to camp. He’s poised to bounce back from last season’s setback. Tank Bigsby had a few touches out of the backfield, as well, but he’s been featured more as a receiver than Barkley. He got Campbell to commit pass interference with a double move in the open field.
Running back Will Shipley had a shaky start to camp, but I thought he showed up on Day 6, particularly in the run game. He had two strong rushes up the middle when he got skinny through his blocks. He also picked up Trotter’s blitz later on.
On the bubble
Michael Carter II got a strong endorsement from Fangio before practice. I’m not sure if he’ll beat out Marcus Epps for the nickel safety spot, but he could have the sixth defensive back role in dime personnel locked down. Speaking of locking down, he ran step for step with receiver Danny Gray on a corner route into the end zone. When he ball sailed out of reach, Carter popped up and gave Gray a double thumbs-down.
Fangio said not to sleep on linebacker Chance Campbell’s chances of making the 53-man roster. Tackle Cam Williams took Campbell out at the second level on the run play and that was the last I saw the linebacker until he was walking with a trainer to the medical tent. He seemed fine later on, but didn’t return to play.
Tanner McKee (16) has not looked sharp at times while working in the new offense. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Quarterbacking up
Tanner McKee was first up with the second unit offense in seven-on-sevens, but Andy Dalton took more team repetitions. The quarterbacks continue to slug it out for the backup spot. Dalton found Wilson open on a crossing route. He hit Quez Watkins on a short pass and the receiver hit the afterburners when cornerback Ambry Thomas took a bad angle. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson pressured Dalton into a throwaway.
McKee just hasn’t looked as sharp as he did last camp. He doesn’t have the luxury of working with the same unit as he did a year ago. That’s no excuse, but he has struggled to throw the ball downfield, especially with the third unit. He finally found an open man down the seam, but tight end Stone Smartt dropped the ball like he had hands of brick.
Extra points
Hurts had a couple dashes into space on the ground — once when he kept the ball on a run-pass option and another on a scramble when his receivers were tied up in man coverage. … Tempers flared for a second straight day. Linebacker Smael Mondon and tackle John Ojukwu got into a brief altercation, as did tackle Fred Johnson and edge A.J. Epenesa. … Gunslinger Cole Payton tossed another interception when he heaved a pass into a crowded area and the ball deflected to Castro-Fields. … Former Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin attended camp. He said it was the first time he’s been back at the practice facility since he was a player. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Thursday before returning to practice on Friday.
Jalen Hurts had his strongest showing of a young Eagles training camp on Monday, the fourth day of practice. And after connecting with Elijah Moore near the end zone on a deep post that went for about 40 yards, Hurts celebrated a little more than he normally would during a practice rep.
It wasn’t the play itself, or even his perfect throw, that had the quarterback feeling good, Hurts clarified Wednesday. The emotion came because of a “mishap” between the two new teammates earlier in practice. Moore, who was getting extra reps with first-round pick Makai Lemon dealing with a hamstring injury, ran the wrong route earlier that practice during seven-on-seven work. The end result was a Quinyon Mitchell interception that would have been an easy pick-six.
“I just think that was an example of responding,” Hurts said. “That’s what I was so proud of and happy about; not the throw, but that he was able to play the next play, show up in the right window at the right time and rip it in there for a touchdown down the middle of the field.”
It was the highlight of the day during what was a clean — besides the Mitchell interception — and efficient day from Hurts and the offense, and it showed Hurts’ willingness to throw the ball in the middle of the field, a characteristic of his game that he’ll need to show when the real football begins to silence those who say he isn’t willing.
Jalen Hurts has had both hot and cold moments within the new offense in the early days of training camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
The new-look offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion is still in the early days of installation. While it got the best of Vic Fangio’s defense Monday, the defense has the upper hand so far through six days of practice.
Wednesday’s practice was a run-heavy day, and it was a shorter practice compared to Tuesday’s session that ran nearly two hours. For Hurts, Wednesday was another chance to “continue to take strides.” It isn’t supposed to be easy to install a new offense against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
“I like to think of the term calibrating,” Hurts said. “This is a time where we’re kind of putting it together and finding out who we are. We’ve got a lot of new pieces, an entirely new approach and MO, philosophy, to our offense. Being able to put that together and make it our own, I’m excited about where we are.”
The Eagles have a walkthrough on Thursday that is closed to media before returning to regular practices on Friday and Saturday, ending what will be the busiest practice week of training camp. Mannion’s unit has shown a lot of new wrinkles. Hurts is taking more snaps from under center. The run and play action plays are looking the same. The wide-zone blocking scheme is being installed. Hurts has kept the ball on more designed quarterback runs, including a read option Wednesday that he smartly pulled away from the running back and ran up the left sideline for a nice gain.
Hurts said it was “too soon to answer” how those designed quarterback runs mesh with the new offense. “I think we’re still installing things and putting all aspects of our offense in,” he said. “We haven’t finished installing. There’s still more to come.”
That’s important context to avoid overreacting to media reports and social media chatter about the offense during camp. Certain days have certain themes. The offense is brand new for most of the roster. There are components of it still not being repped. Lemon, Lane Johnson, and DeVonta Smith have missed multiple practices. Mannion is going through his first training camp as a coordinator and play caller. Oh, and Wednesday was just Aug. 5, more than five weeks ahead of the first meaningful snap.
There are a lot of adjustments for Hurts, but perhaps the biggest is going under center and using play action from under center. Asked Wednesday how that change impacts the way Hurts goes through his reads, Hurts said that nothing changes.
“It’s all going to my feet,” he said. “When I’m playing with my feet and I’m getting my eyes to the right place, you just play the position. I just think that’s more of a flow thing. … It’s a sequencing thing. In the end, you’re still playing the position. You want to play the position the same way: play with your feet, sweep through your reads, know exactly where you’re supposed to go with the ball, where your alerts are, whether it’s down the field or a man alert, just trying to play fast.”
Hurts said he is “letting curiosity lead me” during camp. He has long talked about wanting to know the why behind what he’s being asked to do. With the fresh scheme, he’s also learning about what each player’s responsibility is on a given play and even how Mannion “is seeing the game from a sequencing standpoint” when it comes to calling plays.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion watches the offense during training camp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Mannion said on Saturday that Hurts “asks really thought-provoking questions.”
“It’s been a constant back and forth,” Mannion said. “Jalen’s had a ton of success in this league and has played in a lot of games. I always want to know the things that he feels comfortable with and if there’s something that maybe we need to go into more detail on for him. There are so many things that you love to dive into, the really nitty-gritty of a play, and help him with total mastery. A lot of it is, for me as a play-caller, getting a feel for what are his comfort calls? What are the things that on a second-and-long he feels super confident in?
“It’s been a great partnership with Jalen since we got here.”
