The 76ers are trading Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations, a source confirmed to The Inquirer Tuesday.
The move allows the Sixers to officially sign veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while staying under the first apron hard salary cap. Caldwell-Pope, who over the weekend agreed to a contract buyout wiht the Memphis Grizzlies, will reunite with recently signed megastar LeBron James, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers including during the 2019-20 championship season.
The Sixers also had the option of waiving Broome and stretching his $2.1 million cap hit over seven seasons — reducing it to $300,000 per year — because his 2027-28 and 2028-29 salaries were nonguaranteed, according to The Athletic. But this trade solves that issue in one fell swoop.
Broome played in only 11 games for the Sixers during a rookie season that was interrupted by late-February meniscus surgery. He did perform well in stints with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats, including a 50-point, 17-rebound outburst shortly before his injury.
He returned to extensive on-court action during the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month, and was one of the top rebounders (nine per game) among all participants across the league. He also averaged 14.7 points per game, and was tasked to work on his three-point shooting.
“My first season wasn’t the best,” Broome said in Las Vegas. “I can see that myself. That’s why I put in a lot of work to have a better second year. Obviously, I want to make a better impression and I’ve got more to do. I just want to keep proving myself each and every day, for Philly.”
Broome, who turned 24 this month, was the Sixers’ second-round draft pick in 2025 after a standout college career at Auburn.
The Sixers on Sunday waived guard Dalen Terry — whose $2.6 million salary for 2026-27 was nonguaranteed until Jan. 10 — in order to sign James and stay under the first apron hard cap.
After drawing a crowd of 47,266 in the HBCU Battle of the Legends game last fall, DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State and Michael Vick’s Norfolk State will meet again in South Philly.
The rematch between the former Eagles teammates is set for Oct. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field. Last year, Delaware State squad held off a late rally from Norfolk State for a 27-20 victory.
The Norfolk State-Delaware State matchup is one of two historically Black college and university football games set for the weekend at the Linc. As previously reported by The Inquirer, Division II Lincoln University will host Virginia Union, but the game will take place a day earlier, on Friday, Oct. 30.
“I know firsthand what it means for a young person to walk into a room and see excellence that looks like them. That’s why this event is so important,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker wrote in a news release, noting she’s a Lincoln University graduate. “Last year’s Delaware State-Norfolk State game brought 47,266 fans together and celebrated the excellence, pride, and tradition of HBCU athletics.
“With Philadelphia legends Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson joining us, it became more than a football game. It became a powerful source of inspiration. We were honored to partner with Delaware State University, Norfolk State University, and the Philadelphia Eagles to make that day such a tremendous success, and we are excited to build on that momentum through One Philly HBCU Week 2026.”
Last season, Delaware State finished with an 8-4 record in Jackson’s first season at the helm, and he was named the Boxtorow HBCU Coach of the Year. He was rewarded with a contract extension in December, tying him to the program through 2028.
Vick is coming off a tough season in which the Spartans finished 1-11.
Michael Vick’s Spartans finished with a 1-11 record during his first year as head coach.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
“Coming back to Lincoln Financial Field never gets old for me — this is a place that holds a lot of special memories,” Vick, an Eagle from 2009-13, said in a Norfolk State release. “Last year’s game was a special moment for our program, and to lead our players back onto a field I once called home is something I’ll always cherish. Doing it against Delaware State, led by my former teammate and longtime friend DeSean Jackson, adds another exciting chapter to the matchup. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the bands, traditions, and pageantry that make HBCU football special.”
Added Jackson: “We are not putting any limits on our potential. And we are not resting on that potential either. There is no replacement for hard work. That’s the standard. The game at the Linc just gives our scholar-athletes a bigger stage to do what they do every day.”
For Lincoln, the Oct. 30 game will be its first game in Philadelphia in 16 years, when it played Cheyney University at Northeast High School in 2009 and 2010. The two programs played yearly from 2009 until Cheyney’s football program was shut down in 2017.
Lincoln was winless in 10 games last season, including a 66-21 loss at Virginia Union. Overall, Lincoln is 1-16 all-time against Virginia Union, with its only win coming in 2011, a 19-10 victory.
Kickoff times and ticket information for both games will be announced at a later date.
“Lincoln Financial Field is thrilled to serve as the host site for two highly anticipated HBCU matchups this season,” said Frank Gumienny, the Eagles’ senior vice president and chief operating officer. “In partnership with the City of Philadelphia, we look forward to hosting the programs, families, alumni, and fans for what will be a memorable One Philly HBCU Week at Lincoln Financial Field.”
Street artist irregular. rarely cries. But when LeBron James announced he was going to end his NBA career with the Sixers, he shed a single tear — and then got to work.
Within 48 hours, after a sleepless Friday night, his mirrored tribute to James was up on the side of a Center City building.
“Someone said, ‘Oh, that was so fast!’” irregular., whose full name is Sean Hassett, said Tuesday. “I don’t think it was fast enough. Actually, I think it could have been a little quicker.”
As soon as rumors began to swirl that James could potentially join the Sixers, the 37-year-old artist began to pull reference images, knowing that if it happened, he’d want to make art of it. He had a gut feeling it was going to happen.
“Philly just felt like — why would they even say it if it wasn’t going to be true?” Hassett said. “I was a firm believer three weeks ago.”
As the weeks wore on, his hope started to dim, but that changed late last week. Within two hours of James announcing his decision, Hassett had already drawn out what he wanted the piece to look like, and then spent the night cutting out each piece of mirror.
Hassett usually sells art at Rittenhouse Square on Saturdays, but instead spent most of this past Saturday afternoon walking around Center City to scout potential locations for the piece. He ultimately settled on a building at Eighth and Market, the site of a former Burger King.
“King James, Burger King, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s a weird tie. I love the slogans that Burger King uses, which is what I used as my captions on my Instagram. One of them is ‘There’s a new king and it’s you.’ That makes perfect sense for exactly what I did. I mirrored LeBron James. Their classic slogan is ‘Have it your way,’ and I felt like that’s what the Sixers chose this year, is to have it our way, and we’re going to just put all the chips in and go for it all.”
Adam Hock, of Center City, saw on Facebook about the LeBron James mosaic on Eighth and Market Streets on Tuesday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Hassett has been creating mirror art for 11 years. He started as a painter, but as he developed his skills, he yearned to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Working with mirrors became his medium.
“The viewer can see themselves in the art,” he said. “It explains itself. It speaks for itself, truly, I would say.”
Hassett created a mirrored Saquon Barkley and put it up a week before Super Bowl LIX, since he was that confident the Birds would win. His Allen Iverson mirror art, created after the Sixers unveiled their small practice facility statue, is still up on Third and South Streets.
“I see [sports] as the true glue of the city,” he said. “I remember the Eagles parade, and I have a bit of social anxiety. I don’t like large groups, but [at] that parade I was literally shoulder-to-shoulder, toe-to-toe with people, and there was nothing better than the energy there.
“I think we’re going to get that back. We think this year was great, but I think there’s just more great years to come here in Philly.”
Jayson Werth was sleeping on his couch when Pat Gillick called him in the winter of 2006. Zack Wheeler is one of the best pitchers in baseball yet wasn’t the highest-paid pitcher in his free-agent class.
If we’re talking about the best signings in Philadelphia sports history then Werth — a flier who became an essential piece of a great Phillies era — and Wheeler — an underpaid pitcher who should’ve won two Cy Young Awards — would have a case. But that’s not this list.
These are the 10 players whose arrival to Philadelphia via trade or free agency made you stop in your tracks, text your group chats, and blast sports talk radio as if it was your favorite song. These are the acquisitions that felt like championships. Would anyone have been opposed if the Sixers dropped a banner last week that said “We Signed LeBron?”
Here’s a list of 10 players (including LeBron James) who brought Philadelphia to a halt in the last 50 years simply by coming here.
Honorable mentions: Jeremy Roenick, A.J. Brown, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Peter Forsberg, Ricky Watters, Paul Coffey, Lance Parrish.
Saquon Barkley smiles while meeting with the local media during an introductory news conference in March 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
10. Saquon Barkley, 2024
It’s easy to forget now but this move was met by some with trepidation: Why did the Eagles pay for a running back? How much does Barkley have left? Those questions were soon dismissed and the fanfare around the trade only grew that summer when John Mara said he would lose sleep if Barkley was an Eagle. Then, Barkley scored three times against Green Bay to open a special season. There was never a reason to have angst.
Jim Thome hit 89 home runs in his first two seasons with the Phillies.
9. Jim Thome, 2002
How important was it to land Jim Thome? Even Johnny Doc got involved. The Phillies were a season away from opening Citizens Bank Park and needed a big name to drum up interest in a franchise that hadn’t done much since 1993. Enter Thome. The Phillies blew him away with an offer that Cleveland could not match. The Phils were suddenly relevant again.
Cliff Lee, being presented with his jersey during a news conference, had a 2.94 ERA in five seasons with the Phillies.Laurence Kesterson / Staff Photographer
8. Cliff Lee, 2010
The excitement felt two months earlier with the arrival of Roy Halladay was tempered by the accompanying trade of Lee to Seattle. Lee became a hero in October of 2009 when he casually dominated the Yankees in the World Series. In December, he was gone. And it was pure joy when the Phils operated in secret — they were the “Mystery Team” — and signed Lee late at night at the winter meetings. Lee’s return was doubly sweet when it was reported that he picked the Phils over a better offer from the Yankees. The Four Aces were assembled 12 days before Christmas and the Daily News headline the next morning nailed it: Merry Cliffmas.
Terrell Owens is all smiles after a September 2004 Eagles win.JERRY LODRIGUSS / Staff Photographer
7. Terrell Owens, 2004
You knew Owens’ arrival was a big deal when they lit up “WE GOT T.O.” at the top of the PECO building, which then felt like the city’s way to celebrate big events. It took 12 days for the Eagles to land Owens, who had agreed to a deal with the Eagles before the 49ers traded him to Baltimore after his agent missed the deadline to void the final years of his contract and make him a free agent. A hearing was held at Penn where lawyers from the NFL and NFLPA argued if Owens should have been granted free agency. The parties agreed on a settlement: a three-way trade between the Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens that brought Owens to Philly. The team landed the piece they were missing after three straight losses in the NFC Championship Game. The party — remember his first preseason game? — was on.
The Daily News on July 1, 1992 with the news that the Flyers won the rights to 19-year-old center Eric Lindros, completing a blockbuster deal with Quebec.
6. Eric Lindros, 1992
The Flyers agreed to a deal with the Quebec Nordiques for Lindros before the 1992 NHL draft. But so did the Rangers. Now what? An arbitrator ruled that the Flyers-Nordiques deal came first so Lindros — who refused to play for Quebec and skipped the previous NHL season — belonged to Philly. Fans still remember the name Larry Bertuzzi, who was the arbiter who ruled in the Flyers’ favor. Lindros was pegged as a generational player and the best talent to enter the NHL since Mario Lemieux. The Flyers were five years removed from their last trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and Philly was still very much a hockey town. The arrival of Lindros was huge.
The Sixers and coach Billy Cunningham (left) rode to the championship in Moses Malone’s first season in Philly in 1982-83.(Philadelphia Daily News/George Reynolds)
5. Moses Malone, 1982
Who better to add after losing in the NBA Finals than the NBA MVP? That’s what happened to the Sixers after they fell to the Lakers in 1982 and went after Moses Malone. So how did they land him? Cash. Houston had the right to match any offer Malone signed since he was a restricted free agent so Harold Katz built a deal that he knew the new Rockets ownership group could not match. The contract was the largest in NBA history and was built on cash instead of deferred payments, stocks, or bonds. Katz said Houston would lose money if they agreed to the terms. They agreed with Katz and worked out a sign-and-trade to send Malone to Philly. The headlines wrote themselves — “76ers Hope to Follow Moses to Playoffs’ Promised Land,” said the Daily News back page — as the Sixers looked for their missing piece after promising Philly that they owed them a title. “There is good money to be spent and there is bad money. Money for Moses Malone is good money,” Katz said. His “Good money” was “Stupid Money” before “Stupid Money.”
Pete Rose (right) tells the media in 1978 that negotiations with Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter (left) were unsuccessful. Rose wanted more money than the Phillies were offering.Bill Ingraham
4. Pete Rose, 1978
Pete Rose came to Veterans Stadium in 1978, met with the Phillies, and then held a news conference — sitting alongside owner Ruly Carpenter — to say he declined the team’s offer that was substantially lower than others. Can you imagine that happening today? The Phils were out on Rose, who they thought was the player needed to get over the hump after years of near misses. But they got back in the box a week later at the winter meetings in Disney World. The Phillies upped their offer and landed Rose. No player until James came to Philly with a track record like Rose: an MVP, two World Series titles, three batting crowns, and on his way to becoming baseball’s hit king. And it almost didn’t happen. Inquirer columnist Larry Eichel wrote the next day that Rose was “the hired torch brought here in the hopes that his undying competitive fire will catch and ignite a team known as much for its listlessness and studied nonchalance as for its performance.” The Phillies were hoping for more than just a player but a new identity. Sounds familiar.
Julius Erving shakes hands with 76ers owner Fitz Eugene Dixon at a news conference to announce the signing of the former ABA star on Oct. 21, 1976.A
3. Dr. J, 1976
The Sixers outbid the Lakers and the Bucks to land Erving, who won three straight MVP awards in the ABA with the Nets and was considered to be the best player in the world. He reimagined the slam dunk earlier that year and kids dreamed of being like the Doctor long before they wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Like James, Dr. J was more than a basketball star: he was a celebrity. And he joined a team that made the playoffs the previous season for the first time in four years. The dormant Sixers were finally starting to emerge.
Bryce Harper is introduced to the Phillies with his new friend the Phanatic during a news conference on March 2, 2019 in Clearwater, Fla.Mike Ehrmann / MCT
2. Bryce Harper, 2019
You thought LeBron James took awhile to make a decision? The Bryce Harper chase lasted months and bled into spring training before Harper finally joined the Phils days after John Middleton flew his private jet to Las Vegas to give a final sales pitch. The saga was long, but it was filled with great drama: The Phils went to Vegas to meet Harper, hosted Manny Machado at Citizens Bank Park, lost Machado to the Padres, and then seemed to be losing Harper to the Dodgers. But then Middleton’s “Stupid Money” prevailed. It was euphoria best summed up by the 8-year-old kid who got off the school bus to learn Harper was a Phil: “What!? No. No. He’s a Dodger. You’re joking!”
Harper beats out Dr. J and Rose because sports are just a bigger industry now than they were then. Every move — and flight — was tracked all offseason as the Phillies pursued their guy. Those other moves took a few weeks to finish. This was a quest. The team store at Citizens Bank Park ran out of the letter “E” to make Harper jerseys and Fanatics said it was the most popular sports jersey in a player’s first 48 hours with a team. The Phillies sold more than 100,000 tickets in the hours after Harper signed as everyone was swept up in the hysteria. The reactions were just different in 2019 than they were in 1976 or 1978.
LeBron James picked the Sixers to play with for his 24th NBA season in 2026-27.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
1. LeBron James, 2026
It made basketball sense for James to pick Philly after the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown. James could join a win-ready roster with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. Of course, he’s coming to Philly. But then the decision slowed down. Maybe we were thinking with our hearts and not our minds. The insiders narrowed his choice to Miami or Cleveland with Philly being a No. 3. And then came the best Friday news dump in Philadelphia history: James was joining the 76ers. It was the biggest transaction in the history of Philadelphia sports. Harper was exciting. This was bigger. Dr. J moved the needle but not like this. Pete Rose? Sorry, Charlie Hustle. That was no match for LeBron’s arrival. No matter what happens next, you’ll always remember where you were last Friday when LeBron picked Philly.
Doug Pederson is following the well-worn path from coaching to broadcasting, but his first-ever TV gig might be a bit of a head scratcher.
The former Eagles head coach and Super Bowl LII champ is joining CBS this season to call 10 college football games on CBS Sports Network, beginning with Maryland vs. UConn on Sept. 12.
Outside of playing quarterback at Northeast Louisiana University, Pederson has no direct connection to the college football world. But as he made clear to CBS, his ultimate goal isn’t to have a second career as a college football analyst.
“My goal, my passion, is to get back to the NFL,” Pederson said. “But when it’s all said and done, this is a great opportunity to get my feet wet with the broadcasting side, get some really good coaching and insight [on] how it all kind of works.”
CBS certainly has plenty of NFL games, so Pederson could end up as an NFL analyst or land a role on a studio show like The NFL Today. But he could also see himself returning to the sidelines following head coaching stints with the Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent three years before being fired following the 2024 season.
“I’m not closing the door to coaching,” Pederson said, “But this keeps me involved and sharp and connected to the game.”
Ex-Eagles quarterback Michael Vick turned a Fox gig into a head coaching job with Norfolk State.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
He wouldn’t be the first to use broadcasting to land a coaching job. In 2022, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton spent a season as a Fox analyst before landing a job with the Denver Broncos. Closer to home, Joe Girardi turned a role with the MLB Network into a short-lived job as the manager of the Phillies. And former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick used broadcasting as a path to becoming the head football coach at Norfolk State.
For now, Pederson’s focus is on broadcasting. A month before the start of the college football season, Pederson doesn’t know who his play-by-play partner will be or if it’ll be the same person each week. He does know his schedule, which includes North Dakota State, Kennesaw State, and three UConn games. About the closest he’ll get to Philly is calling a University of Delaware game in Newark, Del.
While this will be Pederson’s first time broadcasting games, he did travel to Los Angeles to audition with Fox, where he called a mock game alongside veteran play-by-play announcer Chris Myers. He’s also sought advice from a host of broadcasters ranging from Kirk Herbstreit to Greg McElroy — and even longtime ESPN veteran Chris Berman.
“I understand football and how it works, and being able to describe it is a different thing,” Pederson said. “So it’s going to be a learning experience.”
Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson won Super Bowl LII behind the heroics of backup quarterback Nick Foles.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
After coaching high school football for four years, Pederson was hired as the Eagles offensive quality control coach in 2009 by then-head coach Andy Reid. He followed Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, where he served as the team’s offensive coordinator for three seasons before being hired as the Eagles head coach in 2016.
In Philly, Pederson amassed a 42-37-1 record in five seasons, but his tenure includes the Birds’ improbable championship run during the 2017 season behind backup quarterback Nick Foles. A statue celebrating Pederson and Foles for the “Philly Special” play stands outside the Linc, though it was temporarily removed during the World Cup last season.
“They could’ve just put a soccer ball over the top if it,” Pederson joked.
LeBron James chose the 76ers because he believes their new-look roster offers the best available option for him to push for a final NBA championship.
And the window is small, because James’ contract fits his age.
The 41-year-old signed a “one-plus-one” deal, aka a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option on the second season. That forced the Sixers to do some roster tinkering for salary-cap purposes, waiving guard Dalen Terry before officially signing James on Sunday.
It is fitting that James is likely to be in Philly for two seasons. At all three of his title-winning stops, he achieved that feat in the second year.
For those eager to proclaim that the Sixers are immediately championship-or-bust for the 2026-27 season, let that history serve as a reminder that it can take time even for a star-studded roster to figure things out.
Here is how James reached the NBA’s mountaintop at each previous stop:
After “The Decision” teamed James with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to create the “Big Three” in Miami, the Heat turned an infamously shaky 9-8 start into 58 victories and the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. James, Wade, and Bosh all made the All-Star team.
Miami advanced to the NBA Finals, beating the Sixers in the first round along the way. But the Heat lost to the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks, falling short of a championship in the first season of the “Heatles.”
LeBron James celebrates his first NBA title in 2012 with the Miami Heat. J Pat Carter
Second season
Following the NBA lockout, the Heat finished 46-20 and second in the East standings at the end of the shortened regular season. James won his third NBA Most Valuable Player award, and first with the Heat. James, Wade, and Bosh were All-Stars once again.
In the playoffs, Miami beat the Boston Celtics in a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference finals series. Then they topped the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder — then led by a young Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden — to win James’ first NBA championship.
Though that Heat team did not accomplish the “not five … not six … not seven …” declaration of James’ flashy Miami introduction, it did win back-to-back titles (and reached four consecutive NBA Finals) before he returned home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2014-16 Cleveland Cavaliers
First season
James’ new “Big Three” with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also got off to a slow start at 19-20. After trading for J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Tomofy Mozgov midseason, the Cavaliers finished second in the East standings with a 53-29 record. James and Irving both made All-NBA teams.
Cleveland advanced to the NBA Finals but lost to the Golden State Warriors to begin that team’s dynasty.
Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson fouls Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James during a playoff game in 2016.Frank Gunn
Second season
The Cavaliers underwent a critical midseason shakeup when, despite holding the East’s best record at the time (30-11), they fired coach David Blatt in January. They elevated then-assistant Ty Lue, who has since become one of the NBA’s most-respected coaches. Cleveland went on to finish the regular season 57-25 and atop of the Eastern Conference.
That playoff run then culminated in an unbelievable, storybook Finals against the Warriors. The Cavaliers became the first team to overcome a 3-1 Finals deficit, and won a dramatic Game 7 to deliver the franchise’s first NBA championship. James’ crunch-time block on Andre Iguodala, which preserved a tie before Irving’s go-ahead three-pointer, is considered a historic playoff moment.
James stayed with Cleveland for two more seasons — he reached the Finals each time to create a personal streak of eight in a row — but the Cavaliers lost again to Golden State both times.
2018-20 Los Angeles Lakers
First season
James in free agency joined a Lakers team primarily with young players, including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart. They slogged through an injury-riddled 2018-19 season — James only played 55 games — and missed the playoffs. It was the first time since 2006 that a James team had failed to reach the postseason.
Team president Magic Johnson stepped down at the end of the season in an abrupt and now-famous “I’m not gonna be here” news conference, and coach Luke Walton and the team also parted ways.
LeBron James hugs general manager Rob Pelinka after the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020.Wally Skalij / MCT
Second season
Under promoted executive Rob Pelinka, the Lakers acquired star big man Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade and added former Sixers Danny Green and Dwight Howard as veteran complements.
The Lakers recorded the Western Conference’s best record (52-19) during a regular season interrupted for more than four months and then shortened because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. James and Davis were both named first-team All-NBA.
The Lakers’ “bubble” playoff run at Disney World ended with topping the Heat to clinch the storied franchise’s first title since 2010. Some critics will put an imaginary asterisk next to it. But that will likely go down as the most bizarre circumstances under which any NBA team will win a championship.
The Eagles are continuing to invest in the defensive trenches this offseason, agreeing to terms with Jalen Carter on a four-year extension to keep him under contract through 2031, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal is worth $152 million, with $106 million guaranteed, NFL sources told The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. His $38 million average annual value when the new contract begins will make him the highest-paid defensive tackle in league history.
Carter, 25, is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal and had his fifth-year option exercised in April. By extending him now, on the day players report to training camp, the Eagles are preventing Carter from testing the market as a free agent anytime soon.
Since the Eagles drafted him No. 9 overall in the 2023 draft out of Georgia, Carter has asserted himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the league. He earned original-ballot Pro Bowl nods in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025. In his rookie season in 2023, Carter finished as the runner-up for the AP defensive rookie of the year award to Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson.
Carter took on the biggest workload on the defensive line in the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl-winning season, playing 79.4% of the defensive snaps. But Carter entered the 2025 season nursing shoulder injuries, forcing him to miss three games in the second half of the year while recovering from procedures.
Jalen Carter struggled with shoulder injuries in 2025 but was extremely effective in the Eagles’ Super Bowl season of 2024. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Because of his injuries, Carter wasn’t entirely himself last season, and he admitted as much. He 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. He had five pressures on 158 double-teams, a drop-off compared to his output in 2023 (12) and 2024 (15).
Carter was not present for the two sessions of organized team activities — both voluntary — open to the media this offseason. He was on the field during mandatory minicamp but did not participate in team drills. In June, Nick Sirianni would not say whether his lack of participation was related to his contract or his injuries. However, Vic Fangio said in late May he thinks Carter’s shoulders are “fine.”
“He’s 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.”
By inking Carter to a new deal, the Eagles are showing they believe he can elevate his play. The same can be said for Jordan Davis, whom the Eagles signed to a three-year, $78 million deal in March. Between the two defensive tackles, the Eagles have security on the defensive side of the trenches.
Carter and Davis were two of the defensive candidates eligible for extensions entering 2026. Moro Ojomo, who turns 25 in August, has not received one as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. With this new crop of young defenders earning lucrative contracts, general manager Howie Roseman is attempting to balance the scales by adding inexpensive talent through the draft, notably on offense this year.
Whatever the prediction models say about the Phillies’ chances to win the World Series — 5.8%, according to FanGraphs; 1.5%, from Baseball Reference — let’s agree on one thing.
The road will probably run through the Dodgers.
It’s not only that the two-time defending champs are playing at a 102-win pace. They’re also finally getting healthy. With Edwin Díaz and Kiké Hernández due to return this week and Blake Snell soon to follow, who needs the trade deadline?
At last check, five of the Dodgers’ seven best healthy hitters bat from the left side. The thought of running through a gauntlet of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Kyle Tucker, and Dalton Rushing in the late innings has made one lefty reliever especially popular in trade talks leading up to Monday’s 6 p.m. deadline.
“Everybody” is asking the Padres about Morejón,“ a major league source said, “especially in the National League.” The 27-year-old pending free agent has a fastball that averages 99.4 mph and a 27.4% strikeout rate to go with a 3.20 ERA.
Oh, and he has allowed one homer to a left-handed hitter (old friend Mickey Moniak of the Rockies) in the last two seasons.
As constituted, the Phillies are a tough matchup for the Dodgers, especially in a seven-game series, because of lefty starters Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo. Los Angeles gets considerably more production from the left side of the plate (.809 OPS) than the right (.720).
But the Phillies’ best lefty reliever is José Alvarado, who has a 6.00 ERA despite allowing only one run in his last seven appearances. While team officials cite underlying metrics, such as batting average on balls in play (.412) and expected ERA (3.66), to claim that Alvarado has been unlucky, he also has given up a higher-than-usual rate of line drives and fly balls.
Phillies lefty reliever José Alvarado entered the week with a 6.16 ERA in 44 appearances.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Tim Mayza, a groundball pitcher with his best strikeout rate (24.2%) since 2023, is the second lefty. He has an 8.68 ERA this month. Beyond that, Tanner Banks is out until at least mid-September with a strained left forearm.
So, it would make sense for Morejón to top the Phillies’ list of deadline targets, though it remains unclear if he will even be available.
The Padres are among the NL’s biggest underachievers, with a 53-53 record. But after sweeping the Marlins last weekend — aided by 2⅓ hitless innings from Morejón — they were two games out of a wild-card spot. And their last six games before the deadline are against the woeful Rockies and Giants.
With a good week, the Padres could buy — or stand pat, at least — and take their chances with Morejón and star closer Mason Miller at the back of the bullpen. If they stub their toe again, moving Morejón’s expiring contract could be among their first trades.
The Mets have two veteran lefties who are eminently available. And Brooks Raley (2.09 ERA) and A.J. Minter (2.45) auditioned for scouts against the Dodgers last weekend.
Raley, 38, got three outs, including Ohtani, on seven pitches in the seventh inning Sunday, two days after giving up back-to-back hits to Tucker and Teoscar Hernández and a sacrifice fly to Ohtani. Minter, 32, allowed a two-run homer to Tucker in the eighth inning Friday.
Both lefties will get traded. But would the out-of-contention Mets deal them to a division rival?
The Red Sox paid a high price last weekend to acquire righty-hitting infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals.Rick Scuteri
The price for right
In a one-for-one swap of major leaguers last Saturday night, the Red Sox acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals for Connelly Early, a 24-year-old lefty starter with six pitches and five years of club control.
At first blush, three rival scouts said Boston overpaid.
But it also appears to be indicative of the market for right-handed bats, with demand far surpassing supply. Mike Trout and Byron Buxton don’t seem inclined to waive no-trade protection; the Orioles have pending free agent Taylor Ward and a losing record but remain in wild-card contention. The Reds were listening on Spencer Steer before putting him on the injured list with a sprained wrist that may end his season.
Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni told reporters he was “not really expecting to consider anything for Curtis” until the Sox came with a “pretty darn aggressive” offer. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said it was “incredibly uncomfortable” to deal Early but called it a “need-for-need-type trade.”
There isn’t a team that needs a right-handed bat more than the Phillies, last in the majors in on-base percentage (.280) and OPS (.640) from the right side of the plate.
One option: the Royals’ Lane Thomas, who hits lefties and would be a platoon option with Brandon Marsh or perhaps Gabriel Rincones Jr. The Phillies looked into Thomas two years ago before he got traded to the Guardians.
The Phillies had a scout in San Francisco over the weekend. The Giants are reportedly open to moving Heliot Ramos, more of an everyday solution. But given that he’d come with three years of club control, an overpay might be required to land the 2024 All-Star.
Mets righty Clay Holmes is scheduled to make his second minor-league start Tuesday night in his return from a leg fracture.Jessie Alcheh
Searching for Holmes
With rain in the forecast Tuesday in the Northeast, the Mets relocated righty Clay Holmes’ minor-league rehab start to a low-A game in Florida.
It will be heavily scouted.
The Phillies dispatched a scout to Syracuse, N.Y., last week for Holmes’ first start in his recovery from a fracture in his right leg. If he’s healthy, the 33-year-old closer-turned-starter could help the Phillies in the rotation in the final two months of the regular season before possibly shifting to a late-inning role in the postseason.
Giants lefty Robbie Ray (1.71 ERA in his last 10 starts) and Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (4.51 ERA) could also be on the move. Like Holmes, they are pending free agents.
Two rival team officials theorized that the Phillies could reduce the prospect return for a pitcher such as Ray or Gausman by taking on the remainder of the salary. Both are owed about $8 million through the end of the season.
LeBron James isn’t waiting to get to work with his new teammates.
On Monday morning, basketball trainer Chris Johnson posted a slideshow of James and Tyrese Maxey working out together, which appears to be from a recent session.
On Friday, it was announced that James would be signing a $4 million contract with the Sixers for this season, with a player option for the next. The move was officially announced by the Sixers on Monday.
While James and Maxey will get to share the court this upcoming season, the two have a well-documented relationship off the court. The Kentucky alum is represented by Rich Paul, a longtime friend of James who built the Klutch Sports agency with LeBron as his very first client. Since getting drafted in 2020, Maxey and James have worked out together on many occasions.
James has also thrown significant praise the 25-year-old’s way.
“Every morning, 5 a.m., we’re in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication,” James said in January on the Mind the Game podcast, which he hosts alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash. “Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”
LeBron went from 5 AM summer workouts with Tyrese Maxey to being teammates on the Sixers 🤝
There are plenty of reasons to believe that Maxey’s presence was a large factor in James signing in Philadelphia. At the onset of free agency, Paul sat with Max Kellerman on their Game Over podcast to break down James’ prospective landing spots across a whiteboard. With little information available, many fans heavily parsed every detail of the whiteboard for potential clues.
What stood out most was that Tyrese Maxey was the only player to have a star next to his name.
Rich Paul says the Sixers have LeBron’s attention 👀
“How could not have the attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, Embiid.” pic.twitter.com/Qeoek91vRP
Maxey’s actions proved that James’ supposed desire to team up with the two-time All-Star was not one-sided. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Maxey and Joel Embiid were both instrumental in recruiting James.
Following the signing, Maxey took to TikTok to express his excitement. “I’m like Coach Cal,” the caption read, referring to longtime college head coach John Calipari, who recruited Maxey to Kentucky.
The Eagles report to training camp on Tuesday, with their first practice set for the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Wednesday. In advance of that event, reporters Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg and Ryan Novozinsky identified 11 storylines that will be worth tracking in the coming weeks — then ranked them in order of priority.
Jake Elliott (4) was less dependable than usual during an inconsistent 2025 season. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
11. Kicker Jake Elliott’s progress after a shaky 2025.
The two-time Super Bowl champion struggled at times last season, going 20-for-27 on field goals and 4-for-8 from 50-plus yards. Over the past two seasons, Elliott is 5-for-15 from 50-plus yards out, which is dead last in the NFL among the 35 kickers with at least five attempts.
The Eagles showed faith in their longtime kicker when they restructured his contract in March, but if he doesn’t return to form, he might find his way off the roster sometime soon. A rock-solid training camp showing should ease any concerns the organization may have in the 31-year-old. It’s on Elliott to prove he’s still got it. — Novozinsky
What will the presence of Jonathan Greenard mean for Nolan Smith Jr.’s playing time off the edge?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
10. How the reps will be divided within an altered edge rusher rotation.
Out is Jaelan Phillips, in is Jonathan Greenard. That’s the big change at the top of the depth chart, and the only two returning edge rushers in the rotation are Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. Two from that trio will be on the field most of the time for the Eagles, and Hunt may continue to see a higher workload than Smith. But beyond them, the position is an interesting one to watch in camp.
Arnold Ebiketie is the clear No. 4 as camp begins based on his one-year deal worth more than $7 million. But he’ll face some competition for snaps from players looking to make an impression and claim a spot on the 53-man roster. A.J. Epenesa wants to prove he still has more in the tank. Keyshawn James-Newby, the rookie seventh-round pick, wants to show that he has the skill set to make up for his lack of size. Jose Ramirez is still fighting to stay in the NFL.
The top trio is going to eat up the first-team reps, and Ebiketie likely will get some looks there, too, but how the Eagles divvy up reps among the unit will be something to monitor as camp gets rolling.
Plus … will Brandon Graham’s return be necessary? — Neiburg
Cooper DeJean (33) goes from All-Pro nickel to All-Pro nickel with additional safety responsibilities. Nick Wass
9. The impact of new faces — and altered duties — in the secondary.
Vic Fangio’s defense doesn’t have many holes. It may not end up having any holes. It’s a defense with stars at every level, at every position. Still, it’s the defensive back group that will be the most fascinating thing to watch on Fangio’s side of the ball during camp.
Quinyon Mitchell, an All-Pro last year, is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year deal with $12 million guaranteed, has flashed potential and was one of the standouts of the offseason program. Cooper DeJean, meanwhile, is an All-Pro nickel. But the Eagles plan to use DeJean at safety in their base defense next to second-year safety Andrew Mukuba, and the battle for the second safety spot may be one of the most exciting of the summer.
The Eagles are only in base about 20% to 25% of the time, which means the safety not named DeJean is going to be on the field pretty often. Right now, that spot is Marcus Epps’ to lose. But Epps is 30, has dealt with injuries, and wasn’t a starter last year until the Eagles needed him after Mukuba went down. Will Michael Carter II take to a position change from nickel and push Epps? Can veteran J.T. Gray, a career special teamer, finally have a breakthrough? Will Andre’ Sam show all that he’s learned in Fangio’s defense the last few seasons? Will rookie Cole Wisniewski go from seventh-round pick to a key role? Undrafted free agents Kapena Gushiken and Maximus Pulley want their names in the mix, too.
All of this is without mentioning the battle that will take place for the depth-chart spots at corner behind the top three. Veteran Jonathan Jones may be a lock for a spot, and Kelee Ringo has the special teams chops to claim a job. What does that mean for Mac McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett? Time will tell. — Neiburg
Can Makai Lemon give the receiving game a jolt after missing mandatory minicamp due to injury? Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
8. The impact of the Eagles’ top three 2026 draft picks.
Our first look at the top three draft picks was a bit incomplete during the offseason program. Wide receiver Makai Lemon was held off the field for minicamp with a hamstring injury. Tight end Eli Stowers had a sleeve on his right leg at one point and didn’t go through the entirety of the workout. Then tackle Markel Bell missed the final workout of the spring with an undisclosed injury.
All three are expected to be at 100% when camp opens this week, which means all three will be under the microscope as the new-look offense takes shape.
Their importance for the 2026 Eagles is ranked in draft order. Lemon will be expected to take on a pretty significant role in the offense as the Eagles begin life without A.J. Brown. Stowers, meanwhile, won’t have the same kind of pressure. Dallas Goedert is still in town, and Johnny Mundt was brought in to be a blocking specialist. But the Eagles have raved about Stowers’ athleticism and his ability to create mismatches. Will we see some of that in camp?
As for Bell, the tallest player on the roster (6-foot-9) got the first crack at filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs. Will he be the preferred swing tackle? Or is that job still Fred Johnson’s? — Neiburg
Could Tanner McKee’s days in Philly be numbered?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
7. The QB depth chart, and how many the Eagles will keep at the position.
By the end of training camp, the Eagles will have to make a decision about how many quarterbacks they will keep on the initial 53-man roster.
Typically, that quantity would be three. A fourth quarterback would land on the practice squad. Last season, for example, Tanner McKee and Sam Howell filled out the active-roster depth behind Jalen Hurts, while Kyle McCord signed to the practice squad.
This year could be different. McKee, 38-year-old Andy Dalton, and fifth-round rookie Cole Payton round out the depth behind Hurts. It seems unlikely that the Eagles would cut Payton, given he was a fifth-round pick. Could the Eagles opt to move McKee or Dalton ahead of the regular season? Or, could they see the value in carrying all four quarterbacks on the initial 53, at least to start the season?
The Eagles also must choose a primary backup to Hurts by Week 1. McKee held that role last season. The Eagles acquired Dalton from the Carolina Panthers this offseason, seemingly identifying their QB3, but the 15-year NFL veteran split second-string reps with McKee during the offseason program. Dalton didn’t exactly separate himself from McKee in a very early, limited window during OTAs and minicamp. Still, the competition between the two depth quarterbacks could continue in training camp. — Reiner
A Jalen Carter contract extension has been in the wind throughout the 2026 offseason. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
6. Jalen Carter’s health, and his contract.
(Note: Carter signed a record extension on Tuesday, hours after the publication of this story.) Answers about Carter’s health and the status of a prospective contract extension could be straightforward. Carter, 25, dealt with shoulder injuries last season and missed time as he recovered from procedures. In late May, Fangio said Carter’s shoulders are “fine,” adding that “he’s in a better spot now than he was [last season].” If that is still the case two months later, then there shouldn’t be much concern about Carter’s ability to fully participate in camp.
Carter did not participate in team drills during the Eagles’ two-day mandatory minicamp in June, however. Was his lack of participation injury-related, or was it something of a hold-in, given Carter is eligible for a contract extension? Nick Sirianni declined to offer an explanation during mandatory minicamp.
After the Eagles picked up Carter’s fifth-year option this offseason, he has two years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles could theoretically tag him, too, when the time comes to keep him under contract for a third. It isn’t necessarily imperative that the Eagles sign Carter to a new deal before the season.
But GM Howie Roseman is typically proactive about extending key players. He has also said he prefers not to do new deals during the season. Time is of the essence, as Carter will likely reset the defensive tackle market when he signs his next contract. (Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons leads interior defensive linemen at $35.3 million per year.)
Why has Roseman waited to extend Carter? He likely has his rationale, but he tends not to comment on ongoing or upcoming contract negotiations.
If Carter is on the field Wednesday fully participating in all drills, then there might not be anything to see here. Perhaps the Eagles want to see another year from Carter before they make a long-term commitment, even if his market value increases in the meantime. If he’s missing or sitting out, bigger questions could arise, either about Carter’s health or the status of his future in Philadelphia. — Reiner
The Eagles’ fortunes rose and fell at times on the availability of Lane Johnson last season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
5. The health of Lane Johnson and other veterans coming off injuries.
Is there a bigger storyline in camp than the health of the offensive line? Sure, you may counter and say duh, it’s the Sean Mannion offense, dummy! But I would counter by saying none of it matters if Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson aren’t healthy. Heck, Kevin Patullo might still be the coordinator if the line was healthy, because one would assume that the Eagles, with a sturdier line, would have been able to run the ball a lot better, which means they would have faced a lot fewer third-and-long situations, and so on.
Johnson is coming off a season-ending foot injury. Jurgens and Dickerson, meanwhile, flew to Colombia separately this offseason to get stem cell therapy treatment to manage pain. Jurgens has had back issues. Dickerson has had many lower-body ailments. How the three of them look during the early stages of camp will be informative.
Then there are others, like Mukuba, who fractured a fibula and had his rookie season stopped early. Jalen Carter got injections in his shoulders to help him finish out the rest of the 2025 season. Nolan Smith aggravated his triceps injury and was limited to 12 games. Jihaad Campbell spent some time this offseason recovering from a shoulder injury. And Greenard, the major acquisition of the offseason, had his 2025 season ended early due to a shoulder injury.
All eyes will be on the offensive line, but there are some other Eagles worth monitoring as the training camp workload dials up. — Neiburg
Can Saquon Barkley (right) find more running room in an offense that has moved away from ex-assistant Jeff Stoutland’s blocking principles?Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
4. The work of Saquon Barkley and the running game in Year 1 A.S. (after Stoutland).
The Eagles have a new offensive line coach, Chris Kuper, for the first time in 16 years. Jeff Stoutland’s departure, along with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator in Mannion, is going to have massive ripple effects across the organization — especially in the run game. Barkley, who took a step back last season after a historic 2024, is at the center of these changes.
Mannion’s new playbook implements a wide zone scheme with concepts that look similar to the schemes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Wide zone blocking concepts will stretch opposing defenses horizontally. On paper, Barkley should thrive in a system like this. The onus is on the offensive line to stay healthy and execute the new blocking style properly. If Kuper lives up to the hype — and the early reviews have been positive — the latter point shouldn’t be a concern at all. — Novozinsky
DeVonta Smith stands to receive more scrutiny from defenses that no longer have to account for A.J. Brown. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
3. The post-A.J. Brown pass-catching situation.
Roseman spent the offseason bolstering the Eagles’ receiving corps ahead of Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots in June. He drafted Makai Lemon in the first round out of USC, acquired and extended Dontayvion Wicks, and added Hollywood Brown in free agency.
No single player will replace Brown’s precise role and responsibilities on the team, which will feature a revamped offensive scheme under first-time play-caller Mannion. DeVonta Smith is poised to become WR1, but he and Brown possess different body types, skill sets, and strengths. Compensating for the loss of Brown will ultimately be a group effort.
But how will the targets break down among Eagles receivers during the season? Training camp will offer a peek into the pecking order among Smith, Lemon, Wicks, Brown, and some of the bubble receivers including Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, and Darius Cooper. Tight ends Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers and running back Saquon Barkley will factor into the passing game, too. The next couple of months will also offer more insight into how each of those players will be utilized within the scheme. — Reiner
Fans have high hopes for new coordinator Sean Mannion, despite his relative inexperience. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
2. The Sean Mannion offense.
The Eagles should be the most prepared team in the league when it comes to transitioning to a new offense. That’s because the Birds have had six offensive coordinators in the past seven seasons.
But the addition of Mannion feels different — and for good reason. The Eagles brought him in to overhaul an offense that often failed to ignite under Kevin Patullo. Mannion, a disciple of the McVay/Matt LaFleur coaching tree, is hoping to modernize their play-calling with the implementation of outside zone and far more motion.
How is the install going so far? According to tackle Jordan Mailata, it’s “very easy to follow along, but hard to remember, just because there’s so much to setting up the plays.” There are going to be growing pains — especially during training camp — but if Mannion’s offense works the way it should, the Eagles’ 2026 ceiling becomes limitless. — Novozinsky
With a new scheme to run and an altered supporting cast around him, Jalen Hurts enters 2026 under more pressure than ever. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
1. Jalen Hurts.
Was there an NFL player under a bigger microscope than Hurts this offseason? Between the ESPN report that detailed friction concerning Hurts, the A.J. Brown saga, the constant debates over his standing among NFL quarterbacks, Hurts dominated headlines all offseason.
So can he block out that noise and silence his doubters with a strong camp? It’d be easy to say “yes” and just move on, but the reality is that Hurts is at a crossroads. He’s learning another new offense and it’s drastically different from the last one he ran. His new OC gushed about him in his first news conference, but can that honeymoon phase survive a weak training camp/slow start to the season? That’s not to mention the fact that Hurts has a handful of unproven new weapons trying to replace a No. 1 wide receiver in Brown.
How Hurts deals with these hurdles is easily the most intriguing camp storyline. His future in Philadelphia will be in question all season. He can quell some of that noise with a decent July and August. — Novozinsky
