As he left Subaru Park on Saturday night, Union interim manager Ryan Richter thought about something he’d said in his news conference after the 2-0 win over CF Montréal.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s home game against FC Cincinnati (7:45 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV), Richter called the matchup a chance “to show that we can compete with the next level of teams in the Eastern Conference.”
He wasn’t wrong in how he described his team or the opposition. But it struck him, just as it struck people who heard the remark, that for a long time before this year, the Union were at that next level.
The proof is well-known: Supporters’ Shields in 2020 and ‘25, the Eastern Conference regular-season title in 2022, and the most regular-season points of any team in MLS from 2019 through the first half of 2024.
Last year’s Supporters’ Shield was the second in Union history.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Even today, the Union are still one one of just two teams that have amassed more than 400 regular-season points since the start of 2019, and to have averaged more than 50 points per season. (Using both figures accounts for expansion teams that have joined the league in that time.)
That serves as a reminder of why the rest of the league is looking over its shoulder as the Union fight their way up the standings. They enter Wednesday’s game with a 7-10-6 record (27 points), edging Red Bull New York for ninth place and the last playoff spot on a tiebreaker.
“I thought about this after Saturday [when] the question was, ‘Is there a boost being in a playoff position?’” Richter said in his news conference Tuesday afternoon. “And then I thought about it more.”
By the time he sat down at the microphone, he had his answer.
Union fans celebrating after Danley Jean Jacques (right) scored the opening goal in Saturday’s win over CF Montréal.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“I’m never going to be excited about being in ninth place,” he said. “Because I’ve seen the levels that this club has hit over the last seven, eight years, and [was] lucky enough to be a part of a couple of those really special seasons. And that’s the target that we set as a club, as a team: We want to be competing for home playoff spots, competing for Supporters’ Shields.”
There’s a full round of games leaguewide Wednesday, so everything will get thrown up in the air again. The Union could rise as high as seventh with a win, or fall as low as 12th with a loss.
“That’s the level that we want to be competing at, and there’s not going to be celebrations for just getting into a playoff position,” Richter said. “So we need to continue to push, and the opportunity with Cincinnati at home shows that’s where we are competing. And that’s what we have to be ready [for], to show up and play a really good game to make that kind of statement.”
Richter will not be alone in casting the Cincinnati matchup as a measuring-stick moment. Many Union fans will too, as will a growing number of watchers leaguewide. The visitors are led by midfield playmaker Evander, who would likely have a league MVP award by now if not for Lionel Messi; and striker Kévin Denkey, who has 15 goals in 27 games across all competitions this year.
But the defense behind them has allowed 51 goals this season, the second-most in the East and third-most leaguewide. That’s why Cincinnati stands sixth in the conference (8-7-7, 31 points), even as it is seen as among the league’s upper class.
“It’s hard to win against good teams, and we have to be at a really good level ourselves to be able to compete in the game the way that we want to, and the way that we believe we can,” Richter said. “So, it’s a great opportunity for us to show against a good team in Cincinnati that we’re at that level, and we can compete against that level of team in MLS.”
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LSU jumped back into the top 10 in the first Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the regular season on Tuesday, Oregon slipped out of the top five and Michigan fell out of the rankings altogether after it needed a second-chance Hail Mary try at home to beat Western Michigan.
Ohio State remained No. 1 by a wide margin entering its showdown with No. 4 Texas on Saturday. The Buckeyes received 46 first-place votes from the voting panel of 69 writers and broadcasters. The other 23 first-place votes were divided among six teams.
Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas, and Indiana each moved up one spot with Oregon going from No. 2 to No. 6 following a 34-27 win over Boise State as a 25.5-point favorite. Miami, LSU, Mississippi and Texas A&M rounded out the top 10.
Defending national champion Indiana received the second-most No. 1 votes, with eight. LSU got five, Notre Dame four, Oregon three, Texas two, and Miami one.
LSU’s promotion bumped Oklahoma out of the top 10. The Sooners shut out UTEP 51-0 and will take a No. 11 ranking into their visit to Michigan. That matchup lost some luster in light of Michigan’s slogging offensive performance against Western Michigan, a game the Wolverines won 13-12.
In and out
Virginia rode an impressive Week 0 win over North Carolina State to a No. 25 ranking. It’s the first time since 2005 the Cavaliers have been ranked in a first regular-season poll. They finished No. 16 in the final Top 25 last season but received just one vote in the preseason poll.
Michigan went from No. 16 — where Penn State moved up to from No. 18 — out of the Top 25. It’s first time since at least 2008 that a team ranked so high was bounced after a win. Kansas State went from No. 17 to unranked after holding off North Dakota of the Football Championship Subdivision last year.
Brandon Graham’s second public goodbye to football came on a stage at a Jefferson Health “Breakfast with the Birds” event Tuesday morning.
“I’m officially done,” Graham, 38, told the crowd. “Y’all are hearing it from me first. But let me tell you this, they are in great hands. Jordan Davis, I’m telling you, he is a guy that’s going to get the defense going. On offense, I can’t wait for Jalen [Hurts] to prove them haters wrong as always and get us back to the promised land.”
Graham’s first retirement from the game came in March of 2025. After coming back from injury early to play in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory, the franchise leader in games played decided to end his playing career after 15 seasons with the team that drafted him in the first round out of Michigan in 2010.
But Graham’s initial retirement lasted just seven months. The Eagles, needing defensive depth, signed Graham for the rest of the 2025 season after Week 7. He played a limited role on the defensive front, but made important contributions after changing positions and taking on a role as an interior lineman while the Eagles dealt with the absence of Jalen Carter.
Graham, who stripped Tom Brady late in the team’s first-ever Super Bowl victory, registered two sacks in a shutout victory over Las Vegas in Week 15. He finished his final regular season with three sacks and eight total tackles in nine games.
He remained open to the possibility of coming back for a 17th season, but said at a recent PHLY Sports event that his return needed to be before the season, not joining a season in progress like in 2025.
Brandon Graham’s strip-sack of Tom Brady during Super Bowl LII lifted the Eagles to their first title. David Maialetti
The Eagles retooled their edge rushing corps in the offseason, most notably by trading for Jonathan Greenard and signing him to an extension worth nearly $100 million. They have an ascending young player in Jalyx Hunt and another, Nolan Smith Jr., who is entering his fourth NFL season. Howie Roseman also added some veteran depth in Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa.
“Communication between BG, the Eagles, and me has always been consistent,” Roseman said in July. “BG was the first draft pick I ever made as GM. Those conversations, obviously between us and every player, we’re going to keep between us and the player. I want to be consistent with whoever that is that we do that. But obviously you’re talking about one of the greatest Eagles players and an unbelievable person. Last year, his ability to come back in and help us was huge for our football team. But again, those conversations we’ll keep private.”
Graham ends his NFL career as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played with 215. He played in another 13 postseason games. His 5½ playoff sacks add to a career regular season total of 79½.
“I’m going to still be around,” Graham said at the event Tuesday. “I’m still around. I’m still giving wisdom, helping the guys.
“It’s an adjustment for me, but it’s a great adjustment because it’s all about my kids and my family, trying to make sure I’m there for that. Just spreading the love everywhere.”
Villanova senior forward Brynn McCurry announced Tuesday on social media that she underwent surgery to repair a torn right ACL and meniscus on Sept. 1. She will miss the 2026-27 season.
“I’m walking into this next season of healing with a heart full of peace because this game has given me so much more than it took,” McCurry wrote in an Instagram post. “Basketball has always been such a meaningful part of my story, but it was never the entirety of it.”
Losing McCurry is a major blow to Villanova. While the injury occurred in April and allowed coach Denise Dillon time to fill McCurry’s spot, it will be difficult to fill her workload.
McCurry, a 6-foot-1 forward, was coming off a career-best campaign in which she started 29 of 33 games and was the team’s second-leading scorer with 10.7 points per game. She also won the Big East’s Most Improved Player award.
Projected as one of four returning starters for Villanova, McCurry’s season-long absence will test Villanova’s depth at forward. The Wildcats have solid pieces in their frontcourt, headlined by 6-3 Quinnipiac transfer Anna Foley, and returning starters Jasmine Bascoe, Kelsey Joens, and Kennedy Henry.
Dillon also will have to find a combination to fill McCurry’s minutes. She averaged 26.5 minutes last season, third most on the team behind Henry and Bascoe.
McCurry suffered two prior knee injuries — she tore her left ACL and meniscus during her senior year of high school and tore her right ACL and meniscus before her sophomore season at Villanova. She then tore the UCL in her right arm before the start of her junior year and underwent Tommy John surgery this past April, two days after her third knee injury.
The Wildcats open their season on Nov. 1 in Rome as a part of the Eternal City Tip-Off. They’ll face Notre Dame in their first meeting in eight years.
A new home for the 76ers and Flyers is scheduled to open in 2030, and now we have our first glimpse of what the new arena might look like.
The teams released the first renderings of the privately funded arena Tuesday that will be built at the former site of the Spectrum, next to where Xfinity Mobile Arena sits.
The new design features inspiration from the Spectrum, the former home of both teams from 1967 to 1996. The renderings show the facade will be composed of three stacked and cantilevered “bands,” a nod to the Spectrum’s exterior.
The Spectrum was home of the Sixers and Flyers until 1996. It was demolished in 2010.
“To build our future where Ed Snider and the Spectrum made history makes this project truly special,” Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said in a statement.
A plaza outside the arena will feature over a half-acre of outdoor space. The renderings show an expansive footprint that includes food and beverage pavilions, along with a giant screen outside the stadium.
“The first-look renderings reflect fan feedback and stakeholder input on the arena experience, public spaces and amenities,” the teams said in a statement. “Fan surveys, focus groups, community engagement, and public review will continue throughout the design and approval process.”
Stateside Live!, previously known as Xfinity! Live, sits near the new stadium site on 11th Street and just underwent a $15 million expansion. It is expected to remain open.
The location of the yet-to-be-named new arena. Steve Madden
In addition to the Sixers and Flyers, the arena will also be home to the yet-to-be named WNBA team slated to begin playing in Philly in 2030.
The stadium will be co-owned by Comcast and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Sixers. Comcast owns the naming rights of the new arena but hasn’t announced a name. It’s unclear how much the new arena will cost, but it will be the largest fully privately funded project in the city’s history, according to a Comcast spokesperson.
“Philly fans deserve the best arena in the world, and we are excited to partner with Comcast to deliver just that,” 76ers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement.
The new arena is scheduled to open in 2030. Courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers and FlyersHow the new arena might look for Flyers fans arriving for a game. Courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers
The Sixers’ original plan was to build a new $1.3 billion stadium on Market Street in Center City, a contentious idea backed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker that secured legislative approval in 2024.
Weeks later, the project was canceled after the Sixers struck a deal with Comcast to build a new arena in South Philly.
The new arena still needs regulatory and legislative approval before the start of construction, which is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
Parker’s office did not respond to a request for comment, but the city shared the renderings on social media along with the comment, “Get excited Philly fans!”
Ryan Boyer, the head of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council praised the project’s job creations. “Beyond the construction jobs themselves, this is the kind of investment that opens doors for new contractors, suppliers, and small businesses throughout the city of Philadelphia.”
That announcement came before the Sixers abandoned their Center City stadium idea and decided to remain in South Philly. For now, the focus is on the new arena.
“We see [this location] as a unique opportunity to connect the retail affiliated with the arena, to the retail that we have in Stateside Live! and the expansion of that effort,” Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty told The Inquirer in April.
Beyond the new retail, restaurant, and outdoor activation space included in the new arena’s plan, there is an opportunity for the four teams (five once the WNBA comes to town) to work together to further develop the sports complex, according to Phillies CEO and managing partner John Middleton.
“Having four major professional sports teams together in one destination creates an energy and sense of community that is unmatched anywhere in the country,” Middleton said, adding the new arena “represents an exciting next chapter for South Philadelphia and creates important opportunities” to realize the potential of the sports comlex space.
The arena is expected to feature an outdoor plaza with food pavillions. Courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers and FlyersThe new arena will sit in the South Philly sports complex at the former site of The Spectrum. Courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers and FlyersA renderings also show a giant screen outside the arena. Courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers
Over the summer, Comcast and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment upgraded and donated storefronts for use as pop-up retail stores and other temporary activations to take advantage of the city’s busy calendar.
Last month, the companies extended the leases of four pop-up retail stores along Market Street, and both continue to work with the mayor’s Market East Advisory Committee on a master plan for the corridor, according to a Comcast spokesperson.
He homered, he flapped, he Euro’ed, he curtain called. It was quite the weekend for Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves’ right fielder and newest Philly villain.
Acuña is a five-time All-Star, the 2023 National League MVP, and, in many respects, Atlanta’s version of Phillies superstar Bryce Harper, from his sense of style to his sense of swagger. That was amplified during the four-game series against the Braves that began Friday, with supremacy in the NL East at stake.
When he took the field Friday, Acuña was disliked, perhaps because of his general excellence while playing for a rival team, perhaps more so specifically stemming from a leisurely home-run trot in Philadelphia in 2021.
By the time he departed Philadelphia on Monday he had two homers, two wins, and a target on his back. He was hitting .308 with 20 homers and 64 RBIs in 97 career games vs. the Phillies, among his best numbers against any opponent. Further, he gloated in his success and mocked Phillies fans.
It. Was. Awesome.
Can’t wait for more.
The Phillies visit the Braves this weekend but they don’t host Atlanta again until next season unless the teams meet in the playoffs. We pray for that sort of theater. It has always been worth the price of admission.
Not since Phillies killers Mike Piazza and Chipper Jones have Phillies fans had such a legitimate object for their derision, and neither of them had the gall to taunt the most passionate fan base in sports.
For years, the Phillies lacked a great player from another team they could legitimately loathe. Acuña is now that guy.
Fresh meat
Acuña left town with seven hits, among them two doubles and, most significant, two homers.
After the first homer, a 450-foot bomb off Zack Wheeler in the third inning Saturday, Acuña took his time getting around the bases. He’d cut the lead to 3-1, but he acted like he’d flipped the lead. He beat his chest at first base, flapped his arms at second base, Euro-stepped at third base, then sauntered home. That’s his home-run trot routine this season, but that didn’t make it any less deplorable. It took 29.51 seconds. Wheeler glared at him.
The second homer, a three-run blast off reliever Alex McFarlane on Sunday, was crushing. It tied the game, 4-4, in the eighth inning. Fully aware of the uproar his trot caused Saturday, Acuña poured it on Sunday. He stared into the Phillies’ dugout before beginning the journey. This time, he took 32.36 seconds to round the bases, his slowest of 16 trips this season and the third-slowest of his career 202 trips.
Ronald Acuña Jr. homered twice this weekend against the Phillies.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“I love the fans from Philly because they boo me,” Acuña told reporters Sunday.
Acuña also had three hits in Friday’s win.
The two Braves wins assured that the Phillies, who trailed them by four games entering the series, could not make up ground in the NL East. Monday, his one-out walk in the ninth inning put the tying run on first base in a 1-0 game. Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo stranded him, to the delight of the 41,820 at Citizens Bank Park. Tragedy averted.
Luzardo logged the first complete game of his career, a shutout no less, but he did so with disaster just 270 feet from home plate.
The fans were delighted by the feat two outs later … but just imagine their angst if Acuña started another comeback and the Phillies had blown a second straight win.
Acuña’s trot Sunday led to questions before Monday’s game regarding how to approach the outfielder, whose hot bat had become a real threat again, and whose cocky attitude had rankled traditionalists.
“What are you going to do? Are we going to knock him down three times and that’s going to make him uncomfortable?” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said before the game. “That’s just not part of the game now.”
Saturday night, Mattingly, who is 65, acknowledged that baseball had long since legislated intentionally hitting batters who showboated.
“Today’s game, you see it all the time,” Mattingly said. “It’s more commonplace. Let the kids play, right? We started that.”
Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrates with teammates after helping the Braves beat the Phillies on Sunday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
That doesn’t mean everyone likes it … especially star pitchers.
“Our guy just rounds the bases that hits 50 here,” said Wheeler.
That might be true of the guy in question, Kyle Schwarber. He homered Saturday, and brushed off questions about Acuña’s home-run trot. He homered again Monday, but pointedly declined to become part of the Acuña narrative. He followed his shot in the eighth with a brisk scoot around the bags, and afterward scoffed at the notion that his home-run trots were now being scrutinized.
It most definitely is not true of the more significant guy, Bryce Harper.
Philly’s own
Harper made an art of the home run celebration since he entered pro ball as a teenager; he got into trot-trouble in the minors.
And nobody milks the moment like the guy they call “The Showman.”
After Harper made a baserunning error in Game 2 of the 2023 NL Division Series, Braves second baseman Orlando Arcia mocked him. So, when Harper hit two homers in Game 3, Harper stared down Arcia each time. Later that fall, in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series in Arizona, after he homered, Harper stared down Michael Phelps, who lives in the area and had thrown out the first pitch. Phelps is a 23-time Olympic gold medalist as a swimmer — and Harper’s buddy.
In March, Harper took 35.63 seconds to round the bases after his 432-foot home run for Team USA against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. It took him 5 seconds to even leave the batter’s box. He literally threw his bat 30 feet back toward the Team USA dugout. At third base, he paused to salute. As Harper approached home plate, he screamed into the camera and patted the American flag on his left sleeve. It wasn’t even a big-league game and it wasn’t a game-winner. It just tied the game, 2-2, and Harper and the Americans eventually lost.
If Harper is the Prince of Petty, he doesn’t own the most obnoxious trot in Phillies history, but he was there for it. In 2019, after the Mets hit J.T. Realmuto in what appeared to be a retaliation plunking, Rhys Hoskins took 34.22 seconds to circumnavigate the diamond, at that point the longest trot since trots began to be measured, and it was utterly provocative. It was the ninth inning, and it made the score 6-0. Harper had a front-row seat for that one, because it was Harper that Hoskins drove in.
How about the moment that turbocharged the recent Phillies playoff runs?
That was Hoskins’ third-inning, three-run, bat-slam dinger in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against … you guessed it — the Braves. Acuña watched that one from right field at the Bank.
💥 BAT ̶F̶L̶I̶P̶ SLAM 💥
The Phillies take a 4-0 lead thanks to this three-run home run BOMB from Rhys Hoskins.
So, yeah, the Phillies and their fans live in glass houses when it comes to criticizing somebody else’s home-run behavior.
And then …
If the Phillies sought revenge, Acuña barely gave them the chance to knock him down Monday. He occupied the designated hitter spot (perhaps protected from Phillies fans in right field), batted first in the order, and swung at the first pitch in his first two at-bats.
Not much drama. Not much satisfaction. Satisfaction arrived in the sixth.
Luzardo struck out Acuña on three pitches, and it was the moment the fans had been waiting for. After he flailed at a sweeper and jogged back to the dugout, fans erupted in cheers and mocked his failure by flapping their arms.
Flapping their arms?
A fans tries to get the attention of Phillies Jonathan Bowlan before the game against the Atlanta Braves.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo delivers a pitch in the first inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Bryce Harper waits for a pitch against the Atlanta Braves.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Luis Arraez reacts to flying out to end the sixth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo faces the Atlanta Braves.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the eighth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber watches his solo home run in the eighth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber flips his bat as he reacts to hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (left) and Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (right) embrace after the game.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber (center) and Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (right) embrace after the game.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo reacts as he is showered with water after finishing the game.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Yes.
Philly fans lost their minds Friday when Acuña flapped his arms as he rounded second base, assuming he was mocking their assumed Eagle fandom. Not so.
Most Braves players make that motion when they homer, just as most Phillies raise the index and pinky finger of their right hand as they round second during a home-run trot. Acuña also typically pantomimes a Euro-step basketball move near third base, and he did this, too — though in Philly this weekend, he performed the Euro less at Russell Westbrook speed than at Luka Dončić speed.
As for other historical villains in Phillies history, this sort of animosity is different from the hometown hatred directed at Scott Rolen, who declined a big contract extension and forced a trade to St. Louis, or Dick Allen, whose situation was complicated by racial tensions and his contrarian nature. J.D. Drew also is unique in that it was the Phillies’ hubris and obstinacy that cast him as spoiled and petulant in the late 1990s, when, in fact, he simply was greedy and anti-establishment.
Piazza, meanwhile, was a homegrown talent who represented the Dodgers’ and Mets’ superiority during a fallow Phillies era. His 44 home runs and 130 RBIs against the Phillies are the most he accrued against any team.
Similarly, Jones was the face of the best NL franchise for 20 years. He hit 49 homers against both the Phillies and the Mets, and his 1.036 OPS and .331 batting average are his best against any team that was in the NL his entire career (the Brewers switched in 1998).
For two decades, Jones was assaulted by chants of, “Laaaaaaa-ry,” his given name. For years, Piazza got straight-up boos. From now on, so will Acuña.
DeVonta Smith steps onto the field, a white Gatorade towel wrapped around his head and his practice jersey draped over a black long-sleeve shirt. He flashes a determined look as he holds a play sheet in his left hand and a coach’s headset in his right.
Nothing was going to stop Smith — who was sidelined with a hamstring injury — from staying involved during the dog days of training camp.
He knows this season is different. He knows his mindset needs to reflect that.
For the first time since his rookie season, Smith is a No. 1 wide receiver. He excelled in that role in college and had a record-breaking first season — his 916 receiving yards set the Eagles rookie record for — but he’s lived in the shadow of A.J. Brown for the last four years. The Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots in June, which immediately placed Smith back atop the depth chart again.
Is he ready for his close-up?
“The guy was built to do this,” said James Madison coach Billy Napier, who recruited Smith when Napier was the wide receivers coach at Alabama. “DeVonta, he’s not motivated by normal things. This guy’s in a pursuit to be the best that’s ever done it. …
“Eagles fans are going to have fun watching Smitty in this role, I can promise you that.”
DeVonta Smith (6) and A.J. Brown (11) thrived together for a perennial Super Bowl contender, but Brown is now a Patriot. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
He has the backing of his current teammates and coaches, too. Smith never led the Eagles in receiving yards when Brown was on the team, but he’s eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons and is the all-time franchise leader in postseason receiving yards with 665.
Jordan Mailata put it best when asked about Smith, whom the Eagles took with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2021 draft.
“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver,” Mailata said, referring to Smith’s skill and leadership style. “Nothing has changed for Smitty.”
But now he actually has the title. And with training camp finished — plus the drama from the Brown situation mostly settled — that reality has sunk in inside the Eagles facility. There’s a sense that Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy when he was a No. 1 wide receiver with the Crimson Tide in 2020, has been waiting for this chance his entire career.
“I think he’s always seen himself as [the No. 1],” Eagles wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said. “I think in this building, you’ve always seen him as one. You just had another guy that was a one. There’s something about that that’s probably a little bit fun for him. To be able to know that he’s in that spot right now.”
As if his role increasing wasn’t enough of a challenge, Smith also has to learn a new offense. After things went stale under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo last season, the Eagles replaced him with Sean Mannion, who is installing a new scheme rooted in his background in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay offense. Coach Nick Sirianni said at the scouting combine that he expects his WR1 to be “on the rise” in the new offense, but it’s up to Smith to deliver on that.
How have the results been so far?
“It speaks to him that he missed a little time in camp, but right when he came back, the first thing we felt, we were like, ‘Yeah, this is who we missed,’” Moorehead said.
Eagles coaches have praised Smith’s (6) leadership as the team adapts to a new scheme. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Learning a new playbook has never been an issue for Smith. Napier recalls Smith, then a sophomore in high school, skipping Alabama’s spring game — which would have been an opportunity for him to network with his future teammates and coaches — so that he could study the Tide’s playbook in his office.
“He stayed in my office the entire day. He never went to the game,” Napier said. “He’s consumed with being the best he can be. He’s blue-collar. He’s tough.”
So, how do those who knew him with Alabama think he’ll look in the Mannion offense, specifically?
“Oh, it doesn’t matter what offense he’s in,” former Alabama associate head coach Burton Burns said. “Whatever offense DeVonta’s in, he’s going to figure it out, he’s going to learn it quick, and he’s going to thrive.”
“Look, he’s played for lots of different systems, lots of different coordinators,” Napier said. “He’s going to learn his playbook and give the organization everything he has. It’s the best thing about him. He’s a playmaker, regardless of the system.”
Above all, Smith’s coaches have praised his ability to rise to a challenge — which is fitting for the task he faces in 2026. Early in his recruitment, Alabama balked at extending Smith an official offer, hoping it would motivate him to add weight to his slender frame. He not only rose to that challenge but wound up a five-star recruit, then set seven school receiving records and won two national titles with the Crimson Tide.
“He just kept working and working until we had to take notice,” Burns said. “He’s just got this quiet demeanor about himself that creates a lot of confidence.”
DeVonta Smith has seemed to accept the scrutiny that comes with a more prominent role in 2026. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
He’s meeting his goals ahead of his most difficult task yet this season. Moorehead said at the beginning of the offseason that he challenged Smith to ramp up his leadership as his role increased. Moorehead said Smith has done a “great job” with that, mentoring young receivers like 2026 first-round pick Makai Lemon and helping his teammates learn Mannion’s concepts.
“He’s been through a lot of wars here,” Moorehead said. “He’s not afraid to say that it’s not right — and he’s always been like that. I think that’s the Alabama in him, but I think even more so now he’s able to just take charge. He’s done a great job as far as leadership goes in the room of just helping everybody.”
Philly sports fandom has some simple rules: Root for Philly teams and boo everyone else.
But there are exceptions to all rules, and in Philly those exceptions include showing support for local athletes who are with other teams (within reason) — and for some players who once played for the city but now are on opposing rosters.
In the NFL, all 31 other teams have at least one person on the roster or staff who fits the criteria. Most have several, but we chose one and only one notable Eagles or Philly connection to each of the 31 other teams in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison, a wide receiver, was a four-star recruit from St. Joseph’s Prep. Upon finishing his career in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Harrison, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, held PCL records for career receiving yards (2,625) and touchdowns (37) which still stand.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was a star for St. Joe’s Prep before taking his talents to Ohio State and the NFL. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
Atlanta Falcons: Jahan Dotson
Dotson, another receiver, spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Eagles. He averaged 14.1 receiving yards per game and had one touchdown in his two seasons with Philly. The Nazareth Area High School alumnus also played at Penn State and finished his college career with 183 receptions for 2,757 yards and 27 total touchdowns.
Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Brady
The Ravens added Brady to their coaching staff as passing game coordinator in February after he spent two years with the Los Angeles Chargers. But in 2022-2023, Brady was a senior offensive assistant for the Eagles.
Buffalo Bills: C.J. Gardner-Johnson
After stops in Houston and Chicago during the 2025 season, Gardner-Johnson joined the Bills ahead of the 2026 season. Gardner-Johnson played for the Eagles in 2022 and returned in 2024 to help Philly to its second Super Bowl, matching his career high with six interceptions during that regular season. His first six-interception season also came with Philly in 2022. Gardner-Johnson’s teammates, Dion Dawkins and Christian Benford, also have Philly ties, playing collegiately at Temple and Villanova, respectively.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson had multiple stints with the Eagles. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Carolina Panthers: Jaelan Phillips
Part of the Eagles roster last season, Phillips is now in his first season as an edge rusher with the Panthers. During his one year in Philly, Phillips played in eight games with two sacks and 28 tackles.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ke’Shawn Williams
While backup quarterback Joe Flacco is among the notable local names in the NFL as a native of Audubon, N.J., there’s even more local talent in Cincinnati. Williams is from Philadelphia and played high school football at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where he also competed in track and field and basketball. Williams signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2025, before being picked up off waivers by the Bengals. His one touchdown in the 2026 preseason came against the Eagles at the Linc.
Ke’Shawn Williams (13) starred at receiver for Springside Chestnut Hill before his career eventually took him to the NFL. LOU RABITO / Staff
Cleveland Browns: Andrew Berry
In his sixth year with the Browns, the executive vice president of football operations and general manager also had a stint working with Cleveland from 2016-2018 as vice president of player personnel. But between 2018 and returning to the Browns in January 2020, Berry served as VP of football operations with the Eagles in 2019. His twin brother, Adam, is in his fourth season with the Eagles and was recently promoted to assistant general manager ahead of the 2026 season.
Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift
Swift is a former Eagles player and one with Philly roots. He played for the Eagles in 2023, but also graduated in 2017 from St. Joe’s Prep. As a freshman, he helped the Prep win the 2013 Class 4A state championship, and in 2016 was named the Catholic League Player of the Year after he ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 34 total touchdowns as a senior.
D’Andre Swift first became known to Philly fans when he starred for St. Joe’s Prep. LOU RABITO / Staff
Dallas Cowboys: Sam Howell
Yes, even the Cowboys have Philly connections, with ex-Eagles staffer-turned-Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker among the most notable. There’s also Howell, the Birds’ third-string quarterback from last season, who signed with the Cowboys in the offseason after the Eagles didn’t extend his contract. Howell is the backup quarterback in Dallas behind Dak Prescott, with his only season as a starter in the NFL coming in 2023 with the Washington Commanders when he threw for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns as a rookie.
Denver Broncos: Mike McGlinchey
The 31-year-old offensive tackle played football and basketball at William Penn Charter High School. McGlinchey started as a tight end at Penn Charter before switching to tackle. He was a first-team offensive lineman in 2012 for the Pennsylvania Sports Writers AAAA All-State football team.
Mike McGlinchey was a standout in multiple sports at Penn Charter. Steven M Falk / Staff Photographer
Detroit Lions: Avonte Maddox
Part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX team, Avonte Maddox joined the Lions for the 2025 season. Maddox spent seven seasons with the Eagles at cornerback after being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Green Bay Packers: Javon Hargrave
The defensive tackle spent the 2020 through 2022 seasons with the Eagles after starting his career in Pittsburgh in 2016. Hargrave recorded 23 regular-season sacks during his three seasons in Philly, including a career-high 11 in the 2022 season, helping the team reach Super Bowl LVII.
Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans
Ryans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Texans, but his NFL career began as a standout linebacker from 2006-2015. He played four seasons (2012-15) with the Eagles, racking up 334 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five interceptions.
Before he was a coach, DeMeco Ryans was a productive player for the Eagles.
Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen
Before he was head coach of the Colts, Steichen served as offensive coordinator of the Eagles in 2021 and 2022. Under his guidance, the Eagles had the NFL’s top rushing offense with 5,224 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns, helping lead the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Grant Udinski
Hired in February 2025, Udinski is entering his second season as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator. Udinski’s coaching career started in Carolina with a stop in Minnesota, but his origins go back to the Philly area. Udinski is a Doylestown native who went to high school at Central Bucks West High School.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid
The longest-tenured coach in Eagles history, Reid spent 14 seasons in Philly before becoming head coach of Kansas City, where the future Hall of Famer is now entering his 14th season. Before leading the Chiefs dynasty, Reid posted a 130-93-1 regular-season record in Philly, including a 10-9 postseason mark.
Andy Reid (left, with owner Jeffrey Lurie) came to Philly in 1999 and presided over a successful tenure of Eagles football that included one Super Bowl appearance. KRT
Las Vegas Raiders: Nakobe Dean
Starting his career with the Eagles in 2022 after being selected in the third round, the linebacker is entering his first season playing outside Philly. In his 47 games played with the Eagles, Dean piled up 226 tackles and 7.5 sacks, with his career-high 128 tackles helping Philly to its second Super Bowl in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers: Teair Tart
A defensive tackle, Tart was born and raised in Philly, where he attended West Philadelphia High School. Initially, Tart’s focus was on basketball, but he made the switch to football in his junior year, helping lead his team to the Public League championship game the following year, in 2014.
Teair Tart (left, with West Philadelphia High football coach Karl “Bubb” Patrick) rose to prominence as a player in West Philly.Karl Patrick
Los Angeles Rams: Brian Johnson
The senior offensive assistant for the Rams, Johnson held his first NFL coaching position with the Eagles in 2021 after spending years coaching at the collegiate level. Johnson was the quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023. He spent the past two seasons with the Commanders before being hired by the Rams ahead of this season.
Miami Dolphins: Kyle McCord
A recent acquisition by Miami from Green Bay, the backup quarterback’s career started in Philly at St. Joe’s Prep, where he played alongside Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, McCord passed for 1,582 yards and 21 touchdowns to lead St. Joe’s Prep to the Class 6A state championship and a 6-0 season. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round in 2025. He spent the season on the Eagles practice squad before signing a reserve contract with Green Bay.
Kyle McCord played for St. Joe’s Prep and was on the Eagles’ practice squad. CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Minnesota Vikings: Carson Wentz
There was once a time when Pennsylvania was known by Eagles fans as “Wentzylvania.” Now a backup quarterback for the Vikings, Wentz spent five seasons in Philadelphia, from 2016-2020, after the Eagles traded up to select him second overall in the draft. Before a knee injury altered the course of his career, Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 start in 2017, helping put them on a path to their first-ever Super Bowl win, before Nick Foles finished out the job.
New England Patriots: Christian Barmore
While there is the obvious A.J Brown tie between the Patriots and Eagles, there are other local connections between the two teams. Barmore, a defensive tackle going into his sixth season with New England, hails from Philly. Playing his high school career at Neumann Goretti, the four-star recruit was first-team All-Philadelphia in the Catholic League Blue Division and helped lead his team to an 11-1 record and a trip to the state quarterfinal before committing to Alabama.
Neumann-Goretti’s Christian Barmore committed to Alabama then embarked on a successful pro career. AKIRA SUWA
New Orleans Saints: Kellen Moore
In his second season as head coach of the Saints, Moore had a stint as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles in their Super Bowl LIX win. That was his only season with the Eagles, leaving shortly after the season and joining the Saints in February 2025.
New York Giants: Abdul Carter
Selected third overall in the 2025 draft by the Giants, Carter grew up in Philadelphia, playing youth football for the North Philly Aztecs, before attending La Salle College High School. Carter was a four-year varsity starter and the team MVP his senior year, when he led the Explorers to a 9-2 record. He went on to play at Penn State, where he earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors in 2024.
Abdul Carter was a standout for La Salle before moving on to Penn State. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
New York Jets: Frank Reich
In his first season as offensive coordinator with the Jets, Reich has decades of experience, including a stop in Philly. Reich was offensive coordinator for the Eagles in 2016 and in 2017, when the team won its first Super Bowl. Reich, who left Philly to become a head coach in Indianapolis and Carolina, is returning to the NFL after a stint at the collegiate level as interim head coach and senior adviser at Stanford for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Johnston
Punters deserve recognition, too, like the veteran Johnston who is in his ninth year in the NFL. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Johnston spent three seasons with the Eagles from 2018-20. Since his NFL debut in 2018, Johnston ranks in the top 10 among punters in punts, punting yards, and net punting yards.
Cameron Johnston has stuck around in the NFL after his tenure in Philly. Corey Perrine / AP
San Francisco 49ers: Colt Anderson
Anderson is in his 16th season in the NFL, the last seven as a coach. The second-year assistant special teams coach with the 49ers had a nine-year playing career as a safety, which included four seasons with the Eagles from 2010-13, when he played under Chip Kelly and Reid.
Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jobe
After spending two seasons with the Eagles in 2022 and 2023, the cornerback is entering his third season with the Seahawks. Jobe played in all 17 games with the Eagles in his final season here, making three starts. Since arriving in Seattle, Jobe’s career has only improved, with his best season coming when he was a full-time starter in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl title-winning 2025 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenneth Gainwell
The running back is entering his first season with the Bucs after a season with the Steelers, but the majority of his NFL career to date was spent with the Eagles. The fifth-round pick was with the Birds from 2021-24, which included a standout game in the NFC divisional round on Jan. 21, 2023 against the Giants. Gainwell logged a career-high 112 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown in the 38-7 rout.
Kenneth Gainwell’s (14) game against the Giants in the 2022 playoffs remains a highlight of his career Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Tennessee Titans: Kylen Granson
Granson spent the first four seasons of his career as a tight end with the Colts, before stopping in Philly for the 2025 season on the road to Tennessee. While with the Eagles, Granson played in all 17 regular-season games, starting three, where the blocking specialist recorded seven catches on nine targets for 40 yards as a rotational tight end.
Washington Commanders: Marcus Mariota
Mariota and the Commanders will open their season against the Eagles, but there was once a time when the backup quarterback was on the other end of that matchup. A second-round pick in the 2015 draft, Mariota’s long career included a stop in Philly in 2023, when he played in three games. Mariota is in his third season as a backup to Jayden Daniels in Washington. With Daniels injured, Mariota started a 29-18 loss to the Eagles in Week 16 last season.
Before the Eagles won two Super Bowls, before they established themselves as a franchise that expects and is expected to compete for a championship every year, before they built the defense they have now — a defense that might be the best in the NFL this season — there was a moment that scarred everyone who cheered for or cared about them.
It has been 35 years since that fateful 1991 Week 1 game at Lambeau Field, since Randall Cunningham threw an incomplete pass on the first play of the second quarter, since a low and late hit from the Packers’ Bryce Paup crumpled Cunningham’s left knee and tore two ligaments in it. The Eagles won that day, 20-3, but everyone knew: Randall was done for the season, and so was his team.
The sadness and frustration in the aftermath of Cunningham’s injury weren’t just for him but for the hopes and dreams of a fan base that hadn’t celebrated a Super Bowl yet and believed it would. That’s how spectacular Cunningham could be. More importantly, that’s how good that Eagles’ defense — with Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Wes Hopkins, et. al. — was. Sure enough, the next 15 games were one long exercise in what-might-have-been.
Coached by defensive coordinator Bud Carson, its members hand-picked by Buddy Ryan, that ‘91 unit remains mythological here. It led the NFL in rushing defense and passing defense. It turned every opposing quarterback into Napoleon Dynamite’s Uncle Rico. It ranked first in sacks, first in completion percentage (44.7%!), third in interceptions, and fifth in points allowed.
Now, will the 2026 Eagles’ defense be as great as the 1991 Eagles’?
No.
Will it have to be?
Probably not.
The Eagles’ 1991 defense led by Reggie White (92) and Jerome Brown (99) was forced to carry a team that trotted out a makeshift offense.
First things first: The comparison isn’t as crazy as it might first sound. Yes, that ‘91 defense had White, who was one of the five best defensive players in league history, and was overflowing with talent and ferocity at every level of its alignment: defensive line, linebackers, secondary. Plus, those guys could play with a brutality that, in the modern NFL, would result in most of them being suspended before halftime of the regular-season opener.
In Cunningham’s absence, Jim McMahon, Jeff Kemp, Pat Ryan, and Brad Goebel all were, at one time or another, the team’s No. 1 quarterback. The Eagles didn’t have a running back who rushed for more than 450 yards or a skill-position player with more than 950 receiving yards, and there could be no more compelling evidence for that defense’s dominance than the Eagles’ record that season. Somehow, they went 10-6.
Keep in mind, though: It was just two years ago, in Vic Fangio’s first season as their coordinator, that the Eagles had the league’s best defense for the first time since ‘91: first in total yardage, first in passing yardage, 10th in rushing yardage, second in points. That group saved its best performance of that season for the 40-22 romp over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, when the Eagles intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice, sacked him six times, and didn’t allow Andy Reid’s offense to cross midfield until less than three minutes remained in the third quarter.
Zoom out, too, and consider the prime three years of that Ryan/Carson defense, 1990 through 1992, and these two seasons the Eagles have had under Fangio.
YEAR
POINTS
TOTAL YDS
PASS
RUSH
1990
12th
12th
25th
1st
1991
5th
1st
1st
1st
1992
6th
6th
12th
5th
2024
2nd
1st
1st
10th
2025
5th
13th
8th
22nd
Those comps aren’t far off, and they will be even closer if this season’s defense turns out to be better than 2024’s. It’s not a stretch to think it will be.
The secondary already has two All-Pros in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean — both rookies in ‘24 — and now has an outside corner, in Riq Woolen, who has the size and talent to deliver the quality of coverage that Darius Slay provided. At linebacker, Zack Baun is also an All-Pro. Jihaad Campbell was a first-round pick. Based on those who have observed him during training camp, edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, who led the team in both sacks and interceptions last season, looks like the product of an experiment that spliced the genes of Hugh Douglas and Brian Dawkins. (An overstatement, to be sure, but Hunt is an intriguing and improving player.)
The defensive tackle rotation — Jalen Carter (with two healthy shoulders), Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo — is so deep and so good that it will create one-on-one matchups for anyone the Eagles line up on the outside. And if Jonathan Greenard and Nolan Smith Jr. are on the field, the Eagles should win those matchups most of the time.
The greatness of this Eagles defense will begin in the trenches with Jordan Davis (90) and Jalen Carter (98). David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The most important questions the Eagles have to answer this season don’t have much to do with their defense, if any of them have anything to do with the defense at all. They will have a new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, who will be calling plays in the NFL for the first time. Jalen Hurts will have to adjust to playing in a system with which he was completely unfamiliar, and there’s no way to know how he’ll fare in it. The offensive line should be better than it was last season, but it’s hard to see yet how the Eagles won’t be worse at wide receiver and tight end.
Again, questions, lots of them. And while we’re doing the then-vs-now thing, it is fitting that the quality of Hurts’ backups — Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton — have become a popular discussion topic and cause for concern. But none of those potential issues presents the same complications that arose all those years ago once Cunningham went down and stayed down.
Part of the reason that the ‘91 defense was so great was that it had to be just for that team to have a chance each week. Everyone remembers the “House of Pain” game, a 13-6 victory over the Houston Oilers on Monday Night Football in which Reggie & Co. pretty much left bodies strewn about the Astrodome, as if they’d fought off a zombie apocalypse. Not everyone remembers that the Eagles actually gained fewer yards that night (240) than the Oilers did (247). As awesome as that defense was, that offense was just about as bad.
This defense shouldn’t have to meet that same skyscraper-high standard. Barring a worst-case outcome, it will just have to be what it can be. It will just have to be great enough.
Temple finally showcased the fruits of its weeks of fall training camp and did it with a two-quarterback system and a whole lot of running the football.
Sharing the reins, Ajani Sheppard completed 5 of 10 passes for 85 yards, while Jaxon Smolik completed 4 of 6 for 57 yards. Smolik was sacked twice and fumbled two times, but also threw Temple’s only passing touchdown in a season-opening 38-14 win over Rhode Island. Sheppard looked far more comfortable carrying the ball.
But the real story of the ground game was running back Keveun Mason, who stepped in for banged-up Sam Brown. He exploded for 158 yards — just 9 fewer than his total from all of 2025 — and two touchdowns.
Now coach K.C. Keeler’s Owls are preparing for a major step up in competition against No. 18 Penn State (1-0) on Saturday (noon, ESPN2).
“Monday’s a cleanup day for us,” Keeler said. “You can just feel the low energy. I think they were just disappointed they didn’t play better [against Rhode Island]. … But at the same time, I am very appreciative of the fact they have very high expectations of where this team should go and what we can do.”
Quarterback battle
The Owls answered questions regarding who will be the starting quarterback by unorthodoxly starting with both candidates on the field. Smolik took the opening snap from center Grayson Mains before handing it off to Sheppard, who found wide receiver Colin Chase for 21 yards.
Tyler Walker ran almost the same exact play in #Temple's season opener w/Gevani McCoy and Evan Simon, and Simon took the handoff and threw (and won the starting job too).
Then Temple began to stagger snaps between them. They each took 31 snaps, according to Keeler. After the win, Keeler said he didn’t see either move the needle in terms of securing the position, and he’s still unsure what it will look like this Saturday.
The upcoming days of practice could reveal who the starter will be against Penn State. Keeler and offensive coordinator Tyler Walker will review the tape in hopes of getting closer to a decision. Walker hails from a Montana State offense that featured a two-headed snake at quarterback in 2022 and 2023.
Jaxon Smolik threw Temple’s only touchdown pass on Saturday against Rhode Island.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
But the Owls are looking to stray away from that game plan long term. As for the QB plan against PSU, Temple’s still undecided on who, but Keeler said there are kinks to be ironed out for both.
“There might be some collaborativeness in the effort, but eventually someone’s got to play more snaps than the other guy,” Keeler said. “But like I said, if you look at it, there’s some good things you could take, but we need more consistency.
“And that’s for both of them.”
Injury update
Temple has already dealt with injuries to key players, as left tackle Giakoby Hills and linebacker Eric Stuart exited early against Rhode Island. Left guard Eric King, safety Avery Powell, and Brown did not play against the Rams, though it’s possible Powell plays this weekend. None of their specific injuries have been announced.
Hills has been confirmed to miss at least six weeks, stretching past the Owls’ first bye week in late October. King, Powell, and Brown participated in Monday’s practice.
Adding to the injured offensive line is Kevin Terry, who didn’t participate in practice. The redshirt junior has been hampered by injuries the past two years, missing the season debut against Howard in 2025 and sitting out two games in 2024. Keeler has labeled him as a game-time decision. Terry’s presence on Saturday would be a huge help in wrestling with Penn State’s big defensive ends.
But perhaps the largest looming factor is Brown’s situation. The Rutgers transfer has emerged as one of Temple’s key players and was awarded a single-digit jersey number in August. Keeler doesn’t want to push his health, but Brown has been progressing quicker than expected, with the coach labeling him another game-time decision.
“It’s a long season, and I don’t want to put him out there if he’s 85%, not against Penn State,” Keeler said. “To be honest, I think there was a chance you said, ‘OK, we’re shooting for Toledo.’ Now, we’re shooting for Penn State, because he’s felt really good out there.”
