Two and a half years after he first announced his retirement, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald decided he wasn’t finished wreaking havoc against NFL offenses.
Donald, 35, officially came out of retirement on Aug. 30, signing a one-year, $20 million contract to return to his former club of 10 years. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman figured to team up with similarly decorated edge rusher Myles Garrett, whom the Rams acquired from the Cleveland Browns in June.
Four weeks into the season, the Rams defensive front won’t be at full strength in Sunday’s game against the Eagles. Garrett is on injured reserve while recovering from knee surgery. Donald, meanwhile, has been back in action for the last two games following a three-week ramp-up period.
Still, led by Donald, tackle Kobie Turner, and outside linebacker Byron Young, the Rams defensive line will pose a challenge to the recently reconfigured Eagles offensive line. Although Donald was away from football for the last two seasons, he hasn’t lost a step, according to Cam Jurgens.
“It’s like Michael Jordan quitting to go play some baseball,” said Jurgens, who has shifted from center to left guard in the absence of the injured Landon Dickerson. “He comes back, he’s still Michael Jordan.”
But even the Jordan of the NFL hasn’t shot 100%. Through 156 career regular-season games, the 6-foot-1, 280-pound Donald has recorded 111 sacks, compiled against all but two teams — the Eagles and the New York Jets.
On Sunday, Donald will seek his first sack since his NFL return and the first sack of his career in his sixth game against the Eagles, so long as he is healthy enough to play after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday with a sore back. The Eagles offensive line, which has the fourth-best pass-block win rate in the league through three games (58%), according to ESPN, will be tasked with preventing him from adding another feather to his cap.
Aaron Donald (left) looks up at a sign held by a young fan before a Week 2 meeting with the Giants. Katie Chin
The Eagles could catch a break if Donald can’t take the field. But even before the Rams added Garrett and Donald this offseason, Tyler Steen acknowledged that they still had a “really good” defensive front.
Regardless, the Eagles are preparing as if Donald will play, and for good reason.
“He can ruin the run game, he can ruin the pass game, and if you don’t formulate a plan, you’re cooked,” Jordan Mailata said.
‘Four hands’ on Donald
Mailata remembers well the week of preparation leading up to the Eagles’ Week 5 matchup against the Rams in 2023.
That was the last time that the Eagles faced Donald, who was 32 at the time and would go on to lead Rams’ interior defensive linemen that year with a 12.9% pressure rate. Whenever the Eagles played a premier player like Donald, coach Jeff Stoutland and the Eagles offensive line would devote extra time to game-planning against them.
“We spend so much time on making sure that they don’t wreck the game, because they’re game wreckers,” Mailata said. “So there was a lot of detail involved in understanding, especially with Coach Stout and how he [was] very anal on the details and the small things, making sure that there were four hands on him, and if we could get six hands, we could get six hands.”
The more hands and eyes on Donald, the better. The plan the Eagles devised wasn’t novel. That season, he faced double teams on over 60% of his pass-rush snaps during the regular season, according to ESPN.
The Eagles contained Aaron Donald when he last faced them in 2023.Jeff Lewis
He would still find ways to make the most of his reps, even when he had at least two sets of hands on him. By the end of the regular season, Donald generated 17 pressures against double teams, which was tied for sixth-most in the league, per Next Gen Stats.
But in Week 5 of that season, the Eagles kept Donald out of the major categories on the stat sheet in their 23-14 win over the Rams. They accomplished that feat with backup right guard Sua Opeta starting in place of the injured Jurgens. Rarely was Donald ever isolated against any single Eagles offensive lineman. Especially when Donald lined up against Opeta, either Jason Kelce at center or Lane Johnson at right tackle were on standby to help block him.
Donald finished with a 2.9% pressure rate, which would end up being his second-lowest of the year, according to Next Gen Stats.
While lined up over left guard Landon Dickerson, Donald was credited with a quarterback pressure, setting up the lone sack that Jalen Hurts took that day at the hands of Rams outside linebacker Zach VanValkenburg (although Hurts held on to the ball for roughly six seconds before taking the sack).
“We [came] into work that year and that season, and we knew what time it was,” Mailata said. “The coaches did a great job of formulating the plan, making sure that we’re all on the same page on the protection. And so after that, it’s all about executing.”
A new-look O-line against a familiar foe
As Mailata watched Donald’s most recent game against the Denver Broncos, he noticed that Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula will move him around the line of scrimmage, from right guard to left guard. But as Donald continues to get acclimated to game action, Mailata noted that the Rams could decide to line the prototypical “3-technique” over the center on occasion.
“This could be the week,” Mailata said.
The Eagles’ new-look offensive line, including center Drew Kendall (66), will have its hands full on Sunday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
After all, Donald is set to face three young, relatively inexperienced interior offensive linemen he has never faced in Jurgens, Steen and center Drew Kendall. Jurgens is on the cusp of starting his third career game at left guard, where he has conceded a total of 11 pressures on 73 pass-blocking snaps (15.1%), per Next Gen Stats.
The group managed to prevent Tennessee Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from completely wrecking the game. Can they do the same to Donald? Jurgens asserted the offensive line’s success on Sunday has less to do with game-planning against a specific player and more to do with looking inward.
“How can you get better in your technique and be sound and complete with everything?” Jurgens said. “A lot of times, you look at somebody, jersey number, and you change how to block them. You’ve got to worry about your own technique and whenever you have a stud like that, you just want to get four hands and four eyes on him as much as you can.”
Mailata said new offensive line coach Chris Kuper has taken a “pretty similar” approach to game-planning against Donald as the Eagles have in the past. He has been detailed while conveying what the protection unit is trying to achieve in any given situation. Steen said any great player requires a little extra attention.
The plan itself, though, won’t be exactly the same as it was in 2023. Steen acknowledged that it won’t be possible to double-team Donald all the time, as it can mess up the integrity of the protection as a whole.
“There’s some plays that he’s just going to be one-on-one,” Steen said. “We’re going to have to find a way to block him up and execute.”
But Mailata said regardless of the plan, it’s on the players to execute, especially in the less familiar realm of the outside zone run-blocking scheme at the root of Sean Mannion’s offense.
Aaron Donald (chasing Darren Sproles in 2018) is revered as both a run-stopper and sack artist. DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
Mailata said the Eagles offense laid a “great foundation” for the outside zone game in the first half of Monday’s loss to the Chicago Bears. According to Sumer Sports, Saquon Barkley amassed 61 yards on seven outside-zone carries (+.38 expected points added per rush) before the offense was hampered by negative plays and penalties in the second half.
“That’s going to help us so much heading into this week, because they have to protect against it,” Mailata said. “They have to plan for that, and so we just have to do a better job at … not being frazzled or scared about the defense of what’s going to happen and what if, just execute, put your head down, and run.”
In theory, the more successful the Eagles are running the ball on early downs, the less likely they’ll see Donald on the field. He played 33 defensive snaps in Week 2 against the Giants (56.9%) and 35 in Week 3 against the Broncos (52.2%). Donald’s missed snaps have primarily been on early downs — he has been on the field for 24 of 27 third-down snaps over the last two weeks (88.9%), per Next Gen Stats.
Kendall is hesitant to believe that the Rams are only going to utilize Donald in select situations for the rest of the season, however.
“For all we know, he’s probably gearing up to play a full game against us,” Kendall said. “So we’ve just got to be ready for whatever happens this week, and we have to be prepared for him to be out there on every snap.”
On paper, Donald hasn’t been as effective as he was when he last played in 2023. He mustered a single pressure on 18 and 24 pass rushes in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively, after generating multiple pressures in 89 out of 92 games played from 2018 to 2023. He hasn’t been on the field as much, though, playing 54% of the defensive snaps over the last two weeks compared to well over 80% in that same previous span.
Still, that doesn’t mean the future Hall of Famer isn’t capable of turning on the jets, especially as he works his way back into playing shape.
“Until he decides to stop, he’ll continue to be what he’s been,” Hurts said. “A lot of respect for him.”
NASHVILLE — Continuity is king, Jordan Mailata thinks. It is what the Eagles’ left tackle was leaning on most after his team escaped disaster in its last-minute 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans.
The offensive line wasn’t good enough during the team’s win over the Washington Commanders last week. And after losing Landon Dickerson to injured reserve with a hurt knee, the offensive front came to its second game with a new look.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (left) and assistant to the head coach Cole Peterson (right) dance off the field after beating the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after the Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates with running back Saquon Barkley after throwing the game-winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after they beat the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerHappy Philadelphia Eagles fans after the Eagles scored a touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens lifts up Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper after Cooper makes the winning touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter. David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan holds up a Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith jersey with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the football late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter gets help coming off the field in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan is sweating it out with the Eagles trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon gets stopped by Tennessee Titans cornerback Marcus Harris.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches first down pass against Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen defends Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate with 12:50 left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles out of trouble and throws an incomplete pass with 8 seconds left in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Johnny Mundt is brought down by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni while the Tennessee Titans are driving in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun stop Tennessee Titans running back Nicholas Singleton in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley pushed out of bounds by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith hauls in a pass, but it was incomplete during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott watches his long field goal in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley running with the ball in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson (left) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (right) try to block a field goal as time runs out in the first half against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun brings down Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor after Titans’ drive to the end zone late in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley runs along the sideline with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans cheer as the Eagles drive towards the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head of security Big Dom DiSandro stops Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as he is running out of bounds so he doesn’t hurt himself in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby runs with the football during the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby celebrate Bigsby’s touchdown in the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks gets a first-down catch passed Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton and Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerTennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker intercepts the ball from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the first quarter and runs it just short of the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith gets a first down pass with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey returns the first punt of the game, defended by Tennessee Titans safety Erick Hallett, in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans get ready for the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles moved center Cam Jurgens to left guard to fill the hole left by Dickerson. They inserted Drew Kendall at center. It was Jurgens’ first game at left guard and Kendall’s first career start in a game with real stakes. They asked that duo to handle a defensive front that features one of the NFL’s best interior linemen in Jeffery Simmons.
How hard can it be to change from center to guard? Jurgens’ first season as a starter was at right guard before he moved over to center when Jason Kelce retired. Jurgens likened his week to a basketball player making a major change at the rim.
“Everything is different,” Jurgens said postgame. “Your hands are different. Your feet are different. You’re kicking different. It’s weird. It’s like if you’re a basketball player and you always dunk one-footed, then all of sudden you’ve got to be a two-foot dunker and change everything.
“It’s different. But at the same time, we’re all football players, and it’s still football.”
Video: Gameday Central: Initial reaction to the Eagles’ comeback win vs. Titans
The Eagles won Sunday, in a similar fashion to the way they won last week against an opponent that, on paper, is inferior: barely. Nick Sirianni and a few players have spoken about wanting to focus on the joy of winning and not worrying about style points, but the offensive line’s play through eight quarters has made the winning more difficult than it should be.
The Eagles, who are implementing a wide-zone run scheme, can’t run the ball the way they want to. Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger and ran just four times Sunday, but four Eagles — including Barkley and not including Jalen Hurts — combined for 78 yards on 27 carries.
“I don’t know if it’s landmarks,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “I’ve got to go back and watch the film. It’s really tough to say right after a game. I don’t know if we created any big creases like last week. There’s a lot to clean up.”
Running backs Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby were among Eagles who combined for 78 yards on 26 carries.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Is some of this still growing pains with the new offense?
“Yeah,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot that’s different. There’s aiming points, there’s different names for plays here that we’ve had in for a long time.
“We need to keep getting better and hopefully see this ground game improve.”
It is the key to making the offense go. The Eagles want to use more under-center play action and marry their run and passing games, but they can’t effectively do that unless they can run the ball, and they can’t effectively run the ball unless they block better.
The passing game had issues, too. Simmons had a whopping seven pressures and was credited with hitting Hurts three times, including one that led to Hurts underthrowing DeVonta Smith on a sideline route in the fourth quarter for his second interception of the game. Hurts was pressured often and hit six times, including three sacks.
The offensive line also was flagged three times: Jurgens and right guard Tyler Steen for holding and Lane Johnson for illegal formation.
“I’m going to learn a lot from this game,” Jurgens said. “I’m going to get a lot better. I’m excited to get better from this. Jeffery Simmons is a damn good player.”
It was a lot to ask of Jurgens and Kendall, who said the Eagles “all handled it well” and “have to learn from it.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni celebrates as time runs out Sunday vs. the Titans.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
This is the unit the Eagles will be working with moving forward, which gets back to Mailata leaning on the continuity to give him confidence things will be corrected.
The Eagles decided early in the practice week that Kendall would play center and Jurgens would play guard. They practiced all week with that in mind, though Mailata decided to play a joke on reporters by having Fred Johnson line up at left guard for drills in an act of subterfuge during the period open to media.
Video: Jalen Hurts lauds the Eagles’ perseverance after win over Titans
Dickerson, who struggled mightily last week as he dealt with a knee injury, is out for at least the next three games, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to return when he is eligible.
“You’ve got to build continuity, and this is the first time all five of us have been together,” Mailata said. “I am confident in those five. I am confident in us being able to see how we can correct and pass off games.
“I don’t want anyone to panic. The best thing about offensive line play is if you can get continuity. Now we have our starting five moving on. Now we have film on how we’re getting beat, how we’re not getting beat, and things to work on.”
In the end, the offensive line kept Hurts clean enough on the final drive when it mattered. The quarterback did have to make a heady play to get rid of the ball before being sacked, but he was afforded a clean enough pocket on a few key throws.
“That was so damn exciting to go down there, in the two-minute drill, and win the game,” Jurgens said. “We shouldn’t have been in that [situation]. But a win is a win.”
Johnson’s thoughts were similar.
“There’s a lot to clean up,” he said. “But a win is a win, and it’s hard to get in this league.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Sunday afternoon in the Music City, the Tennessee Titans wound up singing the blues.
After the Titans took a three-point lead on a 32-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles got the ball back with 1 minute, 56 seconds left to play.
Jalen Hurts, who threw two interceptions earlier in the game, orchestrated a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a 3-yard Darius Cooper touchdown catch in the back of the end zone to seal the 24-20 Eagles comeback victory.
Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Titans. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
DeVonta Smith also came up clutch. His 19-yard reception on an out-breaking route toward the left sideline, in which he managed to tap his toes inbounds, kept the drive alive on third-and-6 from the Titans’ 22.
Here’s our instant analysis of the Eagles’ narrow victory in Week 2:
Hurts throws two picks, but rebounds
Disaster seemed to strike early for the Eagles when Saquon Barkley went down with a stinger on the first play and was absent for the rest of the first half. Then, after leading a 15-play, 59-yard drive down the field, Hurts tossed an interception in the end zone on a pass intended for Smith and picked off by Amani Hooker.
The Titans safety returned the interception 92 yards, setting up a four-play scoring drive which was capped off by a Cam Ward touchdown on a quarterback sneak. His score put the Titans up, 7-0, late in the first quarter.
But Hurts and the Eagles offense initially responded well to his early blunder. In the first half, the group amassed 210 yards on 40 plays, going 6-for-9 on third down (67%) and 1-for-1 on fourth.
The Eagles’ efficiency on third and fourth down was critical. Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Makai Lemon all had third-down snags. Lemon made the biggest play of his young career on the final play of the first quarter with his 14-yard catch over the middle of the field on third-and-8.
Even with Barkley out of commission, the Eagles managed to run the ball. Tank Bigsby shouldered most of the load on the ground in his absence, including a 1-yard rushing touchdown that tied the game, 7-7, early in the second quarter.
Barkley returned to action in the second half. He continued the Eagles’ positive trend on third down, reeling in an 11-yard pass in the flat on third-and-5 halfway through the third quarter. His play kept the drive alive, but the offense sputtered just beyond midfield, leading to a 58-yard field goal from Jake Elliott that put the Eagles up, 17-10.
Hurts stepped up on third-and-12 from the Eagles’ 29 halfway through the fourth quarter, delivering a 13-yard strike to Smith just past the marker to keep the drive alive. A Johnny Mundt holding penalty on the next play put the Eagles behind the sticks, but Cooper compensated for it, going 23 yards on a catch-and-run reception over the middle.
Titans cornerback Marcus Harris intercepts the pass by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Disaster struck again, though, with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Hurts threw another interception on an underthrown deep pass down the left sideline intended for a wide-open Smith, this time to Titans cornerback Marcus Harris, with the game tied, 17-17.
While the Eagles lost the turnover battle, Hurts still managed to keep the offense in it thanks to his game-winning touchdown drive. Hurts finished the game going 26-for-37 passing for 264 yards and two touchdowns, plus the two interceptions.
“I don’t even think words can describe how much you’ve got to manage as a quarterback in this league from a responsibility standpoint,” Hurts said. “The weight that comes with the position. And the responsibility. Ultimately, you’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing throughout that. You’ve got to keep your poise and keep your focus. Today we were able to do that.”
Video: Breaking down Jalen Hurts’ first game in Sean Mannion’s offense
O-line shuffles
With Landon Dickerson (knee) on injured reserve, the Eagles reconfigured their offensive line, moving Cam Jurgens from center to left guard and slotting Drew Kendall in at center.
Kendall, the Eagles’ 2025 fifth-round pick out of Boston College, previously had just one start at center, which came during his rookie year in the Week 18 game against the Washington Commanders in which the starters rested.
All eyes were on the interior offensive line, with All-Pro Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons lined up on the opposite side.
Simmons gave the offensive line fits all afternoon. Just before the two-minute warning in the first half, Hurts managed to deliver a big-time 27-yard completion to Wicks on third-and-12 at the Eagles’ 26 with Simmons bearing down on him. Simmons pancaked Jordan Mailata on a stunt and hit Hurts, but the 28-year-old quarterback managed to get the ball out in time.
The Eagles didn’t do themselves any favors on their first possession of the second half, as Tyler Steen (holding) and Lane Johnson (illegal formation) both incurred penalties. On third-and-12 that same drive, another stunt involving Simmons resulted in a sack for defensive end Jacob Martin, forcing the Eagles to punt.
Drew Kendall and Cam Jurgens in the second quarter on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
On third-and-8 late in the third quarter, the pocket collapsed again, forcing Hurts to throw incomplete to Mundt. Braden Mann punted for a second time in the third quarter.
Simmons was behind Hurts’ second interception. He hit Hurts on a Titans simulated pressure on third-and-12 from the Tennessee 44. But Simmons’ efforts weren’t enough to help the Titans to victory.
Jurgens said after the game that he learned he would be starting at left guard at the start of the week. He acknowledged that he will learn a lot from his first outing at left guard.
“Jeffery Simmons is a damn good player,” Jurgens said. That’s a good defensive front. Yeah, it was a challenge. I was excited for it. Nervous, anxious. Everything that goes along with playing a football game and playing a really good player.”
The Titans capitalized on Hurts’ interception early in the first half. Still, the Eagles were up 14-7 with just under two minutes to play before halftime. They were the dominant team in terms of time of possession.
But the Titans weren’t dismayed. They broke off a couple of explosive plays inside of the two-minute warning — a 28-yard catch for Titans rookie receiver Elic Ayomanor and a 27-yard catch-and-run for running back Tyjae Spears.
Their efforts brought the Titans into the red zone, where they would settle for a 37-yard field goal. The Eagles led, 14-10, going into halftime.
As the Eagles offense struggled to stay on the field in the second half, the Titans offense got into a rhythm. Halfway through the third quarter, Ward led a 12-play, 69-yard scoring drive. Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley came to life, contributing a 25-yard catch and a 10-yarder.
Again, Ward capped off the drive with a touchdown run, this time on a 1-yard hurry off a fake handoff, tying the game, 17-17.
However, the Eagles’ defense held strong at the start of the fourth quarter. A tackle for a loss from Nolan Smith Jr. on a Tony Pollard carry on first-and-10 from the Titans’ 39 led to third-and-9, in which Ward threw an incomplete pass for rookie receiver Carnell Tate on the run with Moro Ojomo in his face.
Pollard got into a rhythm on the ground following Hurts’ second interception. He rattled off back-to-back 9-yard carries. Then, Ward connected with Ayomanor for 41 yards on an out-breaking route, the rookie tight end hurdling over Marcus Epps on his way to the Eagles’ 24.
After a pair of Titans penalties, Spears kept the momentum going, ripping off a 29-yard run and forcing a missed tackle from Epps. Jalen Carter sacked Ward, who was attempting to roll out on a bootleg, on first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.
“It was a little boot action,” Carter said. “I was studying it through the game … it’s a feel out there where you can just feel it. That’s pretty much it. Coach Vic [Fangio] called a good call, where I was able to beat the guy who contains if it was a boot. That was it.”
Eagles defensive tackles Ty Robinson and Jalen Carter try to block a field goal as time runs out on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Moro Ojomo tackled Spears for a loss of 3 yards with just under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a glimmer of hope for the Eagles defense.
Latham was called for illegal formation on the following play. The Eagles initially declined the penalty, but they pivoted and decided to enforce it, bringing up second-and-28 from the Eagles’ 42. Carnell Tate had a 5-yard reception, then Spears followed it up with an explosive 27-yard carry on third-and-22, forcing a missed tackle by Marcus Epps.
The Titans went up 20-17 on the 32-yard field goal from Joey Slye. But it wasn’t enough to win, as the Eagles pulled off the late comeback.
Tight end Dallas Goedert left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return to action.
Barkley declined an interview request after the game, but he said that he was “all right” and that the team would know more about his injury later in the week.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (left) and assistant to the head coach Cole Peterson (right) dance off the field after beating the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after the Eagles beat the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates with running back Saquon Barkley after throwing the game-winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper catches a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni celebrates after they beat the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerHappy Philadelphia Eagles fans after the Eagles scored a touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens lifts up Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Darius Cooper after Cooper makes the winning touchdown with seconds left in the fourth quarter. David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan holds up a Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith jersey with seconds left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the football late in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter gets help coming off the field in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fan is sweating it out with the Eagles trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Makai Lemon gets stopped by Tennessee Titans cornerback Marcus Harris.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches first down pass against Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen defends Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate with 12:50 left in the fourth quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles out of trouble and throws an incomplete pass with 8 seconds left in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Johnny Mundt is brought down by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni while the Tennessee Titans are driving in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun stop Tennessee Titans running back Nicholas Singleton in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley pushed out of bounds by Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray in the third quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith hauls in a pass, but it was incomplete during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott watches his long field goal in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley running with the ball in the third quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson (left) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (right) try to block a field goal as time runs out in the first half against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tenn. David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun brings down Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor after Titans’ drive to the end zone late in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley runs along the sideline with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans cheer as the Eagles drive towards the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head of security Big Dom DiSandro stops Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as he is running out of bounds so he doesn’t hurt himself in the second quarter.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby runs with the football during the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby celebrate Bigsby’s touchdown in the second quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks gets a first-down catch passed Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton and Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerTennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker intercepts the ball from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the first quarter and runs it just short of the end zone.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith gets a first down pass with Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor defending in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey returns the first punt of the game, defended by Tennessee Titans safety Erick Hallett, in the first quarter.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans get ready for the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
There are lots of words one could use to soft-pedal a critique of the Eagles’ offensive line in Week 1.
Uneven. Inconsistent. Uncharacteristic.
They are words that allow a little leeway, words that grant some level of benefit of the doubt. That is to say, they are words that one may feel desperate to err toward after a performance like that of the Eagles’ run and pass blockers in their 24-22 season-opening win on Sunday. Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson — these guys deserve every ounce of the political capital they’ve accrued during their time together as a unit. Let ye who hath never paved the way for a 2,000-yard rusher en route to a Super Bowl cast the first stone.
The surest sign of the bottom line is the dancing you do around it. The bottom line for the Eagles run- and pass-blockers is this: They were not good enough in Week 1. Not even close.
The final numbers don’t do it justice.
Jalen Hurts was sacked three times, a total the Eagles surpassed in seven games even in 2024. But that total doesn’t come close to capturing the pressure the Commanders were able to generate throughout the game. Hurts scrambled seven times for 46 yards, mostly out of necessity.
“I thought Jalen did a great job of making plays, especially when something wasn’t going right,” Jurgens said.
Jalen Hurts (right) was on the run a significant amount in Week 1. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Saquon Barkley averaged 5.5 yards per carry, which is something he did in just three games all of last season. But his 42-yard run off a vintage jump-cut in the first half is doing more than its fair share of work in padding the average. On his other 14 carries, he gained 41 yards.
If you didn’t watch the game, all of this might sound like cherry-picking numbers and mathing the math to match a preexisting narrative bias. That’s not the case. If anything, the preexisting bias goes in favor of this offensive line. This was a game flow thing. It is a second-and-long, third-and-long thing. The Eagles faced way too many of those situations throughout Sunday’s win.
“It’s tough to be in those situations,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ll look at the tape and see and evaluate that thing. But no doubt, to do everything you want to do as an offense, whether that’s some tempo that we did on the ball, whether that’s being able to take some deep shots down the field, get multiple guys carries. You’ve got to get into the flow of the drive. We know that’s important and we’ll be working like crazy to do everything we can do to get that fixed.”
Hurts put it more succinctly.
“We shouldn’t be in third-and-17,” the Eagles quarterback said.
Unsaid was why they were there. Almost exclusively, it began up front. Two holding penalties on Jurgens. One on Dickerson. A false start on Mailata. Add in the sacks. Add in the negative runs. It adds up.
You want to talk numbers? Here was the craziest one. One team had 10 tackles for loss. The other team had two. The team that had 10 was not the team with the vastly better defense.
The funny thing about critiquing the Eagles offensive line is that it can be difficult to remember what fallibility looks like. Most of the NFL lives a life much worse than the one the Eagles lived on Sunday. At the same time, we judge this offensive line by the standard it has set, and we do it because that standard has been the foundation of their formula.
This is an important point. The Eagles are a good team. It would take a heck of a lot of unforeseen circumstances for the season to truly go sideways. In today’s NFL, a team can lose only so many games when it has a dominant defense and a competent quarterback who doesn’t make mistakes and can make big plays. We saw that throughout Sunday’s win. As close as the score was throughout, as theoretically “in-the-game” the Commanders were, was there ever more than a fleeting doubt about the end result?
Even when Washington was driving for a potential game-tying touchdown in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, the odds still said somebody would make the play that Moro Ojomo did in stuffing Washington’s shovel-pass on the woulda-coulda-shoulda two-point conversion to even the score at 24-24. You only get that peace of mind by drafting superstars and pairing them with great coaching, The Eagles have done both of those things. Because of it, and a soft schedule, their bare minimum win total should be enough for a playoff berth. The floor of this team is set by its defense.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts after winning the season opening game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts celebrates a touchdown with Keyshawn James-Newby (center) and offensive tackle Lane Johnson during the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo celebrates a two-point conversion stop late during the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles stop the two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles tight end Dallas Goedert scores a fourth quarter touchdown past Commanders cornerback Darius Rush during the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles tight end Dallas Goedert catches the football for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts first down run during the fourth quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerWashington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs hugs the goalpost after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. Unsportsmanlike penalty was called pushing the Commanders back.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerWashington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs scores in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches the ball for a big first down during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts gains fourteen yards on a run in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles place kicker Jake Elliott kicks a third quarter field goad during the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles cornerback Cooper DeJean stops Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane during the third quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches the ball against Commanders cornerback Darius Rush during the third quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sacked in the third quarter by Washington Commanders linebacker Odafe Oweh at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles on a third down during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles head coach Nick Sirianni racts during the third quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is sacked by Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles in the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts passes to tight end Dallas Goedert late during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter celebrates a blocked extra point late during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hands off to Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert congratulates Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks after a second quarter touchdown at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni congratulates Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks after his second quarter touchdown at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith tries to block Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo goes after Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks celebrates a touchdown with Darius Cooper (left) and DeVonta Smith (right) during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles linebacker Zack Baun celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun stops Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt for a loss, Washington punts on the drive, at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley with a big run in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun sandwich Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles running back Saquon Barkley gains 42 yards during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates second quarter touchdown with Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert spikes the ball after a touchdown in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles tight end Dallas Goedert catches a touchdown against Commanders safety Quan Martin during the second quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.nYong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles fans cheer in the first quarter of the season opener against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts reacts during the first quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerEagles wide receiver Makai Lemon catches the ball against Commanders cornerback Amik Robertson during the first quarter of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is sacked by Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu in the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley misses a pass in the first quarter, defended by Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles, at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerEagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during a moment of silence before the start of the season opener against the Commanders Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs out of the tunnel at the season opener against the Washington Commanders in Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff PhotographerPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs out of the tunnel during player introductions before the season opening game against the Washington Commanders in Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Philadelphia.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerGreg Gorski, of Elkins Park, poses for a portrait while tailgating before the Eagles play the Commanders in Philadelphia on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The ceiling? That will be set by the offensive line. For as long as Hurts has been QB1 and Sirianni has been head coach, the Eagles offensive identity has been the same. The quarterback will manufacture a certain number of big plays on his own accord. The rest of the time, the offensive line will wear you down with a steady stream of four- and five-yard carries on first and second down. As smart as new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion may be, as needed as some of the ongoing changes to this offense are, it is naive to think that everyone can simply snap their fingers in unison and become a team with an identity dramatically different from what it has always been.
To be clear, nobody inside the locker room seems to think that is what they are attempting. Sirianni, Hurts, Mailata — all understand what they need to be. The Eagles’ genius as an organization has always been their understanding of and prioritization of football’s longest-standing fundamental.
“I really do think we can get back to where we were two years ago,” Mailata said. “We’re going to keep evolving this offense as we go. Today was a good start.”
The two-time defending NFC East champion Eagles begin their season Sunday, with the Washington Commanders coming to town for the Week 1 opener at the Linc (4:25 p.m. Fox). With that in mind, let’s meet every member of the 53-man squad. Players are listed by expected order on the Eagles’ depth chart.
Quarterbacks (4)
Jalen Hurts
College: Oklahoma | Years pro: 6 | 6-1, 223
Another year, another new offensive coordinator and play caller for Hurts, who has dealt with constant change since he was in college. All eyes are on the quarterback as the Eagles enter 2026 with a revamped offense under new coordinator Sean Mannion. How will Hurts take to running an offense that has him taking more snaps from under center, utilizing more play action, and one that may even ask him to run a little more often? How will he deal with a wide receiving corps that doesn’t have A.J. Brown anymore? There are a lot of question marks hanging over the offense, and Hurts is under the spotlight. — Neiburg
Andy Dalton struggled in the preseason. Could he still be a trade target?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Andy Dalton
College: TCU | Years pro: 15 | 6-2, 220
The Eagles traded a seventh-round pick for Dalton in hopes that the 38-year-old could compete for the No. 2 job behind Hurts or, if Tanner McKee outperformed him in camp, could be used as trade bait to a quarterback-needy team. Neither happened, and so Dalton enters the 2026 season either second or third on the depth chart. Dalton has played a lot of football, but he’s four years removed from being a starter. — Neiburg
Tanner McKee
College: Stanford | Years pro: 2 | 6-6, 231
Coach Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman are hesitant to name a backup quarterback, so McKee will either be the No. 2 or No. 3 guy behind Hurts on the depth chart. It’s a clear battle between him and Dalton, who might have the edge due to his experience. McKee has shown flashes over the years — tossing 269 yards and two touchdowns in a meaningless game against the Giants in 2024 — but he hasn’t quite jelled with Mannion’s offense. — Novozinsky
Cole Payton
College: North Dakota State | Years pro: 1st | 6-3, 232
Payton, a rookie fifth-round pick from North Dakota State, fell victim to the QB battle in front of him this summer. He saw some garbage-time action in the preseason, but it wasn’t nearly enough to showcase his dual-threat potential. Roseman and Sirianni (rightly) gave his reps to Dalton and McKee, who are still battling for the QB2 job. — Novozinsky
Saquon Barkley’s effectiveness in Sean Mannion’s offensive scheme will be a major storyline. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Running Backs (3)
Saquon Barkley
College: Penn State | Years pro: 8 | 6-0, 233
The offense took a step back last year in part because Barkley could not come close to replicating his 2024 season, when he became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. Doing it again would have been a big ask, but Barkley’s ability to pile up yards was hampered by an offensive line that was injured and an offensive scheme that couldn’t find ways to get him the ball in space. This year, the Eagles are implementing a wide zone running scheme that should favor Barkley and a running game that will be pivotal to the team’s success. — Neiburg
Tank Bigsby
College: Auburn | Years pro: 3 | 5-11, 215
The Eagles acquired Bigsby a few weeks into the 2025 season and the backup running back was one of the few bright spots on offense. He rushed 58 times for 344 yards (5.9 per carry) but had more than four carries in only three games. A new-look rushing attack could ask for Bigsby to spell Barkley more often this year. — Neiburg
Will Shipley
College: Clemson | Years pro: 2 | 5-11, 209
Shipley enters his third season with the team as the third-string running back behind Barkley and Bigsby and as a key special teams contributor, particularly at kick returner. He won’t likely have ample touches on offense, but he acquitted himself nicely in the preseason, both as a runner and as a receiver. Mannion could find a role for him in the offense in certain situations. — Reiner
is DeVonta Smith ready to embrace WR1 status?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Wide receivers (6)
DeVonta Smith
College: Alabama | Years pro: 5 | 6-0, 170
With A.J. Brown shipped off to the Patriots, all eyes are on Smith as the Eagles’ WR1. Prominent members of the organization, including Sirianni and Roseman, have stated they believe Smith is ready to take on a bigger role in the offense. Smith, who turns 28 in November, could be the team’s leading receiver for the first time since 2021. He missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, but he is expected to be available for Week 1. — Reiner
Dontayvion Wicks
College: Virginia | Years pro: 3 | 6-1, 206
The Eagles acquired the 25-year-old Wicks from the Green Bay Packers this offseason. He made the most of his opportunities throughout camp, and with Makai Lemon sidelined for a significant portion of the offseason with a hamstring injury, Wicks made his case for the WR2 job. Wicks’ best season came in his rookie year in 2023, when he racked up 581 yards and four touchdowns on 39 receptions. The two seasons that followed paled in comparison. Wicks will look to prove he’s capable of taking on a greater workload in the Eagles offense. — Reiner
Can Makai Lemon recover from a low-impact preseason and training camp?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Makai Lemon
College: USC | Years pro: 1st | 5-11, 192
Fans and pundits will be looking at Lemon under a microscope this season — and for good reason. The 22-year-old rookie was drafted in hopes that he could help replicate Brown’s production in the aggregate, alongside the Eagles’ other weapons. Lemon isn’t off to the best start, missing the majority of training camp then struggling in his lone preseason appearance (3 yards on three catches and a drop that led to an interception). — Novozinsky
Darius Cooper
College: Tarleton State | Years pro: 1 | 5-11, 210
Last year’s training camp darling earned a roster spot by doing a lot of what Sirianni called the “dirty work.” The Eagles asked Cooper mostly to be a blocker and play special teams. He was targeted just 11 times on 212 offensive snaps. Cooper had a good start to training camp but seemed to fade a little down the stretch. That being said, there’s an opportunity for Cooper to have a bigger role in the offense this year. — Neiburg
Hollywood Brown is a former 1,000-yard receiver who is looking to revive his career in Philly. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Hollywood Brown
College: Oklahoma | Years pro: 7 | 5-9, 170
Roseman signed Brown to a one-year deal in free agency worth $5 million guaranteed after Brown followed up an injury-shortened 2024 campaign by catching 49 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns last year with Kansas City. He’s not the same receiver he was when he broke into the league as a 2019 first-round pick with Baltimore, but Brown could be a reliable third or fourth option despite being invisible at times during his first training camp in Philly. — Neiburg
Elijah Moore
College: Ole Miss | Years pro: 5 | 5-10, 178
Out is A.J. Brown, in is his college friend and teammate. The Eagles signed Moore to a one-year deal to add some depth to the position group. The 2021 second-round pick then went out and earned his spot with a strong training camp. Moore’s 2025 season with the Bills and Broncos was rocky, and he came to the Eagles facing a career crossroads. He could have a revival, especially if Lemon struggles early and the Eagles ask Moore to be their slot receiver. — Neiburg
Video: unCovering the Birds: Is tight end the biggest area of concern?
Tight ends (4)
Dallas Goedert
College: South Dakota State | Years pro: 8 | 6-5, 256
Goedert is back with the Eagles for a ninth season after the team signed the 31-year-old to a one-year deal. Goedert is coming off a productive 2025 season where he had more touchdowns (11) than he did in the previous three seasons combined. Goedert will again be relied on in the passing game, but the Eagles will need him to give a little more as a blocker in a run scheme that asks more of the tight ends than the previous one did. — Neiburg
Johnny Mundt
College: Oregon | Years pro: 8 | 6-4, 245
Blocking from the tight end spot was a struggle at times for the Eagles in 2025, so they tried to rectify that by signing Mundt, who has become one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL over the last few seasons. What’s more, he’s also experienced in the Eagles’ new style of offense, having played on multiple teams that deploy some version of the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay offense. — Neiburg
Eli Stowers’ ability to make a Year 1 impact is in question. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Eli Stowers
College: Vanderbilt | Years pro: 1st | 6-3, 239
The Eagles selected Stowers with their second-round pick in part because it’s past time they started planning for the future at the position. Stowers is a former quarterback who transitioned to tight end in college after a shoulder injury. The Eagles loved his athleticism and think they’ll eventually be able to take advantage of some mismatches when he’s running routes, but it’s unclear how involved the rookie will be in the offense early in the season. — Neiburg
EJ Jenkins
College: Georgia Tech | Years pro: 1 | 6-6, 245
Jenkins was one of the bubble offensive skill players who made the initial 53-man roster. He has been with the Eagles for most of the last three years, primarily on the practice squad, and he has appeared in 14 games between the regular season and the postseason. Jenkins checks the box as another “Y” tight end responsible for lining up inline and blocking, a coveted role in the Shanahan/McVay offense. — Reiner
Jordan Mailata returns as one of the Eagles’ most reliable players. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Offensive linemen (9)
Jordan Mailata
College: N/A | Years pro: 8 | 6-8, 365
While most of the offensive line was hampered by injury last season, Mailata was one of the unit’s healthiest members, starting in all 16 games that the starters played (not including Week 18). He has seemingly improved with age — according to Pro Football Focus, Mailata conceded two sacks in 2025, the second-lowest total of his career (he gave up one sack in 2024). Two years ago, he earned second-team All-Pro honors. Can he earn leaguewide acclaim in 2026? — Reiner
Landon Dickerson
College: Alabama | Years pro: 5 | 6-6, 332
Dickerson admitted that last season, he returned to action too quickly after undergoing meniscus surgery. He had a full offseason to recover from his various injuries, which included traveling to Colombia to receive stem cell therapy to manage his pain. Now, Dickerson says he’s healthy as he aims to bounce back in his sixth season as the starting left guard. Can he get back to the standard he established from 2022-24 when he was an original-selection Pro Bowler for three straight years? — Reiner
A healthy Cam Jurgens would be a mark in the Eagles’ favor in 2026. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Cam Jurgens
College: Nebraska | Years pro: 4 | 6-3, 303
Chronic back pain slowed Jurgens at times in 2025, though he still was named to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season. Like Dickerson, Jurgens sought to rid himself of that pain by flying to Colombia for stem cell therapy treatment during the offseason. Jurgens says he’s feeling a lot better, and he appears to be moving around a lot better, too. The new running attack should fit his athletic profile. — Neiburg
Tyler Steen
College: Alabama | Years pro: 3 | 6-6, 321
Steen is heading into his second season as the starting right guard. He was solid in his first season, conceding just two sacks, according to PFF. His teammates have lauded his improvement throughout training camp as he heads into a contract year. Steen will have an opportunity to play his way into a pay raise, either in Philadelphia or elsewhere. — Reiner
Lane Johnson said 2026 will probably be his last go-round. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Lane Johnson
College: Oklahoma | Years pro: 13 | 6-6, 325
Johnson’s reign at right tackle is nearing its end. During training camp, Hurts’ 36-year-old protector said that 2026 will “probably” be his final season. Johnson played just 10 games last season, as he was sidelined with a Lisfranc foot injury. The six-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro right tackle will have an opportunity to end his career on a high note in a new offense featuring a different blocking scheme in the run game, so long as he can stay healthy. — Reiner
Fred Johnson
College: Florida | Years pro: 7 | 6-7, 326
Johnson has been a quiet mainstay in his previous three seasons with the Eagles, appearing in all 57 of the team’s games from 2023-25 (51 regular season, 6 playoffs). He’s mainly played on special teams units but has also earned 14 starts as the swing tackle during his time in Philly, including eight last year. Whether he serves as the primary tackle backup this season remains an open question — the team is high on rookie Markel Bell — but Johnson will provide veteran depth no matter his place on the depth chart. — Novozinsky
Markel Bell could be the Eagles’ starting tackle of the future. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Markel Bell
College: Miami (FL) | Years pro: 1st | 6-9, 346
The Eagles identified Lane Johnson’s heir apparent when they selected Bell in the third round of the draft. Throughout camp, he made the transition to right tackle, as he had primarily played at left tackle in college. Bell will have the opportunity to develop this season behind Johnson. If the 14-year veteran gets hurt, the Eagles don’t necessarily have to turn to Bell right away, as they also have Fred Johnson in a reserve role. — Reiner
Drew Kendall
College: Boston College | Years pro: 1 | 6-4, 308
The Eagles drafted Kendall, a college center, in the fifth round last year and then started cross-training him at guard. A year working behind some veteran offensive linemen and getting in an NFL training facility has done wonders. Kendall is bigger, stronger, and looks ready to step in if called upon to play any of the three interior offensive line positions. — Neiburg
Willie Lampkin was one of the stories of training camp for the Eagles. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Willie Lampkin
College: North Carolina | Years pro: 1 | 5-11, 290
The Eagles claimed Lampkin at the end of camp last season after the Los Angeles Rams waived him with an injury designation. He spent the entire season on injured reserve. Finally healthy, Lampkin impressed throughout the preseason despite his undersized stature and earned himself a spot as a depth interior lineman on the initial 53. Can the Eagles find a way to get him on the field in specialized personnel packages this season? — Reiner
Micah Morris
College: Georgia | Years pro: 1st | 6-5, 334
It’s easy to see why the Eagles, in search of offensive line depth, used a sixth-round pick on Morris this year. He has the body type and athleticism to play guard in the NFL. Morris showed some flashes during training camp and in preseason contests. He’s likely the last guy on the depth chart and won’t be called upon to play much, but the 23-year-old could be an intriguing prospect for the future. — Neiburg
Jalen Carter (left) and Jordan Davis are both looking to deliver in 2026 after earning huge offseason contract extensions. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Interior defensive line (5)
Jalen Carter
College: Georgia | Years pro: 3 | 6-3, 314
He got paid. Now can he bounce back? Last season, Carter generated a career-low 7.7% pressure rate while facing a double-team on a career-low 41.7% of his pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats. This came after his wildly successful 2024 season, during which he helped propel the Birds to a Super Bowl win. Now recovered from injury and 10 pounds lighter, Carter should be one of the top defensive tackles in the league this season. — Novozinsky
Jordan Davis
College: Georgia | Years pro: 4 | 6-6, 336
It’s clear that Davis has a different mindset entering this season. Look no further than the fact that the Eagles named the 26-year-old a first-time captain on Friday. Davis, who inked a three-year, $78 million extension in March, is going to be a force in Vic Fangio’s defense once again this year. He’s coming off a career-best 72-tackle and 4.5-sack season and should replicate that this season. — Novozinsky
Moro Ojomo had a strong training camp for the Eagles. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Moro Ojomo
College: Texas | Years pro: 3 | 6-3, 292
Ojomo watched Carter and Davis — who sit ahead of him on the depth chart — become two of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league this offseason. The 2023 seventh-round pick is using that as motivation. The trio of Carter, Davis and an extra-motivated Ojomo have a chance to form the best DT trio in the NFL this season. — Novozinsky
Byron Young
College: Alabama | Years pro: 3 | 6-3, 292
Young is sort of the otherguy along a defensive interior front that could be among the best in the NFL with Carter, Davis and Ojomo. But Young has more than held his own when the Eagles have called his number. He played in all 17 games last season and tallied 37 tackles. He had three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits while playing 30% of the defensive snaps. With a healthier Carter, Young could see fewer snaps, but the Eagles certainly like what they have with their No. 4 defensive tackle. — Neiburg
Ty Robinson was a preseason standout. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Ty Robinson
College: Nebraska | Years pro: 1 | 6-5, 288
Robinson has been on “life support” for the past year, according to Fangio, as he struggled to get on the field in his rookie season. His defensive coordinator said he “came to life” as training camp progressed. Robinson led the Eagles with three sacks in the preseason. He will have the opportunity to make an impact in a depth role behind the top trio of Carter, Davis, and Ojomo. — Reiner
Edge rushers/outside linebackers (5)
Jonathan Greenard
College: Florida | Years pro: 6 | 6-3, 263
Greenard was the biggest acquisition of the offseason. The Eagles during draft weekend sent two third-round picks to Minnesota to acquire Greenard and a seventh-round pick, and then quickly signed the 29-year-old to a four-year deal worth nearly $100 million. But Greenard missed all of training camp after suffering a pectoral injury late in the offseason and his availability for Week 1 is uncertain. When he’s healthy, the Eagles will need Greenard to consistently get after the quarterback. He had at least 12 sacks in 2023 and 2024 before his injury-shortened 2025 season. — Neiburg
Video: unCovering the Birds mailbag: Analyzing Jalyx Hunt’s productive training camp
Jalyx Hunt
College: Houston Christian | Years pro: 2 | 6-3, 252
Hunt arguably had the best training camp of any Eagles player this summer. The 25-year-old edge rusher lived in the backfield during training camp, sweeping past the Eagles’ best offensive tackles with ease. With Greenard potentially injured to start the season, look for Hunt to take his reps and thrive. He had a 6.5-sack season last year. It’s not a stretch to say he might double that this year. — Novozinsky
Nolan Smith Jr.
College: Georgia | Years pro: 3 | 6-2, 238
Smith re-injured his triceps last season, forcing him to miss over a month of game action. His production declined, going from 6.5 sacks in 2024 to three in 2025. Now healthy, Smith had a strong performance in training camp opposite Hunt while Greenard was sidelined. He’ll look to take his game to the next level with the opportunity for a contract extension looming. — Reiner
Former Penn State and Temple star Arnold Ebiketie (17) is looking to make his name as an Eagle. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Arnold Ebiketie
College: Penn State | Years pro: 4 | 6-3, 256
After four years with Atlanta, Ebiketie hit free agency and found a team in the Eagles who needed to fill out the depth chart on the edge. His playing time dropped off a bit in 2025. He was on the field for 35% of the defensive snaps after playing 49% a year earlier. The Eagles have some workhorses at the top of the depth chart in Greenard, Hunt and Smith, but Ebiketie may need to play a little more if Greenard isn’t ready for Week 1. — Neiburg
A.J. Epenesa
College: Iowa | Years pro: 6 | 6-6, 260
It was a weird offseason for Epenesa. The Browns signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million before balking at the deal weeks later, reportedly due to a failed physical. Now, he finds himself on a loaded Eagles defensive front — and he couldn’t be happier. The 27-year-old looked sharp in camp too, recording a handful of sacks and nabbing an interception on Day 2. — Novozinsky
Zack Baun is a linchpin of the Eagles defense. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Inside linebackers (4)
Zack Baun
College: Wisconsin | Years pro: 6 | 6-3, 225
Three years ago, Baun arrived in Philadelphia as an expected special teams ace and a prospective edge rusher. Since then, he’s become an All-Pro, two-time Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion inside linebacker and one of the most important players in Fangio’s defense. After Nakobe Dean signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, Baun is set to take on green dot responsibilities as the on-field defensive play caller this season. — Reiner
Jihaad Campbell
College: Alabama | Years pro: 1 | 6-3, 235
Campbell made an immediate impact in his rookie season, playing in all 17 games and recording a decent stat line of 80 tackles, one interception and three pass deflections. Can he have an even stronger sophomore year? He’ll have help in the room — Campbell, Zack Baun and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. form one of the deepest linebacker corps in the league. — Novozinsky
Is this the year Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (54) breaks through on defense? Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
College: Clemson | Years pro: 2 | 6-0, 225
Trotter heads into his third season with the Eagles as the next man up behind Baun and Campbell. But the 2024 fifth-round pick has demonstrated in the preseason that he could start in any other defense. He finished behind Robinson with two sacks in the preseason, plus one tackle for a loss. Should either Baun or Campbell go down this year, the Eagles ought to feel comfortable with Trotter taking their place. — Reiner
Smael Mondon Jr.
College: Georgia | Years pro: 1 | 6-2, 224
The 2025 fifth-round pick played just 14 defensive snaps last season but was a core special teamer. That shouldn’t change much in 2025 unless the Eagles suffer a few injuries. Linebacker is arguably their deepest position. Mondon seems to be developing nicely and held off a few challengers for a roster spot. — Neiburg
Quinyon Mitchell (27) and Cooper DeJean are seeking to build on All-Pro seasons. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Cornerbacks (6)
Quinyon Mitchell
College: Toledo | Years pro: 2 | 6-0, 193
In his rookie season, Mitchell proved he was a stud in the making, being named to the All-Rookie team and finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He took it another step last year when he was named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. Can Mitchell keep leveling up in Year 3? Can he prove that he’s the best cornerback in the NFL (and deserves to get paid like it)? — Novozinsky
Cooper DeJean
College: Iowa | Years pro: 2 | 6-0, 198
DeJean followed up an impressive rookie season by being selected as a first-team All-Pro and being named to the Pro Bowl. DeJean is arguably the best nickel corner in the NFL, but he’s taking on a new job for 2026: safety. DeJean will play on the back line when the Eagles are in their base defense and return to the slot in nickel and dime packages. — Neiburg
Video: Riq Woolen amazed after meeting ‘swole’ Eagles legend Brian Dawkins
Riq Woolen
College: UTSA | Years pro: 4 | 6-4, 210
Woolen’s career with the Seahawks got off to a hot start. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in his rookie season in 2022 and was a key member of their Super Bowl team last season. So, how did the Eagles manage to sign him to a one-year deal in free agency? Well, his inconsistency made him an occasional liability for Mike Macdonald in Seattle. Let’s see if the 6-foot-4 corner can find stability in Fangio’s defense. — Novozinsky
Jonathan Jones
College: Auburn | Years pro: 10 | 5-9, 190
Jones is expected to be the Eagles’ top backup cornerback. He spent last season with the Commanders — Philly’s Week 1 opponent — and signed a one-year deal, $2-million contract with the Eagles in March. He had 78 starts in his first 10 seasons, so he brings a wealth of experience if an Eagles corner goes down this season. — Novozinsky
Kelee Ringo remins a valuable secondary backup and special-teamer. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Kelee Ringo
College: Georgia | Years pro: 3 | 6-2, 207
Last training camp, Ringo was in competition with Adoree’ Jackson for the starting outside cornerback job opposite Mitchell. This year, Ringo wasn’t in the picture, with Woolen signing a prove-it deal in the offseason to command that post. Ringo isn’t even the first outside cornerback off the bench — that’s Jones’ job. But the 24-year-old cornerback is a valued special teamer, hence his roster spot. — Reiner
Mac McWilliams
College: UCF | Years pro: 1 | 5-10, 191
McWilliams looks like a more well-rounded version of his rookie self. He earned occasional reps with the first-team defense throughout training camp and made some plays when doing so. He won’t start if the cornerback room stays healthy, but don’t be surprised if he climbs up the depth chart and earns snaps. — Novozinsky
Can Andrew Mukuba (24) bounce back from the injury that prematurely ended his 2025?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Safeties (3)
Andrew Mukuba
College: Texas | Years pro: 1 | 5-11, 186
Mukuba saw his rookie season cut short in late November when he fractured his fibula. Now healthy, he will look to stay on the field in his role as one of two starting safeties in his sophomore season. Despite missing the last two months of the 2025 season, Mukuba did not see any preseason action, reinforcing the confidence that the Eagles have in him to do his job come Week 1. Fangio lauded Mukuba’s improved “knowledge and knowhow of the defense” in training camp. — Reiner
Marcus Epps
College: Wyoming | Years pro: 7 | 6-0, 198
Epps is expected to serve as the starting safety alongside Mukuba in Week 1. It was a tough battle between him and Michael Carter II this summer, but Epps experience and institutional knowledge — he was a key starter on the Eagles’ 2022 Super Bowl team — won him the job. Now comes the hard part for Epps: Can he keep the job all season? Carter will be gunning for it every week. — Novozinsky
Michael Carter II will have a key role after a productive training camp and preseason. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Michael Carter II
College: Duke | Years pro: 5 | 5-10, 184
With Mukuba and Epps the likely Week 1 starters at safety, Carter figures to serve as the next safety off the bench. He is the expected backup to DeJean at nickel cornerback, too. Fangio also revealed that Carter will be the sixth defensive back on the field in the dime package. Even though it always seemed like Epps was the frontrunner for the starting safety vacancy this offseason, Fangio said Carter did “nothing but [help] himself” with his performance in camp. — Reiner
Specialists (3)
Jake Elliott
College: Memphis | Years pro: 9 | 5-9, 167
Elliott is coming off of another shaky season in which he went 20-for-27 on his field goal attempts (74.1% conversion rate; his second-lowest rate of the regular season). He is 48-for-63 over the last two regular seasons (76.2%). Still, the Eagles displayed their confidence in the 31-year-old kicker this offseason by restructuring his contract in 2026, agreeing on a $1 million pay cut but guaranteeing $5 million. He did not have any competitors in camp, further reinforcing that the job is his to keep so long as he can establish consistency. — Reiner
Braden Mann (10) and Jake Elliott (right) are back, but will have a new teammate doing the snapping on kicks. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Braden Mann
College: Texas A&M | Years pro: 6 | 5-11, 198
Mann had a good offseason. The 28-year-old punter got paid in March, signing a four-year, $14 million contract extension, and he looked rock solid in training camp. He’s a practice squad success story, with the Eagles initially picking him up from the Steelers in 2023. — Novozinsky
Rocco Underwood
College: Florida | Years pro: 1st | 6-3, 240
The Eagles had stability at long snapper from 2000-2024, with Mike Bartrum, Jon Dorenbos and Rick Lovato all being good enough to earn multiple contracts. They’re hoping Underwood can be that next guy — though things aren’t off to the best start. Underwood, who has shown potential in the past, winning the 2024 Patrick Mannelly Award for the nation’s best long snapper, had a rough start to training camp due to a few bad snaps. He’s since turned it around, but it’s hard to forget those early mistakes. For now, they’ll have to deal with his possible inconsistency and bank on his potential. — Novozinsky
The Eagles held the 16th open practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at Lincoln Financial Field. Here were my observations from Day 16 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15):
Stowers update
Eli Stowers missed a second straight practice with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the second preseason game against the New England Patriots. The rookie tight end is expected to be out for about two weeks, from what I understand. If he’s healthy by the Wednesday before Week 1 of the regular season, he could be available for the season opener.
The following Eagles were also held out because of injury: Tackle Markel Bell (thumb/leg), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee) and safety Cole Wisniewski (concussion). Cornerback Mac McWilliams (shoulder) was limited.
The Eagles had a number of players make full returns from injury, including center/guard Willie Lampkin (stinger), defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), wide receiver Quez Watkins (foot), cornerback Ambry Thomas (groin), and receiver Danny Gray (groin).
Eagles fans were back at the Linc and witnessed a defense-dominated display. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Oh, O-line
Guard Landon Dickerson was given a not-injury-related rest day. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, he tore the meniscus in his knee during last year’s open practice at the Linc. The Eagles may have sat him to stay away from potential bad juju. Dickerson rushed back from surgery in time for the opener a year ago, but recently said that he should have waited until he was fully recovered.
Drew Kendall took all the repetitions at left guard in Dickerson’s place. He had his ups and downs in a scrimmage that favored the Eagles defense, particularly the first unit. Kendall got toasted by defensive tackle Moro Ojomo on an inside rush that resulted in a sack at one point. Right tackle Lane Johnson left early not long after edge Nolan Smith Jr. beat him inside for a hurry. Fred Johnson took his spot with Bell out. Ojukwu got bumped up the depth chart and filled in the few times left tackle Jordan Mailata took a rest.
DeVonta Smith (right) was an offensive standout and gave Eagles fans something about which to cheer. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
D-lightful
The makeshift O-line likely had something to do with the struggles of Jalen Hurts and Co. The quarterback was pressured a bunch. But Sean Mannion’s unit was often out of sync except for a couple successful red-zone plays and one good drive after being backed up. Hurts’ two interceptions to cornerback Riq Woolen will make headlines — as they should for both parties — but there were a lot of reasons why the first-unit offense looked sloppy.
Credit has to be given to Vic Fangio’s group. He’s had all of his starters for most of the summer and that same 11 was in the lineup again. Mannion’s installation has been completed for over a week, so there isn’t much new to throw at the defense. The group knows the plays, the snap count, and often what’s coming before it even happens.
On the first series, Hurts hit receiver Dontayvion Wicks for a short gain and Saquon Barkley had a solid run to the left, but it was mostly defensive dominance thereafter. Safety Marcus Epps snuffed out a Hurts draw play. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter met Barkley at the line of scrimmage for a stop. Hurts hooked up with receiver DeVonta Smith after getting forced to his right. But his pass to receiver Makai Lemon on an inside route was broken up by cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Jalen Hurts and the offense remains a work in progress. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Hurts so much
The next set was less productive for the offense or more fruitful for the defense — take your pick. Hurts went to Lemon on a schemed-up pass off play-action, but cornerback Cooper DeJean was in the receiver’s pocket. Smith burned Mitchell on a deep post route, but Hurts’ pass was underthrown and Mitchell recovered to break up the pass. Smith is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the Eagles’ receivers.
Jalyx Hunt made Fred Johnson look like a turnstile on the way to a would-be sack. Hurts continued the play and hit Wicks over the middle, but the play was given to the defense. Another short toss to Lemon netted few yards with cornerback Michael Carter II in tight coverage. Jalen Carter touched up Barkley for a stop. And when Hurts did well to roll away from an unblocked blitzer and found Smith as his outlet, the receiver dropped the ball. On the last play of the set, Hurts chucked the ball wide and out of bounds with a covered Smith.
Jalen Hurts missed some throws behind a patchwork line but was more effective in the red zone. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Lemon aid
Lemon has been getting a tutorial from DeJean, one of the best slots in the NFL. Mannion called for another quick hitter to the receiver off a naked bootleg, but with Hunt in Hurts’ mug, DeJean was all over Lemon by the time the ball arrived. Jalen Carter gifted the offense five yards when he jumped offside, but a Barkley outside zone run on the next play was blown up in the backfield. Hurts likely needed to check out of that call with so many defenders in the box.
It just got worse. A Fangio blitz collapsed the pocket, but Hurts still threw to Lemon on a crossing route. It wasn’t the greatest route and Woolen snatched the ball for his first interception of the night. An offensive false start followed. Hurts did hook up with receiver Darius Cooper on a button hook. And running back Tank Bigsby had decent gains up the middle on the ground.
But Ojomo’s sack and another drop — this time from Cooper — ended the set.
Fans watched as the Eagles defense defeated the offense by a count of 58-36, based on practice scoring. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Red zone district
The offense rebounded in the red zone. On the first play from the 20-yard line, Barkley ran a sort-of corner route and got behind linebacker Zack Baun. Hurts’ throw was perfect and the running back made the catch for a touchdown.
On the next red-zone possession, Barkley gobbled yards up the middle on first down. But on the next play, Hurts’ downfield throw to Lemon off play-action was broken up by Mitchell. The rookie receiver didn’t appear to get enough depth on his route. The ball went back to Lemon on his next pattern — when he motioned inside and ran a wheel route — and the defense didn’t account for him. He waltzed into the end zone untouched.
Hurts built off that modicum of success during the backup portion. A first-down run didn’t net many yards. In fact, it resulted in defensive tackle Jordan Davis hobbling off after he dinged his left arm. (He later returned, outfitted with a brace.) But Bigsby churned ahead on the ground on a couple carries. And Hurts again rolled away from the rush and found tight end Cam Latu for a first down.
We got a rare glimpse of tight end Johnny Mundt in the backfield. The Bigsby rush was thwarted, but not exclusively because of Mundt’s lead block. A screen pass to Smith on the ensuing play was blown up by DeJean. But Hurts wisely kept feeding his best receiver. He rifled a dart to Smith on a comebacker ahead of Mitchell. And two plays later, tossed a strike to No. 6 just out of Woolen’s reach and Smith jetted upfield for chunk yards.
A busted play that forced Hurts into a throwaway and DeJean snuffing out a Will Shipley draw forced another third down. But receiver Hollywood Brown got wide-open downfield and raced the last 10 yards untouched into the end zone.
Saquon Barkley had a frustrating night on the ground in the open practice. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Two for two
The first two-minute drill was an odd one as the offense worked on getting the defense to jump offside. Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert looked back at their coaches upset or confused or something else when a couple of the tailback’s rushes were curtailed. Center Cam Jurgens walked out of the huddle and was replaced by Jake Majors. Jurgens didn’t appear hurt. But Hurts’ hard count finally did get an impatient Ojomo to jump. It wasn’t exactly riveting stuff for the fans.
Nevertheless, the first units came out for one last hurry-up period. The offense got off to a solid start with a Barkley catch-and-run out of the backfield, a checkdown to Smith and a Hurts seed to Wicks over the middle. But when Hurts was pressured again by Hunt, he tried for Smith near the sideline. Woolen was in lockstep with the receiver, jumped the route and went the other way with the ball for a pick-six.
Nick Sirianni gave Andy Dalton the first crack at No. 2 reps on Tuesday night. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Second best
This was a night almost exclusively for the starters with fans in the house, and the final preseason game reserved for guys fighting to make the roster or the practice squad. There were some periods for the second and third units. Andy Dalton got the nod at quarterback as he and Tanner McKee continued to split snaps in their battle for the No. 2 job.
Dalton overthrew Cooper on his first drop. But he got into a rhythm with receiver Elijah Moore and scored on their third connection when Moore found space on a crossing route and zigzagged into the end zone.
McKee had some good moments, too. He went to Brown for a couple quickies vs. zone coverage. He found Moore as his outlet vs. the blitz. And on fourth down, he hit tight end E.J. Jenkins on a short release. Shipley did the rest on the ground and scored when he ran off right tackle. McKee’s two-point conversion try in the back of the end zone went off Brown’s hands.
McKee shined in the two-minute period. He hooked up with Cooper on a deep crosser and hit Moore on a 15-yard out. His downfield pass to Cooper was on target, but the receiver eased up his route and the ball sailed by. Cooper reacted as if he knew he messed up.
Extra points
The final score was Defense 58, Offense 36. … Rookie quarterback Cole Payton got a few reps in the backup period. … Britain Covey was again the first up to field punts, but Lemon took turns as well. If the Eagles believe the rookie can handle punts, it could make Covey expendable on game days … Shipley and Bigsby were paired as the first two kick returners. … The Eagles announced attendance of more than 45,000. Pennsylvania governor and noted Eagles fan Josh Shapiro was among them. … The Eagles will return to the Jefferson Health Training Complex for practice on Wednesday afternoon. They will have a closed walkthrough on Thursday ahead of Friday’s preseason finale at the Linc vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Eagles held the eighth practice of their 2026 training camp on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 8 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7):
Beef Jurgens
Cam Jurgens left practice early for a second straight day. He wasn’t listed on the Eagles’ injury report because he started Saturday as a full participant. But Jurgens walked off late into the workout with a medical staffer. He was dealing with some heat exhaustion, from what I understand. It’s been oppressively humid the last two days. The Eagles moved practice up 30 minutes partly due to weather conditions and a planned two-hour scrimmage. Running backs Dameon Pierce and Elijah Mitchell also departed early.
The following players remained out: wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), receiver Britain Covey (hamstring), edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Receiver Danny Gray was also absent after suffering a concussion on Friday. Linebacker Chance Campbell (groin) was limited.
Line ’em up
Lane Johnson was back in team drills a day after returning from a four-practice absence. The right tackle, who later announced that this season would likely be his last after 13 years, split time with rookie Markel Bell. Left guard Landon Dickerson took a few more repetitions than Johnson, but he was spelled by Drew Kendall.
Here’s how the lines looked during the scrimmage:
Kendall played center after Jurgens left and will likely be his backup when the season starts. The Eagles have had him mostly at guard in camp.
The Eagles have likewise had Willie Lampkin more at guard recently, already knowing his abilities at center.
Tackle Hollin Pierce, for whatever reason, didn’t participate in the scrimmage, as far as I could tell.
Battle royal
We got our first extended set of one-on-ones between the linemen. Here were some standouts on the offensive side:
Mailata effectively steered edge Nolan Smith beyond the pocket on an outside speed rush, and then balled him up when Smith tried to go inside on the second rep.
Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata got the best of Nolan Smith during Saturday’s one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bell didn’t cow to edge Jalyx Hunt. Bell handled a power move on the first rush. On the second, he got his hands quickly on Hunt, but lost his grasp. It’s early, but Bell could be the future at right tackle.
Lampkin has held up at guard despite his size disadvantage. He owned defensive tackle Gabe Hall on back-to-back reps. He later won at center vs. Zion Wilson. Lampkin’s footwork is superior.
John Ojukwu had relative success against Hunt. He got knocked off balance at the top of Hunt’s rush, but recovered. You can see why the Eagles have him ahead of projects like Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams.
Mano a mano
Here were some of the defensive line standouts in one-on-ones:
Hunt appeared to get Lane Johnson with an inside move before he faced Bell. I think we can chalk the future Hall of Famer’s apparent loss up to rust.
Defensive tackle Ty Robinson used a club-swim move to get past Kendall. He tried something similar on the next turn, but to little avail. Byron Young seemed to get the upper hand vs. Jake Majors on both attempts.
While the starters generally don’t go as hard as the backups — there’s almost an unwritten code about showing the other up in one-on-ones — I thought there was good back-and-forth between Jalen Carter and Tyler Steen, Jordan Davis and Jurgens, and Moro Ojomo and Landon Dickerson.
Smith had more success against Fred Johnson than he did against Mailata. Smith disengaged quickly from the tackle’s attempt to lock him up with his hands on their second clash.
Smith may not be the best rusher in isolated matchups, but he’s violent setting the edge, effective when he drops in coverage, and always gives effort. He notched a sack in team drills that could partially be attributed to his relentlessness.
Eagles linebacker Zach Baun intercepted Jalen Hurts during Saturday’s scrimmage. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Linebacker corps
Jihaad Campbell popped off the screen in the early portion of the scrimmage. The linebacker completely knocked Jurgens on his rear on an early run play. Later, Campbell fended off Steen at the second level and touched up running back Saquon Barkley. On the next play, he two-hand touched tight end Dallas Goedert after a sliding catch.
I counted three more run plays in which Campbell was involved during the set. He did get washed out by Jurgens at one point. And in the “backed-up” period, he hesitated on a run blitz, and Barkley simply cut to the left and ran through the vacated gap.
Zack Baun was equally impressive. He made the stop on Barkley’s first tote. He often teamed up with Campbell on other run stops. Baun also intercepted quarterback Jalen Hurts on a deflected pass in a two-minute drill. He correctly anticipated a later throw and nearly had another pick, but receiver Elijah Moore somehow escaped with the catch.
Barkley appeared to be energized by the scrimmage. It was tough sledding on the ground early on against maybe the best interior D-line in the league (more on that later), but he had his moments. He motored up field after a Goedert wham block on a split zone run. He powered inside the 10-yard line and kicked the ball forward when it was spotted shorter than he liked. On the next play, Barkley ran from Carter and into the end zone. Was it a touchdown? He celebrated like it was. Carter just laughed.
Eagles running back Saquon made some standout plays during the scrimmage, including a touchdown run on Saturday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Tank Bigsby found daylight when he got time with the first unit. He fumbled an exchange with Hurts on one play, though. Cooper DeJean pushed him to the ground on a later rush. Bigsby pancaked cornerback Ambry Thomas with a block in the backed-up period. But on the next play, Bigsby got knocked to the ground by the blitzing Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He held onto the linebacker’s leg for dear life, but coach Nick Sirianni saw the whole thing and flagged him for holding.
Passing brass
Hurts had another solid day as a passer. While receiver Dontayvion Wicks was a favorite target early in camp, Moore has recently seen a lot of throws come his way out of the slot. I still feel the receiver has an uphill climb with Lemon assured a roster spot. It’s not like Moore can play on special teams.
Hollywood Brown had several grabs, too. Hurts found Wicks downfield on an in-breaking route. It was a good call vs. the coverage. A play later, the quarterback checked down to tight end Johnny Mundt off a naked bootleg.
Hurts rebounded from the pick to Baun. He squirted outside after the pocket collapsed and threw a jump ball that Goedert pulled in over Campbell in the end zone. On the two-point try, Hurts benefited from good pass protection and found Moore alone for the conversion.
The Eagles’ D-line, led by Jalen Carter (98) dominated at times on Saturday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Interior defense
As mentioned earlier, the D-line dominated at times. Carter has been scary good. He didn’t bite on misdirection and pressured Hurts into a throwaway. Carter later slipped Jurgens and forced an erratic throw.
Davis clogged the middle on several runs and penetrated past Steen to get to Barkley in a backed-up situation. Ojomo may have had the best day. He pressured Hurts on rushes that could have resulted in sacks.
It almost isn’t fair when Ojomo lines up with the second unit. He got to Pierce in the backfield for a loss. A few plays later, he put Michael Jordan on skates with a bull rush. He beat Majors a set later and hurried quarterback Andy Dalton out of the pocket.
This and that
Marcus Epps took most of the snaps at safety alongside Drew Mukuba, but Michael Carter II continued to get looks. Carter had an early pass breakup with the second unit. Robinson got some first-team snaps. Arnold Ebiketie has consistently rotated in with the starters, but A.J. Epenesa also got some time at edge.
Eagles rookie tight end Eli Stowers (left) had four catches on Saturday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Dalton was first up with the twos over Tanner McKee. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers had an early drop, but rebounded and finished with four catches. Receiver Darius Cooper made a diving grab near the sideline on a Dalton pass, but was ruled out. McKee found Cam Latu a few times, one time when the tight end released after initially blocking an edge. Safety J.T. Gray had a tackle for loss.
Extra points
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton tried to throw the ball away during the third-team period, but safety Maximus Pulley somehow reeled in an interception. Payton responded later by marching the offense to a touchdown when he hit running back Carson Steele out of the backfield. … The defense won the scrimmage, 54-45. … Jake Elliott was a perfect 6-for-6 on kicks ranging from about 33 to 47 yards. He’s missed just one attempt in organized periods. … Owner Jeffrey Lurie attended his first practice of the summer. … Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and his family were guests, as was former Phillie Shane Victorino. … The Eagles are off Sunday. They return to practice on Monday.
The Eagles held the fifth practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 5 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3 and 4):
Receiving line
The Eagles were without wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon due to hamstring injuries. Lemon left Monday’s practice early, while Smith appeared to finish the workout. The team doesn’t expect either player to be out for an extended period. Both receivers were present Tuesday, which was a positive sign.
I wouldn’t be worried about Smith. He might have tweaked something, but the educated guess here is that the Eagles shut him down for the time being. They’ve been careful with him before, just as they were with A.J. Brown last year at camp. Smith is far and away the best receiver on the team and the Eagles can’t afford a needless injury with the drop-off relatively steep.
Lemon is another story. The rookie needs the reps. It also doesn’t help that he suffered a hamstring strain in the spring. While it’s unclear if he hurt the same one, two soft tissue injuries in the span of six weeks isn’t likely how he wants to start his career. Lemon has been quiet in the early going. He’s yet to make a play that screams “first round draft pick,” but it’s also very early.
Lane Johnson speaks with reporters during the first day of training camp on July 29. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Paving the Lane
Lane Johnson missed a third straight practice for an excused non-injury-related reason. The Eagles have declined to offer more detail on their right tackle’s absence. Johnson’s only other extended absences that didn’t involve injury came in 2014 and 2016 when he was suspended for performance-enhancing drug use and in 2021 when the team granted him a leave to address his mental health.
The following Eagles remained injured and out: outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle), guard Micah Morris (shoulder), guard Jaeden Roberts (calf contusion) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring). Tackle Cameron Williams (knee contusion) was back to full participation. Receiver Britain Covey walked off the field with trainers late in the workout.
Sean Mannion (center) did not oversee a sharp day from his offensive unit. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Offensive offense
It was a tough day for Sean Mannion’s offense after it appeared to make strides in the bubble on a rainy Monday. The Eagles were in full pads for a second straight day and the outside environment and intensity seemed to benefit the defense. It’s long been understood that NFL defenses are typically ahead in the early portion of camp. Coordinator Vic Fangio’s seasoned unit is also facing an offense that is still learning a new system.
As I’ve written here since the spring, there are going to be growing pains. It’s better to fail now rather than later. It also didn’t help that Smith was out. But I don’t think there was an offensive position group that could be happy about its performance on Tuesday, especially the O-line. Chris Kuper was without Johnson again, and the O-line coach juggled his units some, but there was too much sloppiness up front.
We also had our first few skirmishes of camp. Guard Tyler Steen and defensive tackle Ty Robinson got into a brief skirmish after several plays of facing each other. Safety Andrew Mukuba and receiver Dontayvion Wicks mixed it up after the former didn’t appreciate the latter’s downfield run blocking. There’s nothing wrong with a little extra fire between teammates, as long as no one gets burnt.
Landon Dickerson is among the offensive linemen trying to adjust to a new blocking scheme. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Blocking it out
The new wide-zone run blocking scheme will require an adjustment period for a starting group that had done it a different way under former O-line coach Jeff Stoutland. Johnson and left tackle Jordan Mailata shouldn’t be that affected. They could thrive in any system. Center Cam Jurgens and Steen should, theoretically, benefit because of their athleticism.
Left guard Landon Dickerson, though, could struggle the most. He’s not as nimble as the others and has had well-documented series of injuries that have put his future in question. Whenever he’s been asked to work to the perimeter on outside zone runs, it’s apparent he just doesn’t have the motor he once did.
That doesn’t mean he can’t get by or even flourish if healthy. But staying healthy has been an obvious issue, and he admitted earlier this week that he’s had to reconsider how he’s previously played through injury. That could place a greater emphasis on the backup guard spot. Drew Kendall appears to be the leading candidate right now. He took some first-team reps at left guard on Tuesday.
The Eagles know Kendall can play center. He’s Jurgens’ likely backup. But can he hold up in the interior at 308 pounds? He seemed to hold his ground against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo when he was with the starters. And he did well to pick up a Jeremiah Trotter Jr. blitz later with the second unit. But the tests will keep coming.
Jalen Hurts (1) did not have his best day of camp. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Hurting for certain
Objectively, Jalen Hurts was sharp on Monday. The opposite could be written a day later. The O-line problems didn’t help, and neither did occasionally poor pass catching. I thought Hurts threw a catchable deep ball to Quez Watkins, but the route wasn’t crisp and the receiver’s dive came up short. Hurts then floated a dime to Will Shipley after he was schemed wide-open on a wheel route. But the running back stone-cold dropped a would-be explosive play.
Hurts made some head-scratching decisions on throws downfield, though, some of them vs. the second defense. There was a heave to a double-covered Hollywood Brown that safety Michael Carter II intercepted after surviving a collision with the ground and a slight bobble. There was a tight-window toss to Wicks on the next play that cornerback Jakorian Bennett got his hands on.
Hurts later chucked another one up for grabs to Wicks that was only slightly overthrown past a few pursuing defenders. In the red zone, he hitched off play-action and still threw to a covered Wicks. Mukuba was in Wicks’ pocket, but cornerback Quinyon Mitchell came over and got a hand on the ball.
There were some good moments, too. Hurts had Brown alone in the end zone after a scissor route concept caught cornerback Jonathan Jones sleeping. Wicks shook cornerback Riq Woolen on an outside release and the ball arrived in time. Hurts had excellent ball placement on a pass to Wicks that required he throw it away from the lurking Mitchell.
But there just wasn’t much rhythm to the passing offense — not to mention the run game. Hurts, on several occasions, had no one open and had to either eat the ball or throw it away. During one pass play, after he went through his reads and the pocket collapsed, he simply dropped the ball to the ground.
Moro Ojomo (97) was among those who excelled on defense Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
D-light
The good news is that the defense could be dominant this season, barring significant injuries. Cornerback Cooper DeJean briefly ran off the field after dinging his left hand — a reminder that the game can take anyone — but he appeared fine after getting checked out by trainers.
Fangio has new faces on his side of the ball, but the biggest upgrade to last season’s very-good-but-not-great defense could be a 100% Jalen Carter. He seems to make a few eye-popping plays every practice. He bested Steen on back-to-back reps. Carter gave him the finger wag after stopping a Saquon Barkley run near the line, and then clubbed him to the helmet on the way to a would-be sack.
Moro Ojomo was a menace at defensive tackle as well. He jetted past Dickerson and might have caused Barkley to bobble a pitch that resulted in little gain. The Eagles’ depth at D-tackle allows Ojomo to face the second unit at times, and it can be unfair. He made quick work of tackle John Ojukwu and notched a run stop near the line.
And then there were missed blocks that gifted the front four. Carter was mind-bogglingly granted a free pass to Shipley on one rush. Defensive end Jalyx Hunt notched a unblocked sack when left tackle Fred Johnson appeared to have his eyes in the wrong spot.
Jihaad Campbell is making his presence felt at linebacker. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Back off
The off-ball linebacker group is pretty good, too. Jihaad Campbell still has lots to prove, but his talent is evident. He jacked running back Tank Bigsby onto his back and blew up a Barkley inside zone run near the goal line. Zack Baun lined up on the edge at one point and beat Ojukwu with an outside rush to record a sack. He also broke up a pass to tight end Dallas Goedert.
Trotter blitzed once and steamrolled Shipley. Smael Mondon had maybe his best practice of camp and made multiple tackles, including a run stop after he shook the pulling to Williams.
Dallas Goedert (88) and the tight ends have not been much of a factor in the passing game thus far in camp. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Tight lies
I mentioned recently here that the tight ends haven’t been featured as much as the receivers and that trend continued. I recall past years when Goedert would be Hurts’ favorite target, but that has yet to happen. It could certainly change. But tight ends have more blocking responsibilities in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay scheme.
New guy Johnny Mundt will be key, with more need to block defensive ends at the point of attack. Goedert isn’t the blocker he once was, but he has the wherewithal, even as he enters his ninth season. Cameron Latu may have a roster spot based on his special teams capabilities. He trucked receiver Darius Cooper during kick return drills. But he’s a physical blocker and displayed as much when he wham blocked Hunt out of a run play.
Neither Tanner McKee (16) nor Andy Dalton (14) got much of a leg up on Tuesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Under center
In the backup quarterback competition, it was a relative draw in which neither Andy Dalton nor Tanner McKee was very consistent. As with Hurts, they were hardly all to blame for the offensive inefficiency.
Dalton did find tight end Grant Calcaterra for a nice pickup after a naked bootleg fooled the first unit defense. And Cooper made a splendid one-handed grab on one of Dalton’s red zone throws. But the receiver was unable to get both feet in the back of the end zone. Later on, Cooper ran an in-breaking route when Dalton’s ball went outside to an empty space.
McKee had a couple hookups with receiver Samori Toure. But like Hurts, he took sacks or simply ate the ball when the clock ran out on a fruitless play.
Jake Elliott (4) was perfect on Tuesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Extra points
I’ve written a fair amount about rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard’s trials and tribulations as he tries to make it in the NFL. But there’s another neophyte from Africa in camp: undrafted edge Joshua Weru. He plays a different position than Bernard, but he’s looked more fluid. He still has a ways to go, but there’s some potential there. He had a pressure during the developmental period. … Jake Elliott was a perfect 6-for-6 during the kicking period. He was good from 33, 38, 42, 44, 50 and 52 yards. He also split the uprights from 44 yards out later during team drills. … The Eagles practice again on Wednesday and have a closed walkthrough on Thursday.
The Eagles held their third practice of their 2026 training camp on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 3 (and links to Day 1 and 2):
Taking attendance
The Eagles had four excused absences for noninjury related reasons: tackle Lane Johnson, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, wide receiver Elijah Moore, and defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham. Campbell, it appeared, missed practice to return to Alabama for graduation after completing his degree.
Tackle Cameron Williams (knee contusion) and rookie safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring) were the first entries on the Eagles’ injury list. Williams left Thursday’s practice early. They’ll likely be joined on the sideline by guard Micah Morris, who walked off the field on Saturday and didn’t return. Fellow rookie guard Jaeden Roberts suffered a more significant injury and could be out for an extended period. His left leg bent back awkwardly when he got pushed back into another lineman during the last play of the development period. He was carted inside after trainers stabilized his leg.
Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took Jihaad Campbell’s first-team reps Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Flip-flopping
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took Campbell’s spot at inside linebacker alongside Zack Baun. Nakobe Dean’s offseason exit in free agency was predictable, once the Eagles selected Campbell in the first round of the 2025 draft. But Trotter was another luxury that made it easier to part ways with Dean. He has starter capabilities and flashed again on Saturday (see below).
Fred Johnson filled in for Lane Johnson at right tackle, which allowed rookie Markel Bell to switch from right to left tackle with the second-unit offense. Also notable: outside linebackers Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt swapped sides for the first time this camp, with the former on the right and the latter on the left. Left tackle Jordan Mailata had more success vs. Smith than he did vs. Hunt in the first two days of camp.
Makai Lemon was targeted more than he was in the first two days, but that didn’t mean the receiver had more receptions. During seven-on-sevens, safety Andrew Mukuba was quick to Lemon on a stick route and nearly had an interception after running through the rookie. Later in team drills inside the red zone, a good play call got Lemon matched up against a linebacker on a short crosser in the end zone. Trotter hooked Lemon to the ground and was flagged for pass interference.
Later, Jalen Hurts went to the receiver on a deep route out of the slot. Nickel cornerback Cooper DeJean initially was a half-step behind, but he closed on Lemon as the pass sailed out of reach. Lemon faced predraft concerns about his ability to get separation downfield. I don’t think those questions have been close to answered either way. But he clearly knows what he’s doing on underneath routes and carries himself with confidence, even if he got knocked around some on Saturday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted rookie receiver Makai Lemon frequently on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Welcome back, Carter
Vic Fangio’s defense had another solid performance, which is to be expected as offensive coordinator Sean Mannion installs his new offense. Jalen Carter stood out again. The defensive tackle batted an early Hurts pass incomplete and got to the quarterback after bouncing off guard Tyler Steen on an inside rush.
Hunt beat Fred Johnson for another likely sack during red-zone drills. Safety Marcus Epps had tight end Dallas Goedert in his pocket when Hurts was forced to float a deep ball out of harm’s way. Baun knocked a pass to the ground a play before Carter got his mitt on one of Hurt’s throws.
Trotter had impressive moments in the red-zone period. He beat Steen to running back Saquon Barkley on an off-tackle run. And he got a hand on a checkdown to Barkley two plays later. Hurts was forced to scramble several times in the early portion of practice. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when he motored into the secondary on one play. But the offense functions better when Hurts is hitting his first reads.
We hadn’t seen much of Hurts and the zone-read game, which partly compelled me to ask Mannion his thoughts on the quarterback as a runner before practice. He said there’s room in the offense for that element, although more of Hurts under center naturally will make him less of a plus-one factor.
Hurts didn’t run as much last season, nor was he as effective when he kept the ball on the ground. The Shanahan-McVay offense is designed to be run-based, so ideally the Eagles won’t need their quarterback to run as much. Protecting Hurts is of the utmost important, but his mobility is often what made him dynamic in his first six seasons.
Right on cue, Hurts kept on a run-pass-run option in the red zone and waltzed into the end zone ahead of a half-hearted Smith on Saturday. The plays are scripted before practice, but I’ve convinced myself Mannion called that play to appease me.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion addresses questions before practice on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Screen chores
We also saw our first glimpse of the screen game. Barkley didn’t have much room after Carter beat Steen to his spot. But Goedert had space and lead blockers later in the red zone. It’s still to be determined how much Barkley and the running backs will be featured in the passing game. Barkley said he thinks there are opportunities for him to be more prominent as a receiver in this system.
He was asked to stay in and help with protection more last season. A lot of that had to do with injuries on the offensive line. But blocking has never been a forte. Mannion didn’t reveal much when asked about running backs in the pass game, but he clearly would rather have Barkley run routes than block. Defenses are going to send extra rushers at Hurts, so the running backs will need to help. Tank Bigsby did well to pick up a DeJean blitz off the edge during the third-down period.
Mannion’s offense did have its moments. Hurts hit receiver Hollywood Brown on a deep cross in team drills. DeJean was the trailing defender, but he had no inside assistance when Mukuba dropped deep. Brown ran a nifty route that turned corner Ambry Thomas around when the second units met.
DeVonta Smith had a relatively quiet day, although he hauled in a floater ahead of corner Mac McWilliams at one point. Hurts had solid pass protection and maybe an unrealistic amount of time, but he hung in the pocket and delivered a strike. The quarterback later ripped one to Britain Covey on a deep cross, but the receiver couldn’t hang on. Covey otherwise was reliable when targeted.
Receiver Dontayvion Wicks gave slot corner Michael Carter II a little hesitation shake on a slant route and picked up a first down during third down.
Eagles cornerbacks Riq Woolen (right) and Mac McWilliams work out at practice. McWilliams’ role with the Eagles is unclear so far as he enters his second season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Mac Man
McWilliams remains a bit an unknown. He didn’t play much last season as a rookie. It’s unclear if the Eagles see him more as a slot or boundary corner. He’s been at the former for most of camp so far. He had a couple of pass breakups while covering rookie tight end Eli Stowers during third down. Quarterback Tanner McKee appeared to be a touch off on the first throw, but McWilliams made sure Stowers couldn‘t secure the second.
Cornerback Jakorian Bennett dragged down receiver Quez Watkins for pass interference after getting beat on a deep release. He rebounded later when he ripped the ball from receiver Johnny Wilson on an Andy Dalton dart over the middle. McKee and Dalton continued to split snaps with the second unit.
Cole quarter
Cole Payton bounced back from an unfortunate second day in which he tossed three picks. The rookie quarterback is no Checkdown Charlie. On his first drop, he uncorked a seed to receiver Danny Gray. He later called his own number twice on plays with an option draw.
One quick aside: We haven’t seen tight ends featured as receivers much in the offense so far. It could be just the plays Mannion currently is installing or how the cookie crumbled in terms of pass distribution. But it’s no secret that the Shanahan-McVay offense often deploys a blocking tight end. Johnny Mundt has a clear edge in that role.
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell greets military members before practice on Saturday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Extra points
Covey was first up in fielding punts, but DeJean, Lemon, and Watkins also took turns. … The Eagles went with a rookie at long snapper this offseason, but Rocco Underwood isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. He’s looked fine so far, although he had a few high snaps in punting drills on Saturday. … The Eagles had many servicemen and women in attendance during Military Appreciation Day. … Sunday is an off day for players. The team returns for three straight practices starting Monday. Tuesday will be the first in full pads.
The Eagles reported to training camp Tuesday and hit the field Wednesday for their first official workout of the 2026 season.
The Sean Mannion era is here, the A.J. Brown era is over, and Nick Sirianni’s sixth training camp is underway as the Eagles again have a roster capable of making a deep playoff run.
Good teams like theirs mean fewer opportunities to get on the initial 53-man roster, which means there will be plenty of competition in camp. And while most of the starting jobs are spoken for, this Eagles training camp still has its share of intriguing position battles to pay attention to.
Here’s a closer look at six of them:
It’s Marcus Epps’ (right) job to lose at safety, but he’ll be pushed. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Safety: Will Marcus Epps hold off the field?
It’s worth starting with safety because it’s one of the few spots on the field where a starter is written in pencil and not pen.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the Eagles since the spring, you know that Cooper DeJean is slated to move from nickel to safety in base defense. But the Eagles, like most NFL defenses, use nickel and dime packages much more often than base. So the spot next to Andrew Mukuba mostly will be manned by someone not named DeJean.
Vic Fangio indicated that Marcus Epps is in the pole position for the job to replace Reed Blankenship, but the 30-year-old will have to earn it. There will be competition from converted nickel Michael Carter II, seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, veteran special teamer J.T. Gray, and long shots like Andre’ Sam, Kapena Gushiken, and Maximus Pulley.
Don’t count out another roster addition, too, if Howie Roseman decides the Eagles need to upgrade the safety spot.
The progress of Hollywood Brown (0) in training camp figures to have an impact on the wide receiver depth chart. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Wide receiver: Who gets the final spots?
The top of the depth chart is basically set. Life after Brown means DeVonta Smith is WR1, but the order behind him needs some sorting out.
The Eagles were in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) nearly 60% of the time in 2025. There’s a new coordinator in town, and the Packers were slightly below the Eagles in that type of usage, but expect some of the same in 2026.
Who joins Smith on the field in three-receiver sets? In a perfect world, the Eagles would want Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon to get the bulk of those reps, but Hollywood Brown was brought in to be a vertical threat and should force his way onto the field. Those personnel packages will work themselves out.
Smith, Lemon, Wicks, and Brown are locks. It’s beyond them where the real training-camp battling begins.
Will the Eagles keep five receivers or six? Sirianni loves the “dirty work” Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson do, but is keeping them both redundant? Can Elijah Moore prove he’s worth keeping around? Britain Covey, meanwhile, still wants to show he’s the best kick-returning option in camp.
What’s the vision for Andy Dalton (left) as the depth chart stacks up behind Jalen Hurts?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quarterback: Will Andy Dalton or Tanner McKee back up Jalen Hurts?
The Eagles have a quarterback controversy. Sort of.
Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee alternated reps with the second-team offense during the offseason program, and it’s unclear which is the preferred backup to Jalen Hurts.
The team also drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round, and it seems pretty unlikely they make room for four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster given the talent elsewhere.
So, what gives?
The Eagles would love to find a trade partner for McKee, who is entering the final year of his contract. But if they can’t, does that put Dalton in jeopardy of being cut (or traded)? Payton is a bit of an unknown, but he has an intriguing athletic profile, and while the Eagles cut a sixth-round draft pick last year (Kyle McCord), they probably would be hesitant to expose Payton to waivers given his traits. Otherwise, maybe he joins Clayton Thorson as a recent fifth-round pick who hits the chopping block.
Third-round tackle Markel Bell has a chance to make an immediate impact. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Swing tackle: Can rookie Markel Bell supplant Fred Johnson?
Considering how much time Lane Johnson missed last season, and Jordan Mailata’s stint on injured reserve in 2024, the swing tackle is a pretty important job.
The Eagles brought back Fred Johnson in free agency because they know how important the backup tackle position is. They then used a third-round pick on Markel Bell, the 6-foot-9 tackle out of Miami. It was a bit surprising the Eagles waited until the 68th pick to select a tackle, but they like Bell a lot, and the big man has plenty of upside.
Which tackle will be first up if Lane Johnson or Mailata misses time? It was Bell who got the first nod filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs, but Bell missed the final minicamp workout of the spring due to an undisclosed injury.
Who will emerge from camp as the preferred option?
A.J. Epenesa was a solid edge contributor on a generally strong Bills defense in recent years. Gary McCullough
Edge rusher: Will A.J. Epenesa show his worth?
This group is pretty similar to wide receiver. The Eagles are set at the top. It’s Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith Jr. Sure, there’s some interest in which of Hunt or Smith gets more snaps, but the top three edge rushers will see plenty of the field.
Behind them is where it gets interesting. Arnold Ebiketie signed a deal that could be worth around $7 million and is the clear No. 4 as camp begins.
Will the Eagles keep five or six here? They kept five last year and six the year prior in Fangio’s first season.
The Eagles made an interesting signing at the end of the offseason program in June, agreeing to a one-year deal with A.J. Epenesa.
Epenesa’s sack total fell from six in 2024 to just 2½ last season, but he had a better pressure rate (10.6%) in a reduced role with the Bills. He is the biggest edge rusher in the building by 2 inches at 6-6, a size that could be useful in helping set the edge against the run.
Epenesa will be in competition with seventh-round pick Keyshawn James-Newby, an undersized but speedy edge, as well as Jose Ramirez. The Eagles also have Joshua Weru, an International Pathway Player, in camp.
Kelee Ringo (left) is among those seeking a corner job. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Cornerback: Can the Eagles find a trade partner for a bottom-of-the-depth-chart corner?
The Eagles could have the best cornerback trio in the NFL this season in Quinyon Mitchell, DeJean (nickel), and Riq Woolen, but behind them at corner are jobs up for grabs.
Veteran free-agent signing Jonathan Jones probably is a lock to take a roster spot given his 10 years of experience and inside-out versatility. Who claims the remaining spots will be determined in part by how many corners the Eagles decide to keep. They kept six last year, but could a player at a different position — like reserving a roster spot for defensive tackle Uar Bernard to not expose him to waivers — force them to go with five?
That would leave one spot for Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, and Mac McWilliams.
Ringo probably would be the preferred candidate there given his special-teams talent. The Eagles could also keep six and have spots for two of them.
It’s also possible that Roseman finds himself looking to offload one of them via trade in August.
Fullback: Is it 1996? The Eagles may have a fullback competition in camp between Carson Steele and Cameron Latu. Latu is listed as a tight end, but he’s more of an H back who blocks well and plays special teams.
Interior offensive line: Who would be first in line to back up Landon Dickerson or Tyler Steen? Right now, it’s probably Drew Kendall, who also is the backup center. After that, veteran guard Michael Jordan will try to edge out a group that includes sixth-round pick Micah Morris. Keep an eye on Myles Hinton, too. The second-year lineman took some reps at guard after entering the league as a tackle. The back end of the offensive-line group will be a fun battle to track.
Tight end: Dallas Goedert and second-round pick Eli Stowers are locks. Johnny Mundt’s blocking skills should lock him up a spot, too. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Grant Calcaterra, intriguing UDFA Dae’Quan Wright, or Stone Smartt earning a job, especially given the aforementioned skills that Latu brings to the table.
