Lane Johnson is considering retiring following the 2026 season, the five-time All-Pro right tackle said Saturday.
“As you get older, things change in your life,” Johnson said at a news conference. “Priorities. Your children get older, parents get older. It puts things in perspective. So it’s looking like, potentially, this is probably going to be my last year. I am getting to that point where priorities away from football are starting to merge.”
Johnson, 36, is entering his 14th NFL season, all with the Eagles. He cited his parents’ health issues as one of the reasons for his announcement. He was a key member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship teams in the 2017 and 2024 seasons. He has earned six Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors, including first-team citations in 2017 and 2022.
Johnson was excused from four days of practice earlier this week because of a personal matter. He returned to practice Friday morning, albeit in a limited role.
Johnson is part of an offensive line that is adjusting to a new scheme under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion and a new position coach in Chris Kuper, who succeeded longtime coach Jeff Stoutland.
“Not that I don’t enjoy it,” Johnson said. “I love this game and preparing for it, but that’s kind of where I’m at in my career. I’m looking forward to this year playing the best I can and stay healthy.”
Johnson said his decision is a motivating factor toward another All-Pro honor. He said he feels slighted when he reads NFL offensive lineman rankings and doesn’t see his name.
“I still feel like I can be a premier tackle in this league,” Johnson said. “I’m here, my team supported me, and I’m where I need to be.”
In Johnson’s absence this week, 2026 third-round pick Markel Bell took the bulk of the first-team right tackle reps. Johnson praised the 6-foot-9, 346-pound Bell on Saturday.
“He’s one of the best rookies I’ve been around,” Johnson said.
Johnson posted four straight All-Pro seasons from 2021 to 2024, but was limited to 10 games in 2025 because of a Lisfranc foot injury suffered in Week 11 vs. the Detroit Lions. He also missed the Eagles’ wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Fred Johnson replaced him during that stretch.
Lane Johnson returned to Eagles training camp practice on Friday after he missed the last four sessions with an excused absence that was not injury-related.
Johnson, the six-time Pro Bowl, two-time All-Pro right tackle, was a limited participant in his first practice back from roughly a weeklong hiatus. He participated in individual drills to start the day, then observed from the side during team drills, as the Eagles are gradually progressing his workload.
The team has not disclosed the specific reason for Johnson’s absence.
Before practice, Nick Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the 36-year-old Johnson as he returns to an Eagles team that is in the process of learning a new offense orchestrated by Sean Mannion.
“Lane can pick things up very fast,” the Eagles head coach said. “Phenomenal football player. I’m not concerned there. You get to see a little portion of each day out at practice. But there’s 12 more hours of the day where they’re in walkthroughs, they’re in meetings, and things like that, so there’s so much more going on than some of the things you guys get to see here.”
Lane Johnson was excused from four practices for undisclosed, non-injury-related reasons. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Even though Johnson did not participate in team drills, his teammates still felt — and appreciated — his presence.
“He has a calming presence,” Jordan Davis said. “When I see him, I’m like, ‘All right, this is Lane.’ And one day, I’m not going to be able to say that I have him in the locker room. It’s just very good to have him out here. And everybody knows he’s a baller, man. He’s a f— baller. Lane, man, he’s a cornerstone, bro.”
The Eagles have been forced to replace their cornerstone at right tackle in team drills over the past week. On Friday, third-round rookie Markel Bell commanded those snaps with the starting offense. Bell, who is the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-9, 346 pounds, is relatively new to the position, as he primarily played at left tackle through two seasons of junior college and two seasons at Miami.
“I think what you see with Markel is just his length and how big he is and how hard he is to get around in the pass rush,” Sirianni said. “Just working on getting on the same page with the combination blocks. There’s so many things that go on there with the offensive line of having to work in tandem.
“I’ve seen progression there, and that’s what you want with all your players.”
Davis growing as a pass rusher
Speaking of progression, the Eagles are looking for Davis to continue to evolve his pass-rush game as he enters Year 5.
He has made gradual improvement, which Vic Fangio said dates back to the end of the 2024 season. Around that time, the 6-6, 336-pound Davis improved his conditioning, allowing him to move better on the field.
“He needs to be 6-6 when it’s to his advantage, and he needs to bend his knees and be 6-3 when he needs to be,” Fangio said on Wednesday. “When you’re in better shape, weighing less, that’s easier to do and you can do it for a longer time. That’s what’s made his game take off.”
Jordan Davis (90) emphasized the need to stay low when rushing the passer. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Davis flashed his progress in practice on Friday, bolting into the backfield in 11-on-11s for a would-be sack of Jalen Hurts. More sacks could be in store for Davis in 2026. When the season begins, he will have the opportunity to build on his career-high 4½ sacks from last season.
Davis likely couldn’t have fathomed that total during his rookie season, as the run-stuffing defensive tackle didn’t notch a sack all year.
“Even when we watch our old film from Year 1, Year 2, it’s a crazy experience just to see how far I came,” Davis said. “But I think the beautiful part about this game is that we still have so much further to go. We just keep working at it.
“I always say Rome isn’t built in a day. You have to keep working at it, and Rome is an empire [that] lasted for a very long time. So we just got to keep building that so it can be sustainable and still be long-lasting.”
Davis has learned that the low man often wins in the trenches. He credited defensive line coach Clint Hurtt with helping him feel at ease in uncomfortable positions by running drills that utilize a lineman chute, which enforces the importance of keeping a low pad level.
“When you’re a pass rusher, you always want to be low,” Davis said. “You want to keep your center of gravity low … And I also notice it now when I’m driving and I’m bull rushing. I’m not bull rushing up high. I’m bull rushing more low.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m about to tilt over, bro. And [when] I feel like I’m about to tilt over, I know I’m at the perfect height.”
The Eagles held the sixth practice of their 2026 training camp on Wednesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 6 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5):
Roll call
Tackle Lane Johnson missed a fourth straight practice for an excused noninjury related reason. He’s expected to return soon, from what I understand. Landon Dickerson took a non-injury-related rest day. The Eagles will be careful with their oft-injured left guard. Dickerson was spotted jogging midway through practice with a sleeve on his left leg.
Wide receiver Britain Covey was a new addition to the injury list. He left Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. The following remained injured and out: receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), edge Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring).
Rookie guards Micah Morris (shoulder) and Jaeden Roberts (calf contusion) returned to practice, but were limited.
Vic Fangio noted that defense has traditionally had the upper hand early in Eagles training camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Vic’s secret
After two straight days in full pads, coach Nick Sirianni dialed the intensity back. Players wore only shells for a 75-minute session — the shortest of camp thus far. Sean Mannion’s offense, overall, executed better after a difficult Tuesday vs. Vic Fangio’s defense.
“I told him, we obviously got the best of yesterday’s practice by a long shot,” Fangio said when asked about Mannion’s play-calling. “But that’s the way it’s been the last two years in training camp. The defense has gotten the best of the offense. So, not to be too concerned.”
I don’t think Fangio was puffing his chest out or anything. He was just being the truth teller that he can often be. He was also adding context. Defenses are traditionally ahead early in camp, especially when the offense is new. But I’m not so sure about his last comment. I’d be concerned if there were any similarities to last year’s offense.
Michael Carter II got some run with the first unit on Wednesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Cast and crew
Mannion’s first unit likely benefitted from four key defensive starters — linebacker Zack Baun, defensive back Cooper DeJean and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Riq Woolen — being held out of team drills. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Michael Carter II, Jonathan Jones and Kelee Ringo played in their spots.
With the offense down three starters, it might have made sense to even the playing field. Rookie Markel Bell and second-year offensive lineman Drew Kendall filled in for Johnson and Dickerson at right tackle and left guard, respectively.
It’s been a by-committee approach at receiver, especially with the bona fide No. 1 sidelined. Dontayvion Wicks has thus far made the best case to be Smith’s No. 2. He may have a leg up on the others, having played in the Kyle Shanahan-style scheme Mannion brought with him from Green Bay. But there has also been obvious rapport between quarterback Jalen Hurts and the former Packers receiver. Hurts delivered a 20-yardish strike to Wicks just ahead of arriving safety Andre’ Sam in seven-on-sevens on Wednesday.
Darius Cooper has looked good early in camp. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
If the receiver competition was based on the first week alone, Darius Cooper would have the edge on the other combatants. I said this to someone the other day: “If Lemon was having the camp Cooper was having, every reporter would be hyping the first-round rookie.” The Eagles have to take everything into account, of course. Veterans Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore have been unspectacular in camp, but also have proven track records, even if both have seen their numbers decline in recent years.
Cooper should be a lock for the roster, though. I know some have viewed the fifth receiver spot as a toss-up between him and Johnny Wilson. But Cooper has more upside, despite Wilson’s size and Sirianni’s appreciation for his blocking. Cooper didn’t make any splash catches on Wednesday. Hurts dropped a beauty to him in the back corner of the end zone, but the receiver couldn’t stick the landing after he dove for the ball.
Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were heavily featured on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Tighter ends
On cue, Dallas Goedert and the tight ends were featured in the passing game a day after I noted that they’ve been relatively quiet in that regard. Hurts went to tight ends on his first two dropbacks in seven-on-sevens. Goedert hauled in the first on a slant, while E.J. Jenkins couldn’t on a similar route from the other side of the formation.
Goedert caught another pass during the period on a short buttonhook and he was again Hurts’ first target in team drills. The tight end hung on despite linebacker Jihaad Campbell being in close quarters. Campbell later reached out and broke up a pass to receiver Samori Toure.
With Johnny Mundt often the second blocking tight end in under-center scenarios, Grant Calcaterra has gotten receiving opportunities on third downs. He appeared to short-arm a toss from Hurts with Ringo in the vicinity.
Even Cam Latu has seen more passes thrown his way than rookie tight end Eli Stowers. The Eagles are clearly not rushing their second-round draft pick. He’s low on the depth chart and has mostly run with the third offense. Stowers is a relative newcomer to the position. He switched from quarterback to tight end just three years ago and he wasn’t asked to block a ton at Vanderbilt.
Eli Stowers’ (87) acclimation to NFL-style blocking technique has been slow. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
So he has a lot to digest, beyond just the Xs and Os of a new scheme. Stowers is on the smaller side so learning the proper technique in blocking will be crucial. It could be some time before he’s placed in those circumstances. But he could get on the field on obvious passing downs. I found it interesting that he was split wide in the development period. The ball came his way, but cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was on his hip and broke up a pass that was thrown slightly behind.
Running on empty
There was a fair amount of run game activity. Saquon Barkley didn’t have much room to operate on his carries. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo knifed past Kendall on one Barkley carry. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt set the edge and helped contain the running back on an outside zone run. Nose tackle Jordan Davis easily defeated center Cam Jurgens one-on-one and picked up a tackle for loss.
Linebacker Jalyx Hunt defended the run well on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
I hesitate to mention Jurgens in the negative because he’s otherwise had a strong start to camp. He’s poised to bounce back from last season’s setback. Tank Bigsby had a few touches out of the backfield, as well, but he’s been featured more as a receiver than Barkley. He got Campbell to commit pass interference with a double move in the open field.
Running back Will Shipley had a shaky start to camp, but I thought he showed up on Day 6, particularly in the run game. He had two strong rushes up the middle when he got skinny through his blocks. He also picked up Trotter’s blitz later on.
On the bubble
Michael Carter II got a strong endorsement from Fangio before practice. I’m not sure if he’ll beat out Marcus Epps for the nickel safety spot, but he could have the sixth defensive back role in dime personnel locked down. Speaking of locking down, he ran step for step with receiver Danny Gray on a corner route into the end zone. When he ball sailed out of reach, Carter popped up and gave Gray a double thumbs-down.
Fangio said not to sleep on linebacker Chance Campbell’s chances of making the 53-man roster. Tackle Cam Williams took Campbell out at the second level on the run play and that was the last I saw the linebacker until he was walking with a trainer to the medical tent. He seemed fine later on, but didn’t return to play.
Tanner McKee (16) has not looked sharp at times while working in the new offense. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Quarterbacking up
Tanner McKee was first up with the second unit offense in seven-on-sevens, but Andy Dalton took more team repetitions. The quarterbacks continue to slug it out for the backup spot. Dalton found Wilson open on a crossing route. He hit Quez Watkins on a short pass and the receiver hit the afterburners when cornerback Ambry Thomas took a bad angle. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson pressured Dalton into a throwaway.
McKee just hasn’t looked as sharp as he did last camp. He doesn’t have the luxury of working with the same unit as he did a year ago. That’s no excuse, but he has struggled to throw the ball downfield, especially with the third unit. He finally found an open man down the seam, but tight end Stone Smartt dropped the ball like he had hands of brick.
Extra points
Hurts had a couple dashes into space on the ground — once when he kept the ball on a run-pass option and another on a scramble when his receivers were tied up in man coverage. … Tempers flared for a second straight day. Linebacker Smael Mondon and tackle John Ojukwu got into a brief altercation, as did tackle Fred Johnson and edge A.J. Epenesa. … Gunslinger Cole Payton tossed another interception when he heaved a pass into a crowded area and the ball deflected to Castro-Fields. … Former Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin attended camp. He said it was the first time he’s been back at the practice facility since he was a player. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Thursday before returning to practice on Friday.
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.
The Eagles report to training camp on Tuesday, with their first practice set for the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Wednesday. In advance of that event, reporters Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg and Ryan Novozinsky identified 11 storylines that will be worth tracking in the coming weeks — then ranked them in order of priority.
Jake Elliott (4) was less dependable than usual during an inconsistent 2025 season. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
11. Kicker Jake Elliott’s progress after a shaky 2025.
The two-time Super Bowl champion struggled at times last season, going 20-for-27 on field goals and 4-for-8 from 50-plus yards. Over the past two seasons, Elliott is 5-for-15 from 50-plus yards out, which is dead last in the NFL among the 35 kickers with at least five attempts.
The Eagles showed faith in their longtime kicker when they restructured his contract in March, but if he doesn’t return to form, he might find his way off the roster sometime soon. A rock-solid training camp showing should ease any concerns the organization may have in the 31-year-old. It’s on Elliott to prove he’s still got it. — Novozinsky
What will the presence of Jonathan Greenard mean for Nolan Smith Jr.’s playing time off the edge?Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
10. How the reps will be divided within an altered edge rusher rotation.
Out is Jaelan Phillips, in is Jonathan Greenard. That’s the big change at the top of the depth chart, and the only two returning edge rushers in the rotation are Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. Two from that trio will be on the field most of the time for the Eagles, and Hunt may continue to see a higher workload than Smith. But beyond them, the position is an interesting one to watch in camp.
Arnold Ebiketie is the clear No. 4 as camp begins based on his one-year deal worth more than $7 million. But he’ll face some competition for snaps from players looking to make an impression and claim a spot on the 53-man roster. A.J. Epenesa wants to prove he still has more in the tank. Keyshawn James-Newby, the rookie seventh-round pick, wants to show that he has the skill set to make up for his lack of size. Jose Ramirez is still fighting to stay in the NFL.
The top trio is going to eat up the first-team reps, and Ebiketie likely will get some looks there, too, but how the Eagles divvy up reps among the unit will be something to monitor as camp gets rolling.
Plus … will Brandon Graham’s return be necessary? — Neiburg
Cooper DeJean (33) goes from All-Pro nickel to All-Pro nickel with additional safety responsibilities. Nick Wass
9. The impact of new faces — and altered duties — in the secondary.
Vic Fangio’s defense doesn’t have many holes. It may not end up having any holes. It’s a defense with stars at every level, at every position. Still, it’s the defensive back group that will be the most fascinating thing to watch on Fangio’s side of the ball during camp.
Quinyon Mitchell, an All-Pro last year, is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year deal with $12 million guaranteed, has flashed potential and was one of the standouts of the offseason program. Cooper DeJean, meanwhile, is an All-Pro nickel. But the Eagles plan to use DeJean at safety in their base defense next to second-year safety Andrew Mukuba, and the battle for the second safety spot may be one of the most exciting of the summer.
The Eagles are only in base about 20% to 25% of the time, which means the safety not named DeJean is going to be on the field pretty often. Right now, that spot is Marcus Epps’ to lose. But Epps is 30, has dealt with injuries, and wasn’t a starter last year until the Eagles needed him after Mukuba went down. Will Michael Carter II take to a position change from nickel and push Epps? Can veteran J.T. Gray, a career special teamer, finally have a breakthrough? Will Andre’ Sam show all that he’s learned in Fangio’s defense the last few seasons? Will rookie Cole Wisniewski go from seventh-round pick to a key role? Undrafted free agents Kapena Gushiken and Maximus Pulley want their names in the mix, too.
All of this is without mentioning the battle that will take place for the depth-chart spots at corner behind the top three. Veteran Jonathan Jones may be a lock for a spot, and Kelee Ringo has the special teams chops to claim a job. What does that mean for Mac McWilliams and Jakorian Bennett? Time will tell. — Neiburg
Can Makai Lemon give the receiving game a jolt after missing mandatory minicamp due to injury? Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
8. The impact of the Eagles’ top three 2026 draft picks.
Our first look at the top three draft picks was a bit incomplete during the offseason program. Wide receiver Makai Lemon was held off the field for minicamp with a hamstring injury. Tight end Eli Stowers had a sleeve on his right leg at one point and didn’t go through the entirety of the workout. Then tackle Markel Bell missed the final workout of the spring with an undisclosed injury.
All three are expected to be at 100% when camp opens this week, which means all three will be under the microscope as the new-look offense takes shape.
Their importance for the 2026 Eagles is ranked in draft order. Lemon will be expected to take on a pretty significant role in the offense as the Eagles begin life without A.J. Brown. Stowers, meanwhile, won’t have the same kind of pressure. Dallas Goedert is still in town, and Johnny Mundt was brought in to be a blocking specialist. But the Eagles have raved about Stowers’ athleticism and his ability to create mismatches. Will we see some of that in camp?
As for Bell, the tallest player on the roster (6-foot-9) got the first crack at filling in for Lane Johnson during OTAs. Will he be the preferred swing tackle? Or is that job still Fred Johnson’s? — Neiburg
Could Tanner McKee’s days in Philly be numbered?David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
7. The QB depth chart, and how many the Eagles will keep at the position.
By the end of training camp, the Eagles will have to make a decision about how many quarterbacks they will keep on the initial 53-man roster.
Typically, that quantity would be three. A fourth quarterback would land on the practice squad. Last season, for example, Tanner McKee and Sam Howell filled out the active-roster depth behind Jalen Hurts, while Kyle McCord signed to the practice squad.
This year could be different. McKee, 38-year-old Andy Dalton, and fifth-round rookie Cole Payton round out the depth behind Hurts. It seems unlikely that the Eagles would cut Payton, given he was a fifth-round pick. Could the Eagles opt to move McKee or Dalton ahead of the regular season? Or, could they see the value in carrying all four quarterbacks on the initial 53, at least to start the season?
The Eagles also must choose a primary backup to Hurts by Week 1. McKee held that role last season. The Eagles acquired Dalton from the Carolina Panthers this offseason, seemingly identifying their QB3, but the 15-year NFL veteran split second-string reps with McKee during the offseason program. Dalton didn’t exactly separate himself from McKee in a very early, limited window during OTAs and minicamp. Still, the competition between the two depth quarterbacks could continue in training camp. — Reiner
A Jalen Carter contract extension has been in the wind throughout the 2026 offseason. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
6. Jalen Carter’s health, and his contract.
(Note: Carter signed a record extension on Tuesday, hours after the publication of this story.) Answers about Carter’s health and the status of a prospective contract extension could be straightforward. Carter, 25, dealt with shoulder injuries last season and missed time as he recovered from procedures. In late May, Fangio said Carter’s shoulders are “fine,” adding that “he’s in a better spot now than he was [last season].” If that is still the case two months later, then there shouldn’t be much concern about Carter’s ability to fully participate in camp.
Carter did not participate in team drills during the Eagles’ two-day mandatory minicamp in June, however. Was his lack of participation injury-related, or was it something of a hold-in, given Carter is eligible for a contract extension? Nick Sirianni declined to offer an explanation during mandatory minicamp.
After the Eagles picked up Carter’s fifth-year option this offseason, he has two years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles could theoretically tag him, too, when the time comes to keep him under contract for a third. It isn’t necessarily imperative that the Eagles sign Carter to a new deal before the season.
But GM Howie Roseman is typically proactive about extending key players. He has also said he prefers not to do new deals during the season. Time is of the essence, as Carter will likely reset the defensive tackle market when he signs his next contract. (Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons leads interior defensive linemen at $35.3 million per year.)
Why has Roseman waited to extend Carter? He likely has his rationale, but he tends not to comment on ongoing or upcoming contract negotiations.
If Carter is on the field Wednesday fully participating in all drills, then there might not be anything to see here. Perhaps the Eagles want to see another year from Carter before they make a long-term commitment, even if his market value increases in the meantime. If he’s missing or sitting out, bigger questions could arise, either about Carter’s health or the status of his future in Philadelphia. — Reiner
The Eagles’ fortunes rose and fell at times on the availability of Lane Johnson last season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
5. The health of Lane Johnson and other veterans coming off injuries.
Is there a bigger storyline in camp than the health of the offensive line? Sure, you may counter and say duh, it’s the Sean Mannion offense, dummy! But I would counter by saying none of it matters if Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson aren’t healthy. Heck, Kevin Patullo might still be the coordinator if the line was healthy, because one would assume that the Eagles, with a sturdier line, would have been able to run the ball a lot better, which means they would have faced a lot fewer third-and-long situations, and so on.
Johnson is coming off a season-ending foot injury. Jurgens and Dickerson, meanwhile, flew to Colombia separately this offseason to get stem cell therapy treatment to manage pain. Jurgens has had back issues. Dickerson has had many lower-body ailments. How the three of them look during the early stages of camp will be informative.
Then there are others, like Mukuba, who fractured a fibula and had his rookie season stopped early. Jalen Carter got injections in his shoulders to help him finish out the rest of the 2025 season. Nolan Smith aggravated his triceps injury and was limited to 12 games. Jihaad Campbell spent some time this offseason recovering from a shoulder injury. And Greenard, the major acquisition of the offseason, had his 2025 season ended early due to a shoulder injury.
All eyes will be on the offensive line, but there are some other Eagles worth monitoring as the training camp workload dials up. — Neiburg
Can Saquon Barkley (right) find more running room in an offense that has moved away from ex-assistant Jeff Stoutland’s blocking principles?Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
4. The work of Saquon Barkley and the running game in Year 1 A.S. (after Stoutland).
The Eagles have a new offensive line coach, Chris Kuper, for the first time in 16 years. Jeff Stoutland’s departure, along with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator in Mannion, is going to have massive ripple effects across the organization — especially in the run game. Barkley, who took a step back last season after a historic 2024, is at the center of these changes.
Mannion’s new playbook implements a wide zone scheme with concepts that look similar to the schemes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. Wide zone blocking concepts will stretch opposing defenses horizontally. On paper, Barkley should thrive in a system like this. The onus is on the offensive line to stay healthy and execute the new blocking style properly. If Kuper lives up to the hype — and the early reviews have been positive — the latter point shouldn’t be a concern at all. — Novozinsky
DeVonta Smith stands to receive more scrutiny from defenses that no longer have to account for A.J. Brown. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
3. The post-A.J. Brown pass-catching situation.
Roseman spent the offseason bolstering the Eagles’ receiving corps ahead of Brown’s trade to the New England Patriots in June. He drafted Makai Lemon in the first round out of USC, acquired and extended Dontayvion Wicks, and added Hollywood Brown in free agency.
No single player will replace Brown’s precise role and responsibilities on the team, which will feature a revamped offensive scheme under first-time play-caller Mannion. DeVonta Smith is poised to become WR1, but he and Brown possess different body types, skill sets, and strengths. Compensating for the loss of Brown will ultimately be a group effort.
But how will the targets break down among Eagles receivers during the season? Training camp will offer a peek into the pecking order among Smith, Lemon, Wicks, Brown, and some of the bubble receivers including Elijah Moore, Johnny Wilson, and Darius Cooper. Tight ends Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers and running back Saquon Barkley will factor into the passing game, too. The next couple of months will also offer more insight into how each of those players will be utilized within the scheme. — Reiner
Fans have high hopes for new coordinator Sean Mannion, despite his relative inexperience. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
2. The Sean Mannion offense.
The Eagles should be the most prepared team in the league when it comes to transitioning to a new offense. That’s because the Birds have had six offensive coordinators in the past seven seasons.
But the addition of Mannion feels different — and for good reason. The Eagles brought him in to overhaul an offense that often failed to ignite under Kevin Patullo. Mannion, a disciple of the McVay/Matt LaFleur coaching tree, is hoping to modernize their play-calling with the implementation of outside zone and far more motion.
How is the install going so far? According to tackle Jordan Mailata, it’s “very easy to follow along, but hard to remember, just because there’s so much to setting up the plays.” There are going to be growing pains — especially during training camp — but if Mannion’s offense works the way it should, the Eagles’ 2026 ceiling becomes limitless. — Novozinsky
With a new scheme to run and an altered supporting cast around him, Jalen Hurts enters 2026 under more pressure than ever. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
1. Jalen Hurts.
Was there an NFL player under a bigger microscope than Hurts this offseason? Between the ESPN report that detailed friction concerning Hurts, the A.J. Brown saga, the constant debates over his standing among NFL quarterbacks, Hurts dominated headlines all offseason.
So can he block out that noise and silence his doubters with a strong camp? It’d be easy to say “yes” and just move on, but the reality is that Hurts is at a crossroads. He’s learning another new offense and it’s drastically different from the last one he ran. His new OC gushed about him in his first news conference, but can that honeymoon phase survive a weak training camp/slow start to the season? That’s not to mention the fact that Hurts has a handful of unproven new weapons trying to replace a No. 1 wide receiver in Brown.
How Hurts deals with these hurdles is easily the most intriguing camp storyline. His future in Philadelphia will be in question all season. He can quell some of that noise with a decent July and August. — Novozinsky
Lane Johnson said he knew something was wrong with his right foot on the first play against the Detroit Lions in Week 11 last season.
At the snap, Johnson took a power step and attempted to anchor down against the opposing defender. Then he said he felt a pop in his foot.
He kept playing. But on the next series, Johnson took a bull rush from Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and couldn’t anchor. The six-time Pro Bowl right tackle had played through several ailments throughout his 13-year Eagles career to that point, but he struggled to overcome this one.
Over halfway through the first quarter, Johnson exited the game with what was later diagnosed as a Lisfranc sprain that ended his 2025 season. Still, Johnson was determined to ensure that it wouldn’t be the last moment of his career on the field.
“I didn’t want to go out that way,” the 36-year-old Johnson said on Tuesday.
He didn’t. The two-time All-Pro was back on the practice field for the first practice of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Johnson didn’t appear to miss a step, taking every repetition in both individual and team drills with the starting offense.
At the end of the 2025 season, fellow tackle Jordan Mailata said he expected Johnson to return for a 14th season, but he added, “whatever happens, happens,” acknowledging the degree of uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s future. According to Johnson, though, he never doubted that he would return, staving off retirement for at least another year.
“I wanted to play,” Johnson said. “Only thing that’s keeping me thinking about retiring, just family. Mom and dad getting older. You miss a lot of time. But other than that, man, I love this game so much. I love competing with all my teammates. I love becoming an older player. A lot of guys trend down in their 30s. I feel like my career has been the opposite, where my career started to blossom in my 30s.”
Lane Johnson’s foot injury he suffered on Nov. 17 last season against Detroit kept him out of the Eagles’ final eight games of the year, including the playoffs.David Maialetti / Staff photographer
That positive career trajectory, Johnson said, had continued in 2025 up until the foot injury. He said he thought he was having a “really good season” at the time, and the stats back up that assertion. Johnson did not concede a quarterback hit through 262 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Johnson said he also felt like the team was starting to “make a turn” for the best before his injury. The win over the Lions extended their winning streak to four games. The offense displayed flashes of dominance in the first two wins of that stretch against the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants.
But the Eagles’ season began to falter instead, as they lost their next three games. Johnson, meanwhile, did not go on injured reserve, with the hope of returning for the playoffs. However, he didn’t recover in time to play in the wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I was trying to come back,” Johnson said. “I was rehabbing, I was practicing, and so toward the playoff game, I went out there to practice, and after a couple series, my foot would just swell up, and then the mobility piece became to where it was just I couldn’t function.”
Time was a luxury that Johnson didn’t have last season. He said he finally felt 100% healthy around February or March.
“I feel good,” Johnson said of his current health. “But it took a long time to get here. I wish I could have done this at the end of last year.”
Johnson is moving forward, and so is the rest of the offense. With Sean Mannion now at the helm, Johnson is acclimating to a plethora of changes, from the scheme to the man in charge of teaching its finer details to the offensive line.
For the first time since his rookie season in 2013, Johnson has a new offensive line coach in Chris Kuper. Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles’ offensive line coach for 13 years, left the organization this offseason.
Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (left) was coached by Jeff Stoutland for his first 13 seasons in Philly. Now, Chris Kuper will lead the room.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Johnson called Stoutland’s departure a “shocking ordeal.” But he said he has had time to process the change. Kuper, he said, has garnered the respect of the offensive line room through his playing and coaching experience.
Throughout the offseason program, Johnson has mostly worked remotely, tuning into meetings via Zoom. Johnson has been encouraged by the new scheme, stating that he hopes that the offense “won’t be as stagnant as it was last year,” especially regarding the run game.
“You have the ability to stretch it front side, but also the running back has the ability to read backside blocks more than maybe what we did in previous years,” Johnson said. “It really does a good job of allowing us to run. We have a lot of athletic guys up front, so being able to stretch the field, make the D-tackles run, make the linebackers run, cover all this ground.
“And then I think setting up with the play action is just going to be a whole lot tougher to distinguish what we’re doing. Whole lot harder to catch on tells with stuff that we’re doing. So I think this stuff, we can disguise it more.
“I’ve watched this system, [Klint] Kubiak, [Kyle] Shanahan style of offense from afar, and I’ve always envied wanting to be a part of it. So here I am, after all these years, getting a chance.”
A chance to play in the Shanahan/Sean McVay style of offense will also give its tackles more help from guards in pass protection. Throughout most of Johnson’s career, he’s been left on an island to fend for himself.
“If I get beat inside, having a guard come out and help me is a big deal for me,” Johnson said. “So, me likey.”
Johnson likes the new blocking scheme, and his familiar opportunity to prove that he only gets better with age entering Year 14.
“I’m hoping this will be a great year for us, a great year for me, and we can right a lot of the wrongs that we had last year,” he said.
The Eagles held their first practice of minicamp on Tuesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here are my observations:
Pave the Lane
We had our first Lane Johnson spotting of the spring, and, really, since November when he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury. The right tackle also spoke with reporters after practice for the first time since October. He talked about former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s departure, among other topics.
Johnson looked in fine shape. He opted to miss most of the Eagles’ offseason program, but returned for this week’s mandatory workouts. We also got our first look at defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was absent from the two open organized team activities. He is believed to be fully recovered from his shoulder woes, but he didn’t participate in team drills. Outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was the only player from the 90-man roster who was missing.
Makai Lemon remained out with an apparent hamstring strain. The rookie wide receiver was initially sidelined last week. If he misses Wednesday’s session, he should be fully recovered in time for training camp. Tight end Grant Calcaterra was a new addition to the injury list and watched practice. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell is still working his way back from shoulder surgery.
Receiver Britain Covey was still out, as were fullback Carson Steele, linebacker Chandler Martin and safety Tucker Large. Edge Jonathan Greenard also wasn’t active. He, too, is recovering from shoulder surgery, but should be ready by late July.
Offensive start
It would be simple to focus on Vic Fangio’s defense considering how well it performed in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills. His first two units outplayed the offense in my estimation. And maybe they should have since first-time offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is installing a new scheme. Fangio returns seven starters on his side of the ball with many entering Year 3 in his system.
Sean Mannion (right), shown with Howie Roseman (left) and Jeffrey Lurie during mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Mannion’s first-team offense struggled.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
But this offseason is mostly going to be about how quarterback Jalen Hurts and Co. adjust to learning a new offense. There are going to be some ugly moments early on. And we saw plenty on Tuesday. Hurts threw over and behind a covered (by Riq Woolen) DeVonta Smith on two pass plays during seven-on-sevens. The second could have been intercepted by post safety Drew Mukuba if he wasn’t intent on breaking up the pass. There was another toss into traffic that surprised receiver Hollywood Brown and bounced off his shoulder. In team drills, Hurts heaved one ahead of Smith, who had cornerback Quinyon Mitchell on his heels. He later just flicked a pass out of bounds rather than to an open Smith, who was near the line of scrimmage.
There were completions, with most of them of the check down variety to running back Saquon Barkley or tight end Dallas Goedert as a safety outlet. There were also a few over-the-middle hookups. But the first-unit pass offense, which often worked from under center and off play action, looked out of sorts. On a red zone play, Smith and receiver Dontayvion Wicks were run out of bounds by defenders and Hurts had nothing. Nevertheless, it’s way too soon to make any proclamations about the season. There were bound to be growing pains.
Dutch Dalton
The same thinking could apply to the apparent competition for the backup quarterback spot. Andy Dalton continued to get snaps ahead of Tanner McKee. We haven’t been to every workout this spring and were told that the two split time with the second offense. But McKee no longer has a firm grip on the No. 2 spot, which is mildly surprising.
Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt (center) intercepted Andy Dalton during minicamp practice on Tuesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
It’s not like Dalton has overly impressed. Like Hurts a week ago, Dalton’s first pass in seven-on-sevens resulted in an interception. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt dropped into coverage and undercut a slant route for the pick. Later on, Dalton was nearly intercepted by cornerback Jonathan Jones. He had some solid throws, too. Dalton found receiver Elijah Moore down the seam on a busted coverage. He twice hit receiver Johnny Wilson on crossers. And he found Danny Gray in the end zone after the receiver beat his man to the sideline.
Tight lies
As Goedert said after practice, the tight end position is central to the Shanahan/McVay style of offense. A lot of that has to do with deception and marrying the run with the pass. But Goedert and others have been featured a fair amount in what is essentially a passing camp. New guy Johnny Mundt might have been brought in primarily as a blocker, but he broke through the secondary and probably would have pulled in a Dalton deep ball had safety Michael Carter not held him.
E.J. Jenkins was on the receiving end of passes from Hurts and Dalton. He saw more time with Calcaterra out. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers has been quiet in the practices we’ve attended. He has a lot to learn.
Johnson’s return meant a slight change on the offensive line with rookie Markel Bell dropping from first-team right tackle to second-team left tackle. Here’s a look at the updated depth chart:
Drew Kendall was the lone O-lineman I didn’t spot in team drills.
Depth thoughts
Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo were the first-team defensive tackles in nickel with Carter watching. Byron Young was the third interior lineman in base personnel and was still ahead of second-year defensive tackle Ty Robinson.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. took most of the first-unit repetitions alongside Zack Baun at inside linebacker with Campbell out.
Trotter was around the ball all practice. He blitzed and forced Hurts outside the pocket in team drills. A play later, he filled the hole on a Barkley run. And he nearly picked off rookie quarterback Cole Payton when he worked with the third-unit defense. (Payton almost tossed another interception on the next play, but cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields couldn’t hang on to a ball that hit him in the hands.)
Eagles wide receiver Hollywood Brown is one of the new additions vying for a role in the remade position group.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Receiving line
Coach Nick Sirianni didn’t have much to say about A.J. Brown, who was traded to the Patriots last week. He instead focused on the Eagles’ existing receivers when asked about Brown before practice. Sirianni first mentioned Smith, Lemon, and Wicks before he got to Hollywood Brown and Moore. He also mentioned Wilson and Darius Cooper, who didn’t partake in team drills, as “dirty work” receivers.
Brown and Moore were featured most on this day, partly because of the first-unit offense’s struggles. Brown caught several passes from McKee late in the session and flashed strong hands on low throws. Moore, playing with the starters, was set up on a screen pass, but Young wasn’t fooled by misdirection. The receiver later caught a seed from Hurts over the middle.
Highs and lows
McKee had some highlights with the third group. He connected with tryout receiver James Proche on a few occasions. He hit receiver Samori Toure over the middle off play-action.
There were defensive standouts, as well. Hunt and Ojomo teamed up for a would-be sack. Defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham batted a Dalton pass. Rookie cornerback Maximus Pulley broke up a Payton toss. ChanceCampbell almost got to a Dalton misfire. And corner Kelee Ringo forced a wide throw in the end zone in man coverage.
Extra points
I narrowed my binoculars on the Eagles’ two international pathway prospects: defensive tackle Uar Bernard and edge Joshua Weru. Needless to say, getting those two acclimated to football at this level will be a process. … The Eagles return on Wednesday for the last practice of minicamp.
