These are the most compelling conversations surrounding the Eagles’ coming season. Crazy, maybe, considering the success of each and their success in tandem, but here we are.
Hurts is under contract for three more seasons, but 2026 is his last season with substantial guaranteed money. Most teams with a $255 million franchise quarterback one season removed from winning a Super Bowl and its MVP award would have discussed an extension that would lock in that QB before the QB market inflates further, but the Eagles have not done that, according to a source. Why? Because Hurts regressed in 2025 and the Eagles are installing a new offense in 2026 and they want to see how he handles it.
Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni both have the equity that comes with a title and will be given a learning curve with a new offense. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sirianni, of course, also is one season removed from winning a Super Bowl, a win that, according to an NFL source, earned him a four-year extension that pays him a $15 million salary through 2029. However, for the second time, Sirianni also lost the offensive coordinator that got him to the Super Bowl. Shane Steichen became the Colts’ head coach after 2022. Kellen Moore became the Saints’ head coach after 2024. Each time, Sirianni failed to replace them with a competent hire of his choosing, and owner Jeffrey Lurie and GM Howie Roseman got involved in pursuing the next coordinators. That’s why Moore got hired in 2024, and it’s why new coordinator Sean Mannion, a disciple of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, is installing that new offense in 2026.
So, while they might be overblown, there are issues with both the quarterback and the coach. Any post-2026 divorce would mean that the Eagles would eat either salary-cap money or Sirianni’s paychecks, but Lurie has never been shy to move off a bad investment.
In the NFL, it’s always easier to replace a coach than a quarterback. After all, Doug Pederson and Sirianni won Super Bowls.
Ominous, no? Apparently, no.
Relax
An offseason of communications with various NFL sources indicated two things:
The Eagles do not consider 2026 to be a make-or-break season for either Hurts or Sirianni. That’s because …
Installing an offense that is so philosophically different than what’s come before it is not a 17-game undertaking. It’s a two-season project.
This makes perfect sense.
It is the proper way to view the matter.
I’ll admit, it’s not the way I viewed the matter this spring. I thought Hurts’ limitations as a passer and decision-maker should imperil his status past 2026. I thought Sirianni’s inability to mature and his lack of offensive innovation should imperil his status as well.
I came around.
Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman both understand that Sean Mannion’s (right) offensive installation will be a work in progress. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Several NFL insiders said that this season should not be crucial for either the coach or the QB. Why?
Because, as long as the 2026 season doesn’t deteriorate into disaster, and as long as there is promise in December that the Birds can win big as soon as next season, the Eagles will have a better foundation than ever. They could be building something that lasts for the next decade. Mannion likely won’t be here for that long, since top offensive coordinators usually get hired as head coaches as soon as they show any aptitude. But Hurts is only 28. Sirianni can become a legend in Philly. That’s what the Eagles‘ brain trust wants.
My guys
Lurie is proud of acquiring both Hurts and Sirianni while the rest of the league laughed. As such, he is as invested in them as he was invested in Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb.
Also, Lurie is 74. He’s groomed his son, Julian, to replace him at the top. What better gift to give your princeling than a stable kingdom? As such, stability through change takes time.
Lurie and Roseman realize there will be speed bumps. The offense won’t work smoothly immediately. Mannion will virtually have carte blanche in regard to concepts, Sirianni will have final say over who is asked to do what, and Hurts won’t be asked to do things he’s uncomfortable doing.
However, as long as Hurts shows improvement as the season progresses, his future in Philly will be secure.
And as long as Sirianni commits to the concepts Mannion installs, and displays a willingness to adhere to them when Mannion moves on, his future in Philly also will be locked down.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni with owner Jeffrey Lurie before a joint practice with the New England Patriots last month. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
I’ve known Lurie for 30 years, Roseman for 25. They don’t always tell whole truths, but they seemed particularly comfortable and, frankly, honest when, this offseason, they were asked about the futures of Hurts and Sirianni.
Asked last Wednesday on 94-WIP if this was a make-or-break season for Hurts, Roseman replied, “No, I don’t agree with that.”
Asked by reporters in April to review Sirianni’s five-year tenure, Lurie replied, “His performance has been nothing short of outstanding.”
All of this sounds pleasant now, before the first whistle blows. All of this could change drastically. The Eagles’ battered offensive line is being held together by athletic tape and stem cells. The team traded malcontent franchise receiver A.J. Brown, and his replacement, rookie Makai Lemon, doesn’t look ready for the NFL. There’s no proof that superstar running back Saquon Barkley, who carried the club in 2024 when he was 27, didn’t lose a step in 2025 when he was 28; now, he’s 29.
They host a desperate Commanders defense to start the season Sunday, travel to Chicago — where the Bears won a playoff game last season — for Game 3, then host Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, and the fearsome Rams in Game 4.
There’s a very real chance that the Eagles’ new offense sputters in the first month of the season. There’s a very real chance that Lurie and Roseman become impatient and change their current long-range views regarding the head coach and the quarterback.
For now, though, they seem willing to give them every best chance.
He will have another wall to break through this season, starting with the Week 1 home opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Nick Sirianni revealed Wednesday that first-time offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will “probably” call plays from the booth, with a glass window and several stories separating him from the sixth-year starting quarterback.
Hurts said he hasn’t had a play caller in the booth since he was in college. Still, he said he will be supportive of Mannion’s decision, regardless of how it impacts their line of communication, particularly between drives.
“If he feels that’s what gives us the best chance to win, the best chance for him to see the game and find his flow and what he’s doing, that’s the direction we need to go in,” Hurts said Wednesday. “And so I’m going to support whatever makes him feel comfortable in that degree.
“And for me, I come into the year thinking about breaking down walls of communication and talking and communicating the things that I’m seeing and and whatnot. And there is a wall, being in the box, but still, having open dialog, using the red phone, calling if I see something, hearing him out, and I think in all, it’s a part of the process.”
Jalen Hurts (right) talked about the importance of communication with Sean Mannion (left) and the new offensive coaching staff. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Building chemistry with Mannion has been one of the focuses of training camp for Hurts. He reiterated on Wednesday his goal of getting “hip-to-hip” with his new offensive coordinator as a means of building chemistry, a task that continues into the regular season.
Hurts wants to know what Mannion is thinking in any given situation, an environment the team has tried to replicate during the call-it periods of training camp. It all becomes real in Week 1. Hurts will soon have an opportunity to build in-game chemistry with Mannion, even if he isn’t on the sideline.
“The in-game experiences we have coming soon will be very valuable for us in what we ultimately want to accomplish,” Hurts said.
With Week 1 preparations underway, the 28-year-old Hurts is still getting used to all of the new. It isn’t just the big aspects, such as the new offensive coordinator, the new offensive scheme, and the horde of new receivers headlined by Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and Hollywood Brown.
It’s the smaller things, too, within Hurts’ weekly preparation. He said he realized on Tuesday that in years past, he would typically meet with Jeff Stoutland on that day to discuss that week’s game plan. Stoutland, who served concurrently as the Eagles offensive line coach for 13 seasons and the run game coordinator for eight, announced his departure from the team in February.
The process may change with new coaches, but the goal remains the same.
“A lot of it is new, and there’s a transition,” Hurts said. “It’s a bit of an evolution, but we’ve got great guys here that I can lean on that can that can fill those voids, so we can do what we’re trying to do moving forward.”
Jalen Hurts has worked hard to learn the nuances of the Sean Mannion offense since the coordinator’s hiring. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Moving forward this week, the Eagles will try to win their first game of the season against an NFC East foe. Hurts and Sirianni have gone 5-0 in Week 1 since the Eagles head coach arrived in Philadelphia and the quarterback stepped into the full-time role as the starter.
Hurts shared his theory for their Week 1 success — “keeping the main thing the main thing.” Their early results are a reflection of their preparation and their confidence in it.
A win would start the Eagles off on the right foot, Hurts said. The real challenge is maintaining that “clarity” regarding their intentions as an offense as the season progresses.
Hurts acknowledged that he doesn’t know exactly what the offense will look like in Week 1, let alone Week 18. It’s Mannion’s job to whittle down the broader offense that he installed in training camp to a more limited menu for game day based on the opponent.
But Hurts said he is excited to have a “north star,” or a clear vision from his offensive coordinator about what his intentions are in designing the offense and how he wants his players to attack it. Whether that vision includes designed runs for the quarterback, an aspect of the offense that was seldom highlighted last year, remains to be seen.
Hurts acknowledged it could be a “unique opportunity” to incorporate his rushing ability into the offense, even though mobile quarterbacks haven’t typically been featured in the West Coast offense.
Ultimately, it’s up to Mannion to make that call. It’s on both Hurts and Mannion to get a sense of which plays the other likes, too, regardless of where the play-caller is located.
“We’ve got to build that chemistry,” Hurts said. “I’m always willing and open to doing anything and everything to win. And it’s not like you say I’m going to drop back and run it on this play. You’ve got to play the game. So we’ll find that feel and see where it goes.”
Nick Sirianni answered the question of who the Eagles’ backup quarterback is the way he was always going to answer it when he was asked on Wednesday.
“We don’t have to make that decision quite yet or announce that decision,” Sirianni said before the Eagles hit the practice field for the first time this week ahead of their Sunday season opener vs. the Washington Commanders. “I think for competitive reasons, again, I don’t want them to be able to study one guy over the other. I’m not saying we don’t have an answer of who that is yet, but I just don’t have to share that quite yet publicly.”
The answer, it seems, hasn’t been shared internally either. That, or both Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee have World Series of Poker-ready poker faces.
“It’s not that I’m actually trying to keep it from you guys, I really don’t know what that plan is,” McKee said Wednesday after practice.
Dalton’s answer was similar: “I haven’t been told anything,” the veteran quarterback said.
The Eagles kept four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster after training camp ended. Neither Dalton nor McKee ran away as the victor in the backup quarterback competition, and neither became an attractive enough trade target. So the Eagles went with four, and all indications are that they’ll likely still have all four around when the Commanders come to town on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee fought Andy Dalton for the QB2 role in training camp. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“I think all of us have a ton of trust in Howie [Roseman] and what he’s doing and obviously we all want the best for the team,” McKee said. “I love our quarterback room, so I was happy to have everybody there. But it was kind of interesting. Obviously they have a plan.”
The plan will be revealed to the participants later in the week, they think. It might not become public until the Eagles designate an emergency third quarterback on their game-day roster, and may not become public at all if they make all three part of the 48-player roster for the game and Jalen Hurts plays all the snaps.
It’s a little weird, though McKee, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, didn’t necessarily agree with that adjective.
“I wouldn’t say weird,” he said. “At this point you’re used to it. Every single year you compete with someone. It’s nice to have somebody like Andy to compete against because I feel like we have a really good relationship, but at the same time when you’re on the field you want to beat out the guy next to you. I think we both understand that, we both realize that. We can talk about our families and sit next to each other in the locker room and have great conversations.”
Andy Dalton was obtained by the Eagles in an offseason trade. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Dalton, for whom the Eagles traded a seventh-round pick during the offseason, said this is the first time in his 16-season NFL career that he doesn’t really know his role this late in the proceedings. The longtime Bengal was a starter for 12 seasons before transitioning into a reserve role. But the 38-year-old said he wasn’t surprised when all four quarterbacks — rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton is also on the roster — were on the initial list of 53 names.
“Talking with them, they said there was a possibility of that happening and there were scenarios where that would be the case,” he said.
The lack of a defined role doesn’t change Dalton’s preparation, he said.
“I’ve prepared the same way my whole career,” Dalton said. “I know my routine, I’ve got a process that I go through every day each week. That doesn’t change anything.”
Regardless if he’s No. 2 or No. 3, Dalton said he does know what his role is on a macro level.
“Just having my experience and asking the right questions in the meetings and sparking the right conversations,” he said. “For me, it’s an understanding that I make sure I know everything that I need to know, but also for the room, make sure everybody is on the same page.”
Dalton and McKee have shared some laughs through it all, joking about who may be first up behind Hurts on any given day.
“We’re in good spirits with it all and we’ll see how it all shakes out,” Dalton said.
The culinary scene is constantly changing, and it’s James Hennessey’s job to “keep up with the Joneses.”
Hennessey has been the senior executive chef for Aramark at Lincoln Financial Field for the last 18 seasons. In his role, he oversees the game day culinary experience — creating in-house dishes and giving fans more “Instagrammable” food moments at Eagles games.
“We want to make sure that we’re not falling behind,” Hennessey said. “With the amount of quality food throughout the city and all across different stadiums, we wanted to make sure that we were implementing some new, creative, fun ideas that could get the fans interest, and engage them and make some Instagrammable moments.”
Hennessey works with a team of 20-25 people on new recipes. Through trial and error — and lots of taste testing — it could take up to three months to perfect a new menu item.
“A lot of innovation that comes into play is involved with talking to each other,” Hennessey said. “Seeing what other trends are going on around the country as well as also in our local area, the culinary scene, as well as other buildings in the area. We always try to push the limit and test each other. Who can go further and further and further but still not miss the mark?”
Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the chef revealed some of the venue’s latest items — and The Inquirer had the chance to try it. Here are all the new Philly bites at Lincoln Financial Field:
Broad Street Beast
The “Broad Street Beast” features braised Wagyu beef shank, pico de gallo, cilantro, Oaxaca cheese sauce, salsa verde, jalapeño poppers, and crispy shallots wrapped in a 18-inch green chalupa shell.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
One of the most eye-catching items on the menu is an 18-inch chalupa shell loaded with braised wagyu beef, known as the Broad Street Beast. Inside the green shell is fried jalapeño poppers, tomatillo avocado salsa, Oaxaca queso, crispy shallots, and cilantro.
The Broad Street Beast, Hennessey’s personal favorite item on the menu, took three months to perfect.
“From the development and conceptualizing everything and even the dough and how finicky it can be with regards to humidity in the kitchen and also with the deep fryer, a lot of those aspects, we put a lot of time and effort into,” Hennessey said.
The jalapeño popper definitely gives the beast a little kick, and it’ll be available in Section 113.
The “Tush Push Tater” includes a fried baked potato, breaded chicken cutlets with pimento mac & cheese, and hot honey bacon jam.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The Tush Push Tater is made for the ’gram — but be warned, the item certainly lives up to its name, featuring a deep-fried potato topped with a fried chicken cutlet, pimento mac and cheese, bacon hot honey jam, scallions, and 215 sauce, which includes craft ranch and roasted long hot peppers.
The item is available at the East and West markets on the club level.
South Philly Special cheesesteak
The South Philly Special Cheesesteak is shown alongside cheesesteak egg rolls on Wednesday.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
A cheesesteak isn’t anything new at the Linc — but the recipe has been revamped with local flair. The cheesesteak features shaved rib eye, caramelized diced onions, shredded Cooper Sharp cheese, and an Amoroso seeded roll.
The smoked chicken nachos include roasted poblano cheese sauce, black bean and charred corn relish, pico de gallo, Mexican crema, scallions, and caramelized honey BBQ sauceIsaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The Inquirer’s personal favorite was the smoked BBQ chicken nachos. The dish featured tortilla chips topped with smoked chicken tossed in caramelized honey BBQ sauce, roasted poblano queso, black beans, charred corn relish, mango pico, Mexican crema, and scallions.
The item is available in Sections 120 and 216.
Kool-Aid glazed wings
Kool-Aid chicken wings are brined before being fried and tossed in Heinz 57 sauce and a Kool-Aid sauce.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
The Kool-Aid glazed chicken wings are in partnership with Kraft Heinz. They have been pickle-brined for four to six hours before being fried and mixed with a tropical punch Kool-Aid sauce and Heinz 57 sauce. They are served with a side of Heinz blue cheese and buttermilk ranch.
Small bites and dipping sauce
A full set of new food for Eagles game days at Lincoln Financial Field.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
There also are plenty of new finger foods with dipping sauces — including the Philadelphia Pretzel Factory rivets, which are served with a bacon jalapeno popper dipping sauce; mozzarella nuggets paired with a side of marinara sauce; or the venue’s cheesesteak spring rolls, which are served with a banana pepper ketchup.
Now that the NFL preseason has been consigned to memory — that is, if anyone actually remembers it — it’s time for the big moment. It’s time to reveal the outcome of every Eagles game during the 2026 regular season.
Week 1: After an offseason of speculation about his scheme and system, new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion shocks everyone on the first play from scrimmage against Washington by having Jalen Hurts line up under center, take the snap, and do The Macarena. “I am not trying to seduce you,” Hurts says after the game. “I am trying to win football games.” Saquon Barkley rushes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, compelling President Trump to issue an executive order changing the franchise’s name from the Washington Commanders to the Washington Ontario. Eagles 24, Commanders 7.
Week 2: Before arriving in Nashville to face the Titans, the Eagles’ players and coaches spend Friday in East Tennessee — at Dollywood for a team-bonding retreat. Following a team dinner at Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans, Jordan Davis persuades Vic Fangio to ride the Wild Eagle roller coaster with him. Both of them throw up. Two days later, Jalyx Hunt sacks Titans quarterback Cam Ward three times. “I set out to get him with a fine tooth comb,” Hunt says. Eagles 20, Titans 6.
Week 3: On Fox NFL Sunday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson tells Jay Glazer, “Yeah, we want to win the game, but we want more than that. We want to hang 50 on ’em. We’re the best around, and nothing’s gonna ever keep us down.” Quinyon Mitchell intercepts Caleb Williams’s first pass and returns it 37 yards for the game’s only touchdown. Eagles 7, Bears 3.
Week 4: Less than 24 hours before their matchup against the Eagles, the Rams announce that they have acquired Joey Bosa, Bobby Wagner, Haason Reddick, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Elliott Gould, and Julia Roberts. DeVonta Smith catches six passes for 66 yards. The Eagles’ other wide receivers combine for six catches for minus-six yards. Rams 27, Eagles 13.
Week 5: In London, Hurts throws two interceptions and loses a fumble against the Jaguars. Asked after the game if he has any plans to go back to an offensive system with which his quarterback is more comfortable, head coach Nick Sirianni says, “Relax. I need some information first. Just the basic facts. Can you show me where it’s Hurts?” Jaguars 21, Eagles 7.
Week 6: The Eagles bounce back against the Panthers, but their manner of victory causes controversy. Barkley carries the ball 45 times for 233 yards and three touchdowns, but Hurts does not attempt a pass. At his locker after the game, Smith is asked how he feels about the offense. “You gotta go shipping up to Boston — or Foxborough — for that answer,” he says. Eagles 30, Panthers 17.
Week 7: On Monday Night Football against the Cowboys, Hurts delivers his finest performance of the season: 349 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a career-high seven aphorisms during his postgame press conference. His team off to a 3-4 start, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says after the game that he has benched quarterback Dak Prescott and asks Troy Aikman if he’d be willing to play again. “Old man,” Aikman responds, “look at my life. Hell. No.” Eagles 34, Cowboys 28.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will face the Cowboys in Week 7.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Week 8: It’s the second Eagles-Washington matchup of the season, this time on Sunday Night Football. Josh Harris hosts LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in his Northwest Stadium suite, where the amenities include a catering tray of undercooked hot dogs and guest appearances by former Washington greats Rock Cartwright, Gus Frerotte, and Donovan McNabb. Eagles 31, Whatever Their Name Is 10.
Week 9: Despite the Giants’ 4-6 record entering this game at Lincoln Financial Field, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani releases 12 social-media videos declaring that Dec. 25 will “be known from this day forth as ‘John Harbaugh Day in the Big Apple.’” The New York Post runs a poll revealing that 57% of the media who cover the Giants believe Harbaugh is a better coach than Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, or Vince Lombardi. Jaxson Dart doesn’t complete a pass until late in the fourth quarter. Eagles 23, Giants 0.
Week 10: Through nine games, the Eagles have committed 15 turnovers. So during the bye week, Sirianni announces he will become the full-time play-caller. “The nearer we are to our destination, the more the ball is slip-slidin’ away,” he says. “I wear my passion for protecting the football like a thorny crown.” Asked if he will bench Hurts for any of the other 17 quarterbacks on the Eagles’ roster, Sirianni declines to comment.
Week 11: The Eagles pound the Steelers at the Linc. The next morning, Aaron Rodgers appears on The Pat McAfee Show, claiming that the real reason he and his teammates lost was that Anthony Fauci, The Illuminati, and the game’s replay officials conspired against them. Eagles 28, Steelers 3.
Week 12: On Thanksgiving, the Cowboys rally from a 14-point halftime deficit to beat the Eagles. Asked after the crushing loss why Hurts did not throw a pass over the game’s final three quarters, Sirianni responds, “Jalen was on a vacation far away. So many things I want to say. You know I like my leads a little bit bigger, but I don’t want to lose that ball tonight.” Cowboys 21, Eagles 17.
Week 13: A 10-day layoff leads to sloppiness and frustration on offense against the Cardinals; only a dominant performance from the Eagles’ defense saves them. Standing at his locker, Smith holds out his smartphone to show that he has received a text message from A.J. Brown: “yo bro i told u also don’t 4get book club tues nite.” Eagles 16, Cardinals 3.
Former Eagles OC Shane Steichen (left) and his Colts squad will come to the Linc on Dec. 13.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Week 14: The Colts’ Daniel Jones tosses three touchdown passes as former Eagles OC Shane Steichen spends all day scheming receivers open against Fangio’s defense. On WIP, PHLY Sports, and Jeff McLane’s podcast, Brandon Graham announces that he is considering coming out of retirement. Colts 27, Eagles 21.
Week 15: A matchup of the last two Super Bowl champions shows the Eagles where they really stand in the NFC. Hurts throws three interceptions, including two in the red zone, against the Seahawks. “You win. You learn,” Hurts says. “You laugh. You learn. You cry. You learn. You miss Dallas Goedert wide-open in the end zone. You learn.” Still, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky says that Hurts is in the discussion for the top five quarterbacks in the NFL if you consider that every quarterback in the NFL is really under discussion to be one of the top five quarterbacks in the NFL because every quarterback in the NFL is amazing. Seahawks 24, Eagles 6.
Week 16: On Christmas Eve, the Eagles and Texans combine for seven turnovers and remain scoreless into overtime before C.J. Stroud throws his fourth interception, all to Riq Woolen, and Jake Elliott kicks a 30-yard field goal. Smith shows reporters another text from Brown: ‘haha u missed xmas story marathon on tbs 4 this.’ Eagles 3, Texans 0.
Week 17: When 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t appear at one of his midweek press conferences, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers have allowed him to report that Shanahan has actually been in cryogenic stasis since early October. Eagles 35, 49ers 20.
Week 18: At MetLife Stadium, with Mannion calling plays again, Hurts goes 7-of-21 for 79 yards in an ugly victory over the Giants. New York media members give Harbaugh a standing ovation for going 6-11, talking to them nicely and even using their first names. The Eagles finish 12-5 and clinch their third straight NFC East title. Sirianni announces that, in the following week’s wild-card game, backup quarterback Troy Aikman will start. Eagles 11, Giants 7.
Just under a month into training camp, Lane Johnson outlined the best-case scenario for the Eagles offense in 2026.
It was a lofty aspiration — but not unrealistic, given the success of the offense just two years ago. It centered on its star running back, Saquon Barkley, who accumulated over 2,000 rushing yards in the 2024 regular season and broke Terrell Davis’ single-season rushing record (combined regular season and postseason) by Super Bowl LIX.
“I think all in all, the more productive we are in the run game and stuff feeds all of that, that we’ll see the Saquon of two years ago,” Johnson said on Aug. 19.
That ideal won’t fall on Barkley alone. To recapture his productivity of two years ago, the Eagles are going back about 30, tapping an offshoot of an offensive scheme that rose to popularity around the time the running back was born.
Sean Mannion, the Eagles’ first-time, 34-year-old offensive coordinator, spent most of his playing and coaching careers learning from pupils of the Shanahan/McVay tree. These days in the NFL, “Shanahan” refers to Kyle, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, but he is preceded by his father Mike, the two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Denver Broncos who helped Davis reach that record in 1998.
Kyle Shanahan (left) and father Mike (pictured in 2010 while with Washington) pointed the way to the current run-game concepts in vogue around the NFL. Alex Brandon
When Mike became Broncos head coach in 1995, he named Alex Gibbs offensive line coach. Gibbs, who died in 2021, was a proponent of the wide-zone blocking scheme in the run game that would go on to serve as the foundation for the modern West Coast offense.
His influence lives on in offshoots of the scheme around the league. Mannion called his first exposure to the system in 2017 under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay “a very exciting point in my football life.” Now, Mannion has the opportunity to make it his own, all while helping breathe new life into an Eagles rushing attack that stagnated in 2025.
“I’ve seen it from afar, but now, actually studying it and working it and trying to put myself in the system, I feel like it’s going to open up some things that I may not have been able to show as much in my career,” Barkley said.
The man seeking to help Barkley elevate his game is a quarterback by trade. But Mannion’s expertise isn’t limited to the passing game. According to offensive line coach Chris Kuper, who played for Shanahan in Denver, the Eagles offensive coordinator “loves the run game,” too.
“The run game is a big part of what we’re going to do,” Kuper said, “And [Mannion’s] got passion for it. And that makes me feel good as an O-line coach, because I think we’re going to be really good at running the ball.”
Todd Gurley thrived with wide-zone concepts while with the Rams. Tony Avelar
In the (wide) zone
When Barkley learned that the Eagles offensive scheme in 2026 would have Shanahan/McVay roots, he fired up Todd Gurley’s film.
Gurley spent five of his six seasons in the NFL with the Rams, including two standout seasons in 2017 and 2018. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in both seasons, earning a pair of All-Pro honors and an NFL Offensive Player of the Year nod in 2017.
Dean Davidson, the author of the Wide Zone Warriors Substack, watched those years in real time. A native of St. Louis whose memories of the Rams commence with the collapse of the “Greatest Show on Turf” era, Davidson was enthralled with the quick work McVay did to turn the team around. At the time, Davidson had just joined the staff of a struggling high school football team and was looking for inspiration.
“I was trying to figure out how [McVay] took that team from the dumps that they were in my entire life that I could remember to that point to Super Bowl favorites in what seemed like overnight,” said Davidson, who is now the offensive line coach at Obion County Central High School in Troy, Tenn.
At the core of the scheme that fascinated Davidson was the wide-zone run. Its intent is in its name. The blocking unit aims to stretch the defense on the front side of the run, while simultaneously cutting off defenders on the back side.
As Gibbs explained at his 2015 offensive line clinic in Cincinnati, the running back’s aiming point is the backside of the tight end — and if there is no tight end to the weak side of the formation, it would be to the imaginary backside of the tight end. After three steps, the running back would know whether he should hit the edge on the front side or make a single cut up the middle of the field. By the fifth step, he would make his cut.
One of the challenges of defending the wide zone run is the distance that defenders have to cover in order to maintain their gap integrity, Davidson explained.
“Everybody’s moving so far in one direction that the gap that you’re responsible for as a defensive lineman or a linebacker, maybe even a safety, it might still be between the same two offensive linemen, but those two offensive linemen on a given snap could be like 10 yards laterally somewhere else,” Davidson said. “So forcing them to maintain their gap integrity while moving so far laterally, it’s a very difficult challenge.”
It’s a challenge the Eagles offensive line enjoyed creating throughout training camp. Cam Jurgens said the scheme “lets you be a little bit more of an athlete” given how quickly the front side blocking unit must fire off the ball laterally toward the sideline.
The goal, according to Kuper, is for the defense to defend every blade of grass on the field. That task, ideally, would tire out the defense as the game wears on, Lane Johnson said. After Johnson, Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson had a full offseason to recover from the ailments that plagued them last year, they are up to the assignment.
“We’re getting to really run, stretch the field, cover some yardage,” Johnson said. “So in that way, it tires out defenses. Makes them cover each gap.”
Lane Johnson (65) and his fellow offensive line cohorts are getting behind the wide-zone scheme Sean Mannion has introduced in Philly.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The wide zone could be at the foundation of the Eagles’ rushing attack, but in all likelihood, it won’t be the only style of run in their playbook. When Gibbs was designing the Broncos’ run game 30 years ago, he only believed in coaching zone runs — primarily wide zone and some tight zone, in which the running back’s landmark is typically behind the center.
David Gibbs, his son and the secondary coach at Arizona State, explained that his father didn’t believe teams could excel at executing both zone schemes (blocking a certain area of the field) and gap schemes (blocking a specific defender or gap). But the game has evolved, the younger Gibbs said.
“You have to be able to do both, because the defensive linemen are so good,” he said. “They’re so big, athletic, strong, and the reality of it is defensive linemen are just more athletic than offensive linemen, in my opinion. And so you can’t give them the same schemes all the time.”
Brett Kollmann, an NFL Media analyst, called the Rams’ 15-6 loss to Vic Fangio’s Chicago Bears in 2018 “one of the defining games of the last decade” that prompted an evolution of McVay’s scheme. At the time, the Rams’ rushing attack was wide-zone heavy. Fangio’s solution was to stack bodies on the line of scrimmage in a 6-1 “tilt front,” putting a body in every gap and forcing the running back to cut back into a defender.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots would follow the same blueprint to stop the Rams in the Super Bowl that season. To counteract the defense’s penetration at the line of scrimmage, McVay would eventually introduce more “counter” runs, a gap scheme that calls for two pulling blockers to create a pair of gaps on the play side.
The incorporation of different types of runs gives defenses more to process, according to right guard Tyler Steen, which in turn forces them to slow down.
“One minute you’re going wide zone and D-tackles and D-ends are running,” Steen said. “The next minute, you’re going ‘duo’ and you’re going downhill. So I think that gives defenders a lot to think about. And so it kind of makes it easier on the O-linemen, because [the defense doesn’t] know what to play.”
Saquon Barkley often found running room hard to come by for an Eagles offense that grew predictable in 2025. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Keeping defenses ‘on their toes’
After the Eagles’ 34-17 loss to the New York Giants in Week 6, Johnson tried to surmise the state of the Eagles offense.
As he spoke at his stall, he used some form of the word “predictable” three times.
“I don’t know if we’re predictable, but it seems a lot harder than what it needs to be,” Johnson said. “Maybe moving forward have a little bit more variety, hitting the perimeter some and doing a little bit more of that.”
Johnson emphasized that he wasn’t trying to point fingers, and at the end of the day, the Eagles needed to execute better. Still, his analysis was a harbinger of things to come for the shotgun-heavy offense that seldom disguised its intentions.
The Eagles are set to take a different direction under Mannion. Like other offshoots of the Shanahan/McVay tree, Mannion emphasizes the importance of the marriage between the run and the pass — more specifically, the play-action pass.
When runs look like passes, and vice versa, offenses are less predictable, Johnson said.
“I think setting up with the play action is just going to be a whole lot tougher to distinguish what we’re doing,” Johnson said during mandatory minicamp. “Whole lot harder to catch on [to] tells with stuff that we’re doing. So I think this stuff, we can disguise it more.”
The key to pulling that off is keeping the presentation the same. If the Eagles are running wide zone, for example, and building the play-action pass off of it, the blocking unit is executing the same assignment. Johnson stressed the importance of keeping a “low hat” to sell the run, and if the linebackers bite down, the quarterback can target the vacant middle of the field.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion (right) is introducing variety to an offense seeking to keep defenses off-guard. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Marry that with motions, and the defense is confronted with another layer of complexity to decipher. Even the quarterback’s alignment under center can further disguise the intent of the offense on any given play, Jurgens explained.
“I feel like that’s just another way to keep defenses on their toes,” Jurgens said during mandatory minicamp. “You get a little less predictable. And so I feel like it kind of gives us a little better angles as well. Defenses can’t cheat things, ‘cause they don’t know where we’re going to go. You can set up a lot of your plays a lot better.”
Kollmann is aware of Jalen Hurts’ historical lack of targeting the middle of the field. Dating back to his rookie season before he became the full-time starter, Hurts has targeted the short middle of the field (a maximum of nine yards from the line of scrimmage) on 8.3% of his pass attempts, according to an Inquirer analysis. The league average is 14.5%. From 10 to 19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage over the middle, Hurts’ attempt rate drops to 4.6% (closer to the 7.4% league average).
But Kollmann said that conflating “hasn’t” with “can’t” isn’t necessarily fair. He said he believes that the Eagles lack of a wide-zone, play-action game in the past is to blame for not helping free up that area.
“When they are so shotgun heavy, and therefore when their play action game is really just kind of faking inside zone, that’s the kind of run fake that doesn’t really draw linebackers in, because they can see the ball the entire time,” Kollmann said.
The fake from under center requires a quarterback to turn his back to the defense, shielding the ball from the view of the linebackers. They can’t see it, so they step up, theoretically giving the offense more room to operate over the middle.
It’s easier said than done for any quarterback, as they must temporarily take their eyes off of the pass rushers seeking to take them down. But according to Josh Grizzard, the Eagles passing game coordinator, Hurts has been a “natural” with turning his back to the defense and selling the fake.
“When you have the runs and they look like the keepers and they look like the play passes, then the goal would be for those guys to see the same thing,” Grizzard said. “And then if you can get that second level of the defense to step up, then you have an ability to now push the ball down the field and be able to marry the run and the pass as well as create explosive passes.”
How many runs are designed for Jalen Hurts in the new offense remains an open question. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The backside threat
Speaking of keepers, will the quarterback designed run game return to the Eagles offense in 2026?
By December of last year, Hurts was averaging 1.1 designed runs per game in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. He averaged 3.6 designed runs per game in his first four seasons as the starter.
The modern West Coast offense hasn’t necessarily needed a mobile quarterback to thrive, as evidenced by the success of Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford with the Rams. But the 2026 Eagles offense isn’t going to be a carbon copy of other schemes around the league from the same tree, and Mannion is well-aware of Hurts’ rushing ability.
“Jalen has a unique skill set in that way,” Mannion said. “So that’ll certainly be a part of what we do, but we’re looking again at all areas as an offense to really attack defenses on a weekly basis. He is uniquely skilled in that way. That will be a part of it, but it won’t be the only part of it.”
Zone reads aren’t totally foreign to this coaching tree. In 2012, while Mike Shanahan was Washington’s head coach and Kyle was his offensive coordinator, the team drafted Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick.
The rookie quarterback would go on to rush for 815 yards and seven touchdowns, all while throwing for 3,200 yards. His production on the ground wouldn’t persist far beyond 2012, though. Washington took a more conservative approach with Griffin III as a rusher, especially as he dealt with injuries that began during a rookie season that was ended by a serious knee injury.
Robert Griffin III (10) was a rushing threat in the Washington offense before injuries curtailed his effectiveness.
Still, Davidson said a backside threat is important in the run game, whether it’s a quarterback run or a bootleg. In the case of the bootleg, which the Eagles incorporated throughout training camp and the preseason, the quarterback exploits the unblocked defensive end who flows with the running back, rolling out unabated in the opposite direction and completing a pass on the move.
“If you’re just under center or even the pistol, and you don’t have anything that keeps the defense on the backside, then it’s a lot easier for them to chase [the ball] down [in wide zone],” Davidson said. “But if they know that they have to defend boot on the other side of the field or defend a quarterback run on the other side of the field, it can really slow the defense down.”
Time will reveal the contents of Mannion’s playbook. While it may contain odes to his influences, it could also include all of the plays he would’ve liked to run throughout his nine-year career as an NFL backup quarterback and two seasons as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers.
Whatever the offense becomes will be unique to the Eagles, Kuper said.
“Those webs of guys kind of break out, and they kind of make it their own, and that’s what our goal is,” Kuper said. “This is going to evolve into Sean Mannion’s offense. This is going to be a derivative, maybe.
“There’s going to be flavors of what you’ve seen throughout the league, and some of his mentors, but this will be our offense.”
DeVonta Smith steps onto the field, a white Gatorade towel wrapped around his head and his practice jersey draped over a black long-sleeve shirt. He flashes a determined look as he holds a play sheet in his left hand and a coach’s headset in his right.
Nothing was going to stop Smith — who was sidelined with a hamstring injury — from staying involved during the dog days of training camp.
He knows this season is different. He knows his mindset needs to reflect that.
For the first time since his rookie season, Smith is a No. 1 wide receiver. He excelled in that role in college and had a record-breaking first season — his 916 receiving yards set the Eagles rookie record for — but he’s lived in the shadow of A.J. Brown for the last four years. The Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots in June, which immediately placed Smith back atop the depth chart again.
Is he ready for his close-up?
“The guy was built to do this,” said James Madison coach Billy Napier, who recruited Smith when Napier was the wide receivers coach at Alabama. “DeVonta, he’s not motivated by normal things. This guy’s in a pursuit to be the best that’s ever done it. …
“Eagles fans are going to have fun watching Smitty in this role, I can promise you that.”
DeVonta Smith (6) and A.J. Brown (11) thrived together for a perennial Super Bowl contender, but Brown is now a Patriot. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
He has the backing of his current teammates and coaches, too. Smith never led the Eagles in receiving yards when Brown was on the team, but he’s eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons and is the all-time franchise leader in postseason receiving yards with 665.
Jordan Mailata put it best when asked about Smith, whom the Eagles took with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2021 draft.
“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver,” Mailata said, referring to Smith’s skill and leadership style. “Nothing has changed for Smitty.”
But now he actually has the title. And with training camp finished — plus the drama from the Brown situation mostly settled — that reality has sunk in inside the Eagles facility. There’s a sense that Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy when he was a No. 1 wide receiver with the Crimson Tide in 2020, has been waiting for this chance his entire career.
“I think he’s always seen himself as [the No. 1],” Eagles wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said. “I think in this building, you’ve always seen him as one. You just had another guy that was a one. There’s something about that that’s probably a little bit fun for him. To be able to know that he’s in that spot right now.”
As if his role increasing wasn’t enough of a challenge, Smith also has to learn a new offense. After things went stale under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo last season, the Eagles replaced him with Sean Mannion, who is installing a new scheme rooted in his background in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay offense. Coach Nick Sirianni said at the scouting combine that he expects his WR1 to be “on the rise” in the new offense, but it’s up to Smith to deliver on that.
How have the results been so far?
“It speaks to him that he missed a little time in camp, but right when he came back, the first thing we felt, we were like, ‘Yeah, this is who we missed,’” Moorehead said.
Eagles coaches have praised Smith’s (6) leadership as the team adapts to a new scheme. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Learning a new playbook has never been an issue for Smith. Napier recalls Smith, then a sophomore in high school, skipping Alabama’s spring game — which would have been an opportunity for him to network with his future teammates and coaches — so that he could study the Tide’s playbook in his office.
“He stayed in my office the entire day. He never went to the game,” Napier said. “He’s consumed with being the best he can be. He’s blue-collar. He’s tough.”
So, how do those who knew him with Alabama think he’ll look in the Mannion offense, specifically?
“Oh, it doesn’t matter what offense he’s in,” former Alabama associate head coach Burton Burns said. “Whatever offense DeVonta’s in, he’s going to figure it out, he’s going to learn it quick, and he’s going to thrive.”
“Look, he’s played for lots of different systems, lots of different coordinators,” Napier said. “He’s going to learn his playbook and give the organization everything he has. It’s the best thing about him. He’s a playmaker, regardless of the system.”
Above all, Smith’s coaches have praised his ability to rise to a challenge — which is fitting for the task he faces in 2026. Early in his recruitment, Alabama balked at extending Smith an official offer, hoping it would motivate him to add weight to his slender frame. He not only rose to that challenge but wound up a five-star recruit, then set seven school receiving records and won two national titles with the Crimson Tide.
“He just kept working and working until we had to take notice,” Burns said. “He’s just got this quiet demeanor about himself that creates a lot of confidence.”
DeVonta Smith has seemed to accept the scrutiny that comes with a more prominent role in 2026. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
He’s meeting his goals ahead of his most difficult task yet this season. Moorehead said at the beginning of the offseason that he challenged Smith to ramp up his leadership as his role increased. Moorehead said Smith has done a “great job” with that, mentoring young receivers like 2026 first-round pick Makai Lemon and helping his teammates learn Mannion’s concepts.
“He’s been through a lot of wars here,” Moorehead said. “He’s not afraid to say that it’s not right — and he’s always been like that. I think that’s the Alabama in him, but I think even more so now he’s able to just take charge. He’s done a great job as far as leadership goes in the room of just helping everybody.”
Philly sports fandom has some simple rules: Root for Philly teams and boo everyone else.
But there are exceptions to all rules, and in Philly those exceptions include showing support for local athletes who are with other teams (within reason) — and for some players who once played for the city but now are on opposing rosters.
In the NFL, all 31 other teams have at least one person on the roster or staff who fits the criteria. Most have several, but we chose one and only one notable Eagles or Philly connection to each of the 31 other teams in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison, a wide receiver, was a four-star recruit from St. Joseph’s Prep. Upon finishing his career in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Harrison, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, held PCL records for career receiving yards (2,625) and touchdowns (37) which still stand.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was a star for St. Joe’s Prep before taking his talents to Ohio State and the NFL. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
Atlanta Falcons: Jahan Dotson
Dotson, another receiver, spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Eagles. He averaged 14.1 receiving yards per game and had one touchdown in his two seasons with Philly. The Nazareth Area High School alumnus also played at Penn State and finished his college career with 183 receptions for 2,757 yards and 27 total touchdowns.
Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Brady
The Ravens added Brady to their coaching staff as passing game coordinator in February after he spent two years with the Los Angeles Chargers. But in 2022-2023, Brady was a senior offensive assistant for the Eagles.
Buffalo Bills: C.J. Gardner-Johnson
After stops in Houston and Chicago during the 2025 season, Gardner-Johnson joined the Bills ahead of the 2026 season. Gardner-Johnson played for the Eagles in 2022 and returned in 2024 to help Philly to its second Super Bowl, matching his career high with six interceptions during that regular season. His first six-interception season also came with Philly in 2022. Gardner-Johnson’s teammates, Dion Dawkins and Christian Benford, also have Philly ties, playing collegiately at Temple and Villanova, respectively.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson had multiple stints with the Eagles. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Carolina Panthers: Jaelan Phillips
Part of the Eagles roster last season, Phillips is now in his first season as an edge rusher with the Panthers. During his one year in Philly, Phillips played in eight games with two sacks and 28 tackles.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ke’Shawn Williams
While backup quarterback Joe Flacco is among the notable local names in the NFL as a native of Audubon, N.J., there’s even more local talent in Cincinnati. Williams is from Philadelphia and played high school football at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where he also competed in track and field and basketball. Williams signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2025, before being picked up off waivers by the Bengals. His one touchdown in the 2026 preseason came against the Eagles at the Linc.
Ke’Shawn Williams (13) starred at receiver for Springside Chestnut Hill before his career eventually took him to the NFL. LOU RABITO / Staff
Cleveland Browns: Andrew Berry
In his sixth year with the Browns, the executive vice president of football operations and general manager also had a stint working with Cleveland from 2016-2018 as vice president of player personnel. But between 2018 and returning to the Browns in January 2020, Berry served as VP of football operations with the Eagles in 2019. His twin brother, Adam, is in his fourth season with the Eagles and was recently promoted to assistant general manager ahead of the 2026 season.
Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift
Swift is a former Eagles player and one with Philly roots. He played for the Eagles in 2023, but also graduated in 2017 from St. Joe’s Prep. As a freshman, he helped the Prep win the 2013 Class 4A state championship, and in 2016 was named the Catholic League Player of the Year after he ran for over 1,500 yards and scored 34 total touchdowns as a senior.
D’Andre Swift first became known to Philly fans when he starred for St. Joe’s Prep. LOU RABITO / Staff
Dallas Cowboys: Sam Howell
Yes, even the Cowboys have Philly connections, with ex-Eagles staffer-turned-Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker among the most notable. There’s also Howell, the Birds’ third-string quarterback from last season, who signed with the Cowboys in the offseason after the Eagles didn’t extend his contract. Howell is the backup quarterback in Dallas behind Dak Prescott, with his only season as a starter in the NFL coming in 2023 with the Washington Commanders when he threw for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns as a rookie.
Denver Broncos: Mike McGlinchey
The 31-year-old offensive tackle played football and basketball at William Penn Charter High School. McGlinchey started as a tight end at Penn Charter before switching to tackle. He was a first-team offensive lineman in 2012 for the Pennsylvania Sports Writers AAAA All-State football team.
Mike McGlinchey was a standout in multiple sports at Penn Charter. Steven M Falk / Staff Photographer
Detroit Lions: Avonte Maddox
Part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX team, Avonte Maddox joined the Lions for the 2025 season. Maddox spent seven seasons with the Eagles at cornerback after being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Green Bay Packers: Javon Hargrave
The defensive tackle spent the 2020 through 2022 seasons with the Eagles after starting his career in Pittsburgh in 2016. Hargrave recorded 23 regular-season sacks during his three seasons in Philly, including a career-high 11 in the 2022 season, helping the team reach Super Bowl LVII.
Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans
Ryans is in his fourth season as head coach of the Texans, but his NFL career began as a standout linebacker from 2006-2015. He played four seasons (2012-15) with the Eagles, racking up 334 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five interceptions.
Before he was a coach, DeMeco Ryans was a productive player for the Eagles.
Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen
Before he was head coach of the Colts, Steichen served as offensive coordinator of the Eagles in 2021 and 2022. Under his guidance, the Eagles had the NFL’s top rushing offense with 5,224 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns, helping lead the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Grant Udinski
Hired in February 2025, Udinski is entering his second season as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator. Udinski’s coaching career started in Carolina with a stop in Minnesota, but his origins go back to the Philly area. Udinski is a Doylestown native who went to high school at Central Bucks West High School.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid
The longest-tenured coach in Eagles history, Reid spent 14 seasons in Philly before becoming head coach of Kansas City, where the future Hall of Famer is now entering his 14th season. Before leading the Chiefs dynasty, Reid posted a 130-93-1 regular-season record in Philly, including a 10-9 postseason mark.
Andy Reid (left, with owner Jeffrey Lurie) came to Philly in 1999 and presided over a successful tenure of Eagles football that included one Super Bowl appearance. KRT
Las Vegas Raiders: Nakobe Dean
Starting his career with the Eagles in 2022 after being selected in the third round, the linebacker is entering his first season playing outside Philly. In his 47 games played with the Eagles, Dean piled up 226 tackles and 7.5 sacks, with his career-high 128 tackles helping Philly to its second Super Bowl in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers: Teair Tart
A defensive tackle, Tart was born and raised in Philly, where he attended West Philadelphia High School. Initially, Tart’s focus was on basketball, but he made the switch to football in his junior year, helping lead his team to the Public League championship game the following year, in 2014.
Teair Tart (left, with West Philadelphia High football coach Karl “Bubb” Patrick) rose to prominence as a player in West Philly.Karl Patrick
Los Angeles Rams: Brian Johnson
The senior offensive assistant for the Rams, Johnson held his first NFL coaching position with the Eagles in 2021 after spending years coaching at the collegiate level. Johnson was the quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023. He spent the past two seasons with the Commanders before being hired by the Rams ahead of this season.
Miami Dolphins: Kyle McCord
A recent acquisition by Miami from Green Bay, the backup quarterback’s career started in Philly at St. Joe’s Prep, where he played alongside Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, McCord passed for 1,582 yards and 21 touchdowns to lead St. Joe’s Prep to the Class 6A state championship and a 6-0 season. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round in 2025. He spent the season on the Eagles practice squad before signing a reserve contract with Green Bay.
Kyle McCord played for St. Joe’s Prep and was on the Eagles’ practice squad. CHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer
Minnesota Vikings: Carson Wentz
There was once a time when Pennsylvania was known by Eagles fans as “Wentzylvania.” Now a backup quarterback for the Vikings, Wentz spent five seasons in Philadelphia, from 2016-2020, after the Eagles traded up to select him second overall in the draft. Before a knee injury altered the course of his career, Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 start in 2017, helping put them on a path to their first-ever Super Bowl win, before Nick Foles finished out the job.
New England Patriots: Christian Barmore
While there is the obvious A.J Brown tie between the Patriots and Eagles, there are other local connections between the two teams. Barmore, a defensive tackle going into his sixth season with New England, hails from Philly. Playing his high school career at Neumann Goretti, the four-star recruit was first-team All-Philadelphia in the Catholic League Blue Division and helped lead his team to an 11-1 record and a trip to the state quarterfinal before committing to Alabama.
Neumann-Goretti’s Christian Barmore committed to Alabama then embarked on a successful pro career. AKIRA SUWA
New Orleans Saints: Kellen Moore
In his second season as head coach of the Saints, Moore had a stint as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles in their Super Bowl LIX win. That was his only season with the Eagles, leaving shortly after the season and joining the Saints in February 2025.
New York Giants: Abdul Carter
Selected third overall in the 2025 draft by the Giants, Carter grew up in Philadelphia, playing youth football for the North Philly Aztecs, before attending La Salle College High School. Carter was a four-year varsity starter and the team MVP his senior year, when he led the Explorers to a 9-2 record. He went on to play at Penn State, where he earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors in 2024.
Abdul Carter was a standout for La Salle before moving on to Penn State. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
New York Jets: Frank Reich
In his first season as offensive coordinator with the Jets, Reich has decades of experience, including a stop in Philly. Reich was offensive coordinator for the Eagles in 2016 and in 2017, when the team won its first Super Bowl. Reich, who left Philly to become a head coach in Indianapolis and Carolina, is returning to the NFL after a stint at the collegiate level as interim head coach and senior adviser at Stanford for the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Johnston
Punters deserve recognition, too, like the veteran Johnston who is in his ninth year in the NFL. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Johnston spent three seasons with the Eagles from 2018-20. Since his NFL debut in 2018, Johnston ranks in the top 10 among punters in punts, punting yards, and net punting yards.
Cameron Johnston has stuck around in the NFL after his tenure in Philly. Corey Perrine / AP
San Francisco 49ers: Colt Anderson
Anderson is in his 16th season in the NFL, the last seven as a coach. The second-year assistant special teams coach with the 49ers had a nine-year playing career as a safety, which included four seasons with the Eagles from 2010-13, when he played under Chip Kelly and Reid.
Seattle Seahawks: Josh Jobe
After spending two seasons with the Eagles in 2022 and 2023, the cornerback is entering his third season with the Seahawks. Jobe played in all 17 games with the Eagles in his final season here, making three starts. Since arriving in Seattle, Jobe’s career has only improved, with his best season coming when he was a full-time starter in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl title-winning 2025 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenneth Gainwell
The running back is entering his first season with the Bucs after a season with the Steelers, but the majority of his NFL career to date was spent with the Eagles. The fifth-round pick was with the Birds from 2021-24, which included a standout game in the NFC divisional round on Jan. 21, 2023 against the Giants. Gainwell logged a career-high 112 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown in the 38-7 rout.
Kenneth Gainwell’s (14) game against the Giants in the 2022 playoffs remains a highlight of his career Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Tennessee Titans: Kylen Granson
Granson spent the first four seasons of his career as a tight end with the Colts, before stopping in Philly for the 2025 season on the road to Tennessee. While with the Eagles, Granson played in all 17 regular-season games, starting three, where the blocking specialist recorded seven catches on nine targets for 40 yards as a rotational tight end.
Washington Commanders: Marcus Mariota
Mariota and the Commanders will open their season against the Eagles, but there was once a time when the backup quarterback was on the other end of that matchup. A second-round pick in the 2015 draft, Mariota’s long career included a stop in Philly in 2023, when he played in three games. Mariota is in his third season as a backup to Jayden Daniels in Washington. With Daniels injured, Mariota started a 29-18 loss to the Eagles in Week 16 last season.
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
Riq Woolen had made up his mind. In early December 2019, the 6-foot-4 athlete — who had spent the final few games of that season at cornerback, despite playing wide receiver his whole life — walked through the door of the UTSA coaches’ room, ready to tell the new staff that he wanted to revert to his old position.
His decision made sense. NFL defensive backs are approximately 5-foot-11 on average, according to Stathead data, and wide receivers typically are taller, so Woolen figured his best shot of making the league was on offense.
Then a former Eagle changed his life.
“He walks in the door, and I’m like, ‘What the frick? This dude looks like a basketball player,’” said Nick Graham, UTSA’s cornerbacks coach who played defensive back for the Eagles in 2007. “So then I watched his film with him, and I was like, ‘Oh hell yeah, you don’t need to move back to receiver. If you stay at corner, you’ll be a league guy, no doubt.’”
Graham’s gambit paid off. Two seasons and one successful combine performance later, Woolen was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. The decision continued to pay off in Seattle, where Woolen became a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2022 and a key member of their Super Bowl team last season.
And yet, when Woolen finally hit free agency this spring, league-wide interest was low because of his inconsistent play in 2025.
Riq Woolen burst on the scene as a rookie in Seattle but was allowed to leave in free agency four years later. Lindsey Wasson
That’s when Eagles general manager Howie Roseman stepped in. In signing Woolen to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million, Roseman utilized a strategy that has worked well for him: Sign an underappreciated, perhaps disgruntled, player to a one-year deal and hope it pays off.
Linebacker Zack Baun — who signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in 2024 — went from an afterthought with the New Orleans Saints to a two-time Pro-Bowler under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, running back LeGarrette Blount, and cornerback Patrick Robinson, all of whom signed one-year deals in 2017, helped the team to its first Super Bowl win that season.
Can Woolen, 27, be Howie’s next one-year wonder in Philadelphia?
“I’d bet on Howie for sure, and I’d bet on Tariq for damn sure,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said.
Before examining Woolen’s likelihood of living up to that, we must first dive into how he got here. Critical mental errors over the last two seasons were his downfall. Woolen experienced a nadir in Seattle’s 2025 season opener, when he gave up a 45-yard completion near the sidelines and a touchdown in the end zone on the San Francisco 49ers’ game-winning drive. In the first six weeks, Woolen ranked near the bottom of the league in passer rating against (116.3). He corrected this in the final 12 weeks, climbing up to the sixth-best number among cornerbacks (57.2).
The damage had been done, though. The fluctuating nature of Woolen’s play was the final straw for the Seahawks. Those closest to Woolen believe coach Mike Macdonald’s regime didn’t trust him as much as Pete Carroll’s — which is the driving force behind the “big chip on his shoulder” this season.
“The thing that I’m excited for him is the clean slate,” Graham said. “He’s going to a place where he’s wanted. I know the first regime in Seattle wanted him … I don’t know that it was like that with the second one.”
Riq Woolen (27) won a Super Bowl in Seattle, but some trust might have eroded with Mike Macdonald’s coaching staff. Kevin Ng, Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
On paper, Fangio’s scheme should reignite his Pro Bowl form. Woolen had one of the best seasons in recent years in man coverage — according to Next Gen Stats, his 27.6% completion rate allowed in man coverage was the lowest by any defender to face 20-plus targets in man since at least 2018. The Seahawks deployed man coverages on just 15.2% of their defensive snaps, which was the sixth-fewest in the NFL, according to Sharp Analytics. The Eagles, meanwhile, used man coverage on 24.5% of their snaps last season.
If this trend continues (and Woolen stays consistent), Fangio could have one of the best cornerback trios in the league in Woolen, along with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who are Pro Bowlers in their own right.
How has the chemistry been with that group so far?
“It’s pretty cool because it’s just learning how to fit in with these guys,” Woolen said. “I know my personality. I get along well with everybody. So just being able to become close with these guys, that’s all I really care about.
“I’ve got to be the best version of myself, and for me to do that, I’ve got to be comfortable with them, and they’ve got to be comfortable with me, and they’ve got to get to know me, and I’ve got to know them.”
Unlocking the “best version” of Woolen is no simple task. This offseason was a microcosm of his career — with peaks during OTAs, when he looked like the team’s best defender, and the valleys on Day 1 of the Eagles’ joint practice in New England, when A.J. Brown and the Patriots wide receiving corps torched him (before Woolen redeemed himself with a pair of interceptions on Day 2).
Riq Woolen spent training camp getting adjusted to Vic Fangio’s scheme. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Fangio perhaps put it best when asked about Woolen in early August.
“At times he can get a little lazy or sloppy with his technique and have a bad down or two, but he’s still showing everything that I think he can do,” Fangio said. “He’s just got to get in such great shape and calloused to football that those don’t happen.”
Graham has a different interpretation of Woolen’s work ethic — and believes that, under Fangio’s defense and direct coaching style, he’ll earn an even bigger contract next season.
“I think that Riq makes stuff look so easy sometimes that you almost think it’s lazy — but it’s really not,” Graham said. “I know Vic coaches hard … but he’s probably Santa Claus compared to me. Because [Fangio’s] still talking to pros. I coached extremely hard. So I don’t think that type of stuff bothers him. But I think there is a next level … I think he’s a $15 to $20 million per year corner, long-term.
“I think other people believe that, too, but you know how the league is — it’s very small. Somebody says something [about a player], and then that’s gospel. He’s excited to go prove all these people wrong.”
It’s unlikely Woolen will be an Eagle for long. The team handed out a massive extension to defensive tackle Jalen Carter this offseason and still needs to extend Mitchell and Cooper. Nevertheless, it’s clear his teammates are ecstatic to have him — even if he’s just a one-year wonder.
“A lot of people [across the NFL] talk bad about him, and I’m like ‘What are you talking about?’” said Jordan Mailata. “He’s a f—ing tree. He’s built like a tree, son. We watch the film of practices, you can see the impact that he has on that defense, just being able to be on the island. All day every day, the ground he can cover, he’s f—ing big.”
