One week into Eagles training camp, a few of the early storylines are starting to harden.
The offense had a lighter practice before Thursday’s walkthrough, but there was still enough action to draw some conclusions. Jalen Hurts looked sharp based on the observations, and the unit as a whole was better than it had been on Tuesday. That said, the biggest camp buzz right now is coming from the receiver room and the safety battle.
Darrius Cooper is making a real push for the WR5 spot. Through the first week, he’s been the most reliable target in camp, catching just about everything thrown his way.
That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Hurts, either. The quarterback not only keeps looking his way, but has also said Cooper has done a “really good job” this summer.
That kind of praise matters, especially this early. Cooper appears to have taken control of the job, even if nothing is decided yet.
He’s not officially locked in as the fifth receiver, but he’s clearly the player everyone else has to catch. It would be a major overreaction to hand him the role after only a week, but the bigger point is hard to miss: he’s putting together the kind of camp that gets a player onto the roster.
The WR2 situation looks a lot less settled. Heading into camp, it would have seemed strange to even raise the possibility of Hollywood Brown being in a battle there after he had such a strong spring.
But after six practices, Brown has not separated himself the way many expected. Dontayvion Wicks and Darrius Cooper have both been more noticeable, and there’s even an argument that Elijah Moore has been more productive than Brown so far.
That raises the question of how worried the Eagles really need to be. Brown carries only a $5 million salary this year, which is not a major commitment by NFL standards.
The Eagles would not take a huge financial hit by moving on from him, though losing his veteran presence would leave the wide receiver depth in a tougher spot. Even with that in mind, the likelier outcome remains Brown sticking around.
It’s still early, and there’s plenty of camp left for the picture to change.
At safety, Michael Carter is making his own case. He’s been solid so far and has emerged as the top challenger to Marcus Epps for the starting job.
What makes Carter’s push notable is that he’s still learning the position. Most of his career has come at slot cornerback, but the Eagles are asking him to handle multiple roles.
Vic Fangio’s assessment on Tuesday made that clear. Asked by John McMullen, Fangio said, "Michael's had a good camp so far," Fangio said.
"He might be the only guy -- I'd have to think -- he's learning three positions. He's playing safety, nickel, and when we do go to our six-DB stuff, he's the sixth DB in there.
"I think he's had a very good camp and has done nothing but helped himself and not eliminating himself from anything. Safety, he's progressing nicely."
Carter was never a sure thing to make the roster, but given the depth at safety, he’s about as close to safe as a player can get. He’s on the team, and he has a legitimate chance to take the starting job from Epps.
Epps has done enough to stay in the mix, too. He’s been fine, and that’s often exactly what a player needs to do to keep a job in camp.
In Other News...
Eagles Camp Puts Two Starting Defensive Jobs Under Real Pressure
The Eagles are back to work for the 2026 season with most of their core intact and Sean Mannion stepping in as the new offensive coordinator, but the most interesting early camp battle is unfolding on the other side of the ball. Jonathan Greenard is set to occupy one of the starting edge rusher spots after his recent contract signing, while the secondary is where the real pressure is starting to build as the team looks to sharpen its defensive back rotation.
Free safety has become a spot to watch, with Michael Carter II pushing Marcus Epps for playing time next to Andrew Mukuba in the nickel defense. Carter has been taking on a wide range of responsibilities during camp, working at safety, nickel and as the sixth defensive back, and Vic Fangio has already been encouraged by what he has seen so far. [Read more 🡒]
Former Eagles Updates Bring Relief And Concern For Philadelphia Fans
For Eagles fans keeping an eye on familiar faces, there was one bit of good news and one reminder that camp can turn quickly. Zach Ertz, now recovered from the ACL tear that ended his 2025 season early, has been medically cleared to return to football, a development that should ease any concern about the veteran tight ends long road back.
There was also a more immediate note involving A.J. Brown, who disclosed that he dislocated his thumb during practice but kept going anyway. Brown said it was similar to an injury he dealt with in college, and while he was able to stay on the field, the update is another example of how little things can linger in August and shape the early part of a season. [Read more 🡒]