The Eagles are heading to Foxborough for two joint practices with the Patriots on Wednesday and Thursday, and the biggest matchup on the field might be the one that could shape the cornerback market.
Quinyon Mitchell and Christian Gonzalez are both on track for top-of-the-market extensions, and these sessions could offer an early glimpse at who has the upper hand. Mitchell earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025.
Gonzalez made second-team All-Pro in 2024. Gonzalez, drafted in the first round in 2023, is ahead of Mitchell in the contract timeline, so he’s expected to land his extension first.
But if Mitchell looks like the better corner in these practices and then carries that edge into the regular season, he could build a strong case to top Gonzalez’s deal on a per-year basis.
That matters because Gonzalez is already projected to clear Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon’s $33 million average annually, and Mitchell could end up above that if he keeps playing at an All-Pro level. One way Mitchell can start making that argument is by matching up with former Eagles receiver A.J. Brown in practice.
Brown was traded from the Eagles to the Patriots on June 1, and his presence gives Philadelphia a chance to see just how far the offense has to go without him. The Eagles have tried to patch together Brown’s production with Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown, but the early results have been uneven.
Lemon has been out for more than two weeks with a hamstring injury, though he is nearing a return. The Eagles drafted Lemon in the first round of the 2026 draft hoping he would contribute right away, but the missed time has slowed him down, and he may need a little while once the regular season starts. A strong showing against the Patriots’ secondary would help ease concerns about how ready he is.
Wicks, acquired from the Green Bay Packers in April, has flashed at times and then faded at others. He looks like a capable starter, but the Eagles may need more than that from him if they want real production out of the No. 2 receiver spot.
Hollywood Brown has also had a rough start to camp, and if that carries into the season, he won’t be in line for a major role. Darius Cooper has stood out in camp as a second-year player, but the coaching staff has not shown confidence that he can step into a starting job.
For Philadelphia, the point is simple: the second, third and fourth receivers have to hold up against New England’s corners. Right now, DeVonta Smith is the only wideout the Eagles can say they feel great about.
The joint practices will also give a better look at what Sean Mannion’s new offense really looks like against a quality defense. The Eagles have spent camp installing a wide-zone run scheme and West Coast passing concepts, and the results have been mixed.
At times, the offense has struggled to move the ball against Philadelphia’s own defensive talent. At other times, it has shown life.
Even then, the preseason game against the Ravens didn’t offer much clarity because the Eagles used a stripped-down playbook that left out the core pieces of the new system.
Now they get a Patriots defense that ranked eighth in total defense last season and brings back talent at nearly every spot. If the Eagles can run the ball consistently and throw efficiently against New England’s starters, that would be a meaningful sign that the system is helping raise both the floor and the ceiling of the offense.
How Mannion handles the play-calling will be worth watching, too. He could lean on motion to create matchup advantages, mix under-center and shotgun looks, or keep the Eagles on the ground often to test the offensive line. If Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson can control the line and get out in space to block linebackers, that would point to an offensive line operating at a high level and a run game that can be a major weapon again.
The passing game has to fit around that. Hurts has looked sharp as both a passer and a runner in camp, and Mannion could use more designed runs to play to that strength. Those calls could show up against the Patriots, too.
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Smith was back in a helmet and getting in some position work after the hamstring issue that had slowed him, a small but encouraging step for a passing game that still needs its top targets available and sharp. Lemon, meanwhile, stayed out of the full session but kept moving on the side field, running routes and going through the catch circuit as the Eagles continue to monitor a camp picture at wide receiver that is becoming clearer even if it is not settled yet. [Read more 🡒]