The Eagles put the finishing touches on training camp Wednesday with a non-padded practice that ran about an hour and a half, and now the focus shifts fast. They’ll host the Bengals in the preseason finale on Friday night at the Linc, then have to trim the roster to 53 players by Sunday evening. The regular season is almost here.
Wednesday also brought a handful of reassuring injury updates. Lane Johnson, who left Tuesday night’s public practice at the Linc with an apparent leg injury, was back as a full participant and wasn’t listed on the report. Jordan Davis, who seemed to hurt his left elbow at that same public session, also practiced fully and wore a brace on his arm.
The injury list to open practice included OT Markel Bell (thumb/leg), CB Jakorian Bennett (knee), TE Grant Calcaterra (back), TE Eli Stowers (hamstring) and S Cole Wisniewski (concussion). CB Jonathan Jones was limited after missing eight full practices.
The quarterback competition behind Jalen Hurts kept rolling. Andy Dalton got the first shot in team drills, while Tanner McKee opened up first in 7-on-7 work.
There was also a little personnel shuffle on offense, starting with 12 personnel that featured Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks. When the Eagles shifted to 11 personnel, Mundt came off and Makai Lemon came on.
The offensive line picture was clear enough for Wednesday. The first group was Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen and Lane Johnson. The second unit lined up with John Ojukwu, Drew Kendall, Jake Majors, Willie Lampkin and Fred Johnson.
Lemon had another busy day in more than one phase. He was one of four punt returners on Wednesday along with Britain Covey, Quez Watkins and Cooper DeJean, and it feels very possible that return work becomes part of Lemon’s rookie-year job description. He also got a first-team look in 11 personnel after starting the day with the second group because of the 12-personnel setup, and he rewarded that run with back-to-back catches from McKee, the second of which went for a touchdown.
The Eagles also had a brief mix-up while trying to line up in 11 personnel and only had 10 players on the field. There was a delay before Lemon was finally spotted and sent onto the field.
Philadelphia kept involving its backs in the passing game, too. On one snap, Hurts hit Barkley on a quick throw with Barkley split wide left, and DeVonta Smith helped spring him with a block on Quinyon Mitchell for a big gain.
Barkley caught 37 passes last season and 33 in 2024, and his top career total remains the 91 he had as a rookie with the Giants in 2018. It looks like this year’s number could land somewhere in between.
Smith was the main offensive star of the day. Hurts found him for a touchdown in the end zone, and Smith elevated for the grab. It was another reminder that Smith is ready to be this team’s WR1.
McKee also connected with former UFL receiver Erik Ezukanma on 4th-and-goal for a touchdown in team drills. Ezukanma doesn’t have a clear path to a roster spot, but he’s kept fighting all summer, and the throw was right on target.
There was a turnover for the defense when Dalton tried to squeeze a pass to Darius Cooper near the goal line, but the ball sailed just enough that Cooper couldn’t come down with it. Andre’ Sam had tight coverage, the ball popped up, and Michael Carter II came away with the interception. Carter has been one of the more active defensive performers this camp while moving around to different spots, and Vic Fangio said Wednesday that the safety battle between Carter and Marcus Epps has not been decided.
Dalton also showed the flip side of that sequence a little later, zipping a slant to Stone Smart that beat Carter’s reach in the middle of the field.
A few other notes stood out. Rookie seventh-round pick Keyshawn James-Newby flashed when he beat John Ojukwu for what was marked as a sack in a team period, a nice moment for a player who missed significant time with an ankle injury.
Cam Latu had both a rough drop and a strong rep, floating into the flat after releasing a block for a catch. He’s got a real chance to stick as a TE/FB/special teams piece.
Ambry Thomas drew a DPI late in practice and made it clear he didn’t like the call, arguing with the official for longer than he probably should have. Quinyon Mitchell broke up a pass intended for Hollywood Brown when Hurts’ throw was a touch behind Brown.
UDFA defensive back Kapena Gushiken continued to show some versatility, working at safety with the second unit and then sliding to nickel corner. Jalyx Hunt beat Johnny Mundt into the backfield for what looked like a tackle for loss, though it was ruled no gain.
Riq Woolen broke up a pass against DeVonta Smith, and later Cooper DeJean had excellent coverage on Smith to force an incompletion.
And for the day’s strangest little note: DeVonta Smith apparently looks just as smooth running backward as he does going forward.
In Other News...
Eagles Public Practice Suddenly Put Two Key Linemen In Focus
The Eagles public practice at Lincoln Financial Field drew more than 45,000 fans, turning a summer workout into something closer to a regular-season atmosphere. It also offered a useful snapshot of where the roster stands right now, with depth-chart tweaks, a Saquon Barkley touchdown catch, and interceptions from Riq Woolen among the days notable moments.
Lane Johnson and Jordan Davis became the main concern before the session was over, with both linemen leaving practice after getting hurt. Davis later returned wearing a brace, but the bigger question for the Eagles is how those injuries affect the front and the reshuffled feel of the lineup as camp moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Stadium Debate Just Became A Real Philadelphia Issue
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Jeffrey Lurie has already acknowledged that the organization is weighing a new stadium against a major renovation of the current one, and the Eagles are doing exploratory research on all of their options. A more definitive plan is expected in the next year or two, and while relocation within the region has not been ruled out, Shapiro said he does not expect the team to leave Philadelphia. For now, the debate sits in that uneasy middle ground where nothing is settled, but everyone understands the stakes are getting larger. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Is Testing The Eagles Offense In A Risky Way
Jalen Hurts has spent training camp working through a noticeable shift in the Eagles offense, and it has come with some inevitable growing pains. Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho recently pointed to Hurts practice throws as evidence the quarterback is trying to expand his range, taking shots beyond the areas he has traditionally lived in. With new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion pushing the passing game to stretch farther downfield, the Eagles are asking Hurts to add another layer to an offense that has long leaned on his efficiency and decision-making.
The tradeoff has been turnovers, and that has been part of the conversation around camp. Mannion has already acknowledged the interception issues and said the staff is continuing to work through them, which leaves the Eagles in a familiar but important spot: trying to build more explosiveness without losing the control that has helped define Hurts' game. For now, the process is the story, and the next step is whether the added aggression turns into a cleaner, more dangerous passing attack once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]