The Eagles are 2-3 after that last-second collapse in London, and the clock is already ticking on Week 6 against the Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. After five games, some players are climbing fast, while others are sliding in the wrong direction.
The biggest risers right now start with Darius Cooper. With DeVonta Smith out, Cooper saw the most snaps of any Eagles receiver, logging 53 to go with Dontayvion Wicks’ 52 and Makai Lemon’s 50.
That workload says plenty about the trust he’s earned as a 2025 undrafted player out of FCS Tarleton State. He also delivered a 62-yard touchdown catch, his fourth score of the season, and he remains the Eagles’ best perimeter blocker.
Even when Smith returns, there should still be a place for him.
Cooper DeJean also belongs firmly in the stock-up column. Quinyon Mitchell got the headlines for his first regular-season interception, and deservedly so, but DeJean had a huge day against the Jaguars too.
The 2024 All-Pro was sticky in coverage and active against the run, finishing with 10 tackles, including six solo, plus two tackles for loss. After being targeted a bit in the opener against the Commanders, he looked far more like himself.
And then there’s Jalen Carter. Simple enough: Carter is back.
The Eagles also got a strong showing from Kenny Moore II. Vic Fangio called him “pretty damn good given the circumstances,” and the circumstances were real: Moore had only been with the team for two weeks, yet he played 44 snaps after Michael Carter II went down and Marcus Epps was already sidelined. Signed as competition at safety, the 2021 Pro Bowl slot corner may be pushing his way into a much bigger job if this level of play holds.
Arnold Ebiketie made his case too. With Jonathan Greenard out and Jalyx Hunt leaving the game, he was asked to handle a bigger load as the No. 2 edge rusher.
In 38 snaps, he consistently pushed the pocket and finished with a team-high four quarterback pressures. Greenard might be back Sunday, but Hunt returning that quickly would be a miracle, which should mean another expanded role against Carolina for the former Penn State and Temple star, who signed a one-year deal in March.
Not everyone is trending up, though.
Jihaad Campbell is looking at a tougher path. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. would have split snaps with him if he hadn’t been tossed on the opening kickoff, and the Eagles plan to rotate the two moving forward.
Trotter’s summer stood out, and he was all over the field in Zack Baun’s absence against the Rams with 15 tackles. For Campbell, the 2025 first-rounder, that’s not great news.
He already lost ground last year when he was soft benched for Nakobe Dean, and he needs reps to grow into the player the Eagles believe he can become.
Drew Mukuba is in a similar spot after a rough coverage snap. Fangio said Parker Washington’s 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown was “poorly played,” and Mukuba was the man in coverage on the play.
With better safety depth, it’s fair to wonder if Fangio would be making similar moves with Mukuba that he’s making with Campbell. The 2025 second-round pick missed a lot of rookie season because of injury, and his first five games this year have been uneven.
His discipline on the back end has to clean up.
Then there’s Zach Ertz, the name that still carries weight in Philadelphia. His return created real buzz, but so far he’s looked like a 35-year-old coming off an ACL tear.
Through three games, he has three catches for 22 yards. Against the Eagles, he played only seven snaps, behind Dallas Goedert’s 43, Johnny Mundt’s 20 and EJ Jenkins’ 12.
Maybe he just needs more time to get comfortable in the offense. Maybe the offense as a whole is dragging everyone down.
Or maybe Ertz is done. The next few weeks should tell the story.
In Other News...
Jalen Hurts Health Just Became A Bigger Eagles Concern
Jalen Hurts has quietly become one of the biggest health questions hanging over the Eagles as they try to halt a three-game losing streak. The quarterback confirmed he is dealing with a calf injury, even as he has continued to show up as a full participant in recent practices and on the teams injury report, a reassuring sign on the surface for a team that badly needs stability under center.
Hurts has not offered much detail about how the issue started or what exactly led to it, leaving the timeline of the setback a little murky for now. For Philadelphia, the larger concern is simpler: with the season already under pressure, any uncertainty around Hurts adds another layer of urgency to the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Have A Week 8 Spotlight Problem To Watch
The Eagles Week 8 trip to Washington has become more than just another NFC East game on the calendar. The matchup between Philadelphia and the Commanders is still set for Nov. 1 at 8:20 p.m. ET, but the NFL is weighing whether to keep it in the Sunday night window, a decision that will come by Oct. 20. For a league that usually reserves prime time for games with clear national appeal, two teams carrying losing records right now make this one worth watching for reasons beyond the standings.
Philadelphia also has a few moving parts of its own as the week unfolds, with four players opening practice windows as they work back from injury. Washington, meanwhile, is dealing with its own health concerns and a difficult stretch ahead, including a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. So even before the league makes its call, this game already has the feel of a slot that could look very different by the time Halloween weekend arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles' Start Has Put Nick Sirianni Back Under A Harsh Spotlight
Five games into the season, the Eagles have given plenty of reasons for a familiar conversation to resurface: how much of the teams direction still runs through Nick Sirianni, and how much is being shaped by the roster churn around him. The offense has been uneven, the defense has not looked as steady as expected, and the broader picture has only grown more complicated with the departures and trades that have thinned out familiar pieces on both sides of the ball.
The challenge now is not just getting the team back on track, but sorting out what this version of the Eagles is supposed to be after a youth push and the loss of veteran presence. Sirianni remains under the microscope, and so does the larger power structure that surrounds him, with Howie Roseman still central to every major decision. For a team trying to balance urgency with a roster in transition, those questions are unlikely to fade any time soon. [Read more 🡒]