It was tight, but the Philadelphia Eagles got their 2026 season started the right way with an NFC East win over the Washington Commanders. Now the attention shifts to Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, and that means it’s time to sort out who helped their cause and who didn’t.
A few Eagles left the opener with momentum. A few others have some work to do.
STOCK UP
Drew Kendall is suddenly in line for a real opportunity. The 2025 fifth-rounder, who played center at Boston College and cross-trained at guard last season, is likely to step in for Landon Dickerson.
Kendall had a strong camp, and he’s given up just 1 QB pressure on 124 pass-blocking snaps across the regular season and preseason. That kind of profile earns a shot.
Jalyx Hunt didn’t get a sack on Jayden Daniels, but he still made his presence felt. Through Sunday’s games, Hunt led all NFL edge rushers with a 29.6% pass-rush win rate, according to Sumer Sports, among players with at least 20 pass-rushing snaps. He was disruptive all summer in camp, and even with the Eagles focused on containing Daniels rather than chasing splash plays, Hunt’s growth showed up on game day.
Jalen Carter also came away with more than just a box score note. In his first game after signing a record-setting contract, he blocked a key PAT and logged 66 of a possible 70 snaps. The Eagles don’t want that kind of workload every week over a 17-game season, but it was a strong sign of the shape he’s in.
Braden Mann delivered exactly what a team wants from a punter and then some. He averaged 51.6 yards on seven punts, with four landing inside the 20, two inside the 10 and one inside the 5. That was a clinic.
Zack Baun looked like the 2024 version of himself. He finished with 12 tackles and two pass breakups, and on six targets he gave up three catches for minus-two yards. He was all over the field, and that kind of outing keeps the All-Pro buzz alive.
Dontayvion Wicks also made a strong early statement. His touchdown was built on timing and trust with Jalen Hurts, with Wicks running a sharp route and Hurts letting it go before he was fully out of his break. Wicks finished with his first score as an Eagle, and he looks like a legit WR2.
STOCK DOWN
Makai Lemon’s debut didn’t give him much room to breathe. Three catches for minus-five yards is a rough opening line, but the bigger issue was usage.
He barely had a chance to do much, and the horizontal passing game didn’t go anywhere. Some of that came down to blocking, and some of it just looked off.
Lemon has the talent to be a really good slot receiver, but he needs more than gadget work.
Cooper DeJean had the kind of day he’ll want to forget. Daniels completed 7 of 9 passes for 83 yards, a touchdown and a few first downs when targeting DeJean, and there’s no way to dress that up.
It was the worst game of his young career. DeJean added weight this offseason in preparation for more safety snaps, and now we’ll see whether that changes anything going forward.
Cam Jurgens didn’t escape the criticism either. He settled in some as the game went on, but two holding penalties in the first quarter put him behind the eight ball early. If Kendall is the one stepping into the lineup, Jurgens is going to have to help steady things.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. had a strong camp, enough to make people wonder whether he might push for reps from Jihaad Campbell. That never materialized in the opener. Trotter contributed on special teams, but he didn’t play a defensive snap.
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Eagles Already Have An NFC East Threat Fans Didn't Expect
The Eagles opened the 2026 season in the familiar spot atop the NFC East, but the early picture around the division already looks a little different than expected. At 1-0, Philadelphia is off to a clean start, while the biggest surprise so far may be the New York Giants, who also won in Week 1 and are hanging around as an early threat behind quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dallas and Washington, meanwhile, are already dealing with the kind of first-week problems that can make a division race feel lopsided fast. The Cowboys dropped to 0-1 with concerns lingering on defense, and the Commanders also fell to 0-1 while their offensive line drew scrutiny, leaving the Eagles looking like the team to beat even as the Giants quietly make things more interesting than many expected. [Read more 🡒]
Howie Roseman Looks Better After Ex Eagles Starter's Brutal Debut
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For Eagles fans, it is the kind of early result that makes Howie Roseman look a little better in hindsight, even if one game hardly settles anything. Houston lost the opener, Blankenship drew a low Pro Football Focus grade, and now he is headed into another difficult matchup with Cincinnati, which will give him a quick chance to steady things before the questions around his fit really start to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Bring Back A Familiar Specialist As Offensive Line Concern Grows
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The roster move comes as the Eagles also signed tight end Josiah Deguara to the practice squad and placed left guard Landon Dickerson on injured reserve. Dickersons status puts a spotlight on the interior of the offensive line, forcing Philadelphia to keep adjusting around a spot that had already become a concern early in the season. [Read more 🡒]