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What To Know About Philadelphia Eagles 2026 Roster - Last Word On NFL

Last Word On NFL · Andrew McGuinness · 2026-09-02T14:11:16+00:00 · nguồn gốc

The Philadelphia Eagles still don’t start their season for almost two weeks. But now they have a pretty good idea of what that beginning will look like. The Eagles have their 2026 roster, and they have a full 17-man practice squad. The always active Howie Roseman is surely still canvassing the trade and free agent markets to see if there’s any extra help to be found. But, by and large, the 2026 Eagles roster has been assembled, at least to start the season. And while most of that group has been known for a while, a few notable stories still developed as things have become official over the last 48 hours. What to Know About Philadelphia Eagles 2026 Roster Quarterback Factory Probably the biggest decision facing the Eagles, at least in the short term, was their quarterback room. But Sunday’s roster deadline didn’t really result in much of a decision at all. Instead, the Eagles held on to both Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, who battled for the backup spot. Neither made a compelling case for the job; McKee went 34-54 (63%) for 263 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, while Dalton finished 18-35 (51.4%) for a lone touchdown in his first three games with the team following an offseason trade with the Carolina Panthers. The result of that drawn-out contest was little playing time for fifth-round pick Cole Payton. A year after losing sixth-round pick Kyle McCord on waivers, Roseman wanted to maintain a younger option in the group, with McKee and Dalton set to hit free agency at the end of the season. Exchange Program In the long term, one of the most interesting stories of the Eagles’ preseason was the development of international players Uar Bernard and Josh Weru. The Eagles drafted the Nigerian Bernard in the seventh round out of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, the same way they got Jordan Mailata back in 2018. They also signed another product of the program, Josh Weru, a Kenyan rugby player (Mailata also played that sport before football). Mailata’s story is the exception, not the rule, and even that required a two-year wait to provide return on investment. It could be even longer for both, especially Bernard, since he had never played rugby either. That development will continue in Philadelphia, just not on the active roster. The Eagles took the risk of sending both through waivers, and while four Eagles were claimed, Bernard and Weru were not chosen. Both Bernard and Weru are eligible for a spot specifically designated for an international player on the practice squad, which allows the Eagles to exceed the standard 16-man limit there by one. They’ve already designated 13 players (including Bernard and Weru) from their training camp roster and signed four others to fill that part of their roster. Positional Breakdown Beyond quarterback, the Eagles had to decide which positions to prioritize for depth. Tight end wound up being one, which could be a big weak point for Philadelphia if Dallas Goedert’s injury history resurfaces. The Eagles opted to carry four players at that position, with E.J. Jenkins a bit of a surprise addition alongside Goedert, rookie Eli Stowers and Johnny Mundt. Despite not getting prime usage during training camp, Fred Johnson will see a fourth straight season with the Eagles, though rookie Markel Bell may have still jumped him in the reserve tackle pecking order. On the defensive line, the big story was Jonathan Greenard making the active roster after missing the entire preseason due to injury. His exact return is still unknown, and perhaps potentially being without him for the first couple of games of the season contributed to the Eagles not dedicating another edge spot to a non-gameday-ready player in Weru. The same could be said for wide receiver, too. The Eagles included Elijah Moore in their initial 53 after a limited fall for Makai Lemon that included just one disappointing pre-season showcase. Philadelphia still has high hopes for the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner as college football’s top wide receiver, but he may take some time to stand out in the regular season, increasing the need for a higher-floor veteran like Moore. Four players have injury designations to start the year for Philadelphia: safety Andre’ Sam and wide receiver Johnny Wilson are listed as injured/reserve, with cornerback Jakorian Bennett and tight end Grant Calcaterra as reserve/injured: designated for return. Bennett could still be an option at cornerback and Sam at safety, where the Eagles are carrying just three natural players at the latter position (not counting Cooper DeJean, who should see playing time there this fall). The Last Word Now that the teams have been set, the regular season is next. The Eagles host the Washington Commanders to begin their 2026 season at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 4:25 p.m. Just two seasons ago, this was the matchup and setting for the NFC Championship Game. A lot is at stake for both quarterbacks, with Jalen Hurts looking to show he can handle a new system and Jayden Daniels looking to return to rookie form after an injury-plagued sophomore campaign. The Eagles have never lost a season opener under Sirianni, but as the roster shows, this group is different from what he’s had in several ways. More Philadelphia Eagles News - Takeaways From Philadelphia Eagles Week 2 Preseason Game - Vic Fangio Delivers Troubling Admission About Eagles’ $98 Million Gamble Main Photo Courtesy of Bill Streicher – Imagn Images