Eagles first-round wideout Makai Lemon talks hamstring injury, full return to practice: ‘I never want to be away from this game’
Lemon was hopeful, but noncommittal, regarding his status in Friday's preseason game against the Bengals.
For the last few weeks, Makai Lemon has observed practices and preseason games from the sideline while hampered by another hamstring injury.
Watching his teammates from that vantage point wasn’t exactly how the rookie receiver envisioned the start to his Eagles career.
“You’re like, ‘Damn, I wish I could be out there with them,’” Lemon said Monday.
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Lemon’s wish was granted late last week when he was a limited participant in Thursday’s joint practice against the New England Patriots. It was his first practice as a participant in any capacity since Aug. 3.
He made more progress on Monday. The first-rounder out of USC was upgraded to a full participant in practice, taking a significant step in his preparation with the season opener against the Washington Commanders 20 days away.
Lemon took part in team drills, both in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.
“It felt great,” Lemon said. “Definitely a blessing every time I’m able to step on the field. I never take it for granted.”
His time spent off the field helped him gain that perspective. Lemon said he injured the same hamstring that sidelined him for a portion of the offseason program, forcing him to sit out once again.
He said he felt “a little tweak” in his hamstring while bursting upfield. Lemon suggested that he hadn’t warmed up sufficiently, adding that the experience taught him to make sure that he’s being “more professional off the field” with his regimen.
“I feel like it was definitely tough,” Lemon said. “I’m real competitive. I never want to be away from this game. So, me knowing that it’s a hamstring again, just making sure I take the right precautions. I’m learning from it, so it don’t happen again.”
He also learned the importance of taking mental reps. Even though his view from the sideline wasn’t ideal, Lemon said it allowed him to see the game from a different perspective.
Mental reps are just as important as actual reps, Lemon asserted. Sean Mannion said he was “super engaged” in practice and the meeting room so he could jump back into action upon his return.
Lemon also went through his rehab process with DeVonta Smith, who missed the same amount of time as the rookie receiver with a hamstring injury of his own. Like Lemon, Smith was a full participant in Monday’s practice for the first time since Aug. 3.
Lemon said the time he spent with Smith was valuable, as he was able to talk to the veteran about different aspects of the game.
“Any time I’m able to get some game from him, I’m doing that,” Lemon said.
On Monday, Lemon joined Smith and the starting offense in team drills. It was an unpadded practice that lasted approximately an hour. Lemon only caught a couple of short passes, but he took on a seemingly typical workload with the group.
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Some of his snaps required him to run block, including one rep against Jalyx Hunt. The third-year outside linebacker said he learned a little bit about Lemon through his willingness to engage with him in the run game.
“He didn’t shy away from it,” Hunt said. “He didn’t try to just get around me. He put hands on me and tried to really block me, and I respect that and that’s cool to see, ‘cause his demeanor on the field is totally different than who he is. He’s a laid-back guy. But on the field, he’s just a different energy.”
After practice, Lemon spent extra time with Mannion running routes. The receiver called the new Eagles offensive coordinator “super helpful” as they worked on some of the finer details of the offense.
Lemon is no stranger to post-practice work, even when he was sidelined. He spent time with Jalen Hurts and some of the other receivers, too, as he took more mental reps.
“[Hurts] just wants the best for all the guys, and for him to work with me, work with all the guys, it’s only going to help the team,” Lemon said.
The team will be put to the test for the first time in the regular season in less than three weeks. Lemon said he can “for sure” get back to his normal self by the home opener.
But before the regular season begins, will Lemon suit up for the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday? The Eagles have two more practices before the contest, including Tuesday night’s open practice at Lincoln Financial Field, and thus two more opportunities for Lemon to ramp up for game action.
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He was hopeful, but noncommittal, regarding his status against the Bengals.
“Man, every time there’s a game, I definitely want to play,” Lemon said. “So I’m just taking it day by day out here just putting the work in, and then we’ll see how I feel Friday.”
Regardless, Monday was a step in the right direction for Lemon. He is eager to build on that progress.
“The team brought me here for a reason, so I’m just making sure I’m available,” Lemon said. “So it felt great to get out here with the guys, to run around. I just never take it for granted every time I step on the field.”
The Eagles’ first-stringers get little to no action in exhibition games, annual joint practices with other teams become one of the few opportunities for starters to get preseason reps of consequence. This year, the Eagles traveled to New England for two days of live workouts with the Patriots. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Boston Sports Journal’s Greg A. Bedard recap what they saw, and explain why, even after the joint practices, the Eagles still haven’t shown much of an identity. Listen here.
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