Ready or not, here comes the 2025 Eagles’ offense under Kevin Patullo: ‘We’ll be all right’

A.J. Brown barely practiced due to a hamstring injury. DeVonta Smith was on and off the field due to back and groin ailments. Landon Dickerson went down with a meniscus injury. Jordan Mailata suffered a concussion late in camp. Lane Johnson and Saquon Barkley took veteran rest periods. Cam Jurgens was limited at times due to the back surgery he underwent in February.

It’s possible — perhaps even likely — that all 11 starters on offense are ready to go for the Eagles when they open the season Thursday night vs. the Dallas Cowboys, but there was not a single practice in training camp when all 11 of them were full participants on the same day.

The Eagles are relying on their continuity as the 2025 season begins. They are returning 10 of 11 starters on offense, and even though Kevin Patullo is a first-year offensive coordinator, he has been in the building and an important voice leading the offense for the last four seasons.

“I think when you look at the whole picture, even back to the spring, we’ve had a lot of the guys together and the biggest thing is that we’re on the same page,” Patullo said. “So, when you get in the meeting room and we’re all talking and doing things together and walk-throughs, I think that’s a big piece of it is the mental piece. The physical piece, we’ve had guys out there in spurts, but I think when you look at the overall picture, just being in the classroom, meeting settings, walk-throughs, and just detailing out things, I think we’re in a really good spot.”

His players seem to agree.

“We’ll be all right,” Smith said.

Later asked about the offense’s readiness given the moving parts, Brown said: “I think that’s nothing to worry about.”

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley joined the exclusive 2,000-yard club in his first Eagles season. Can he be the first to repeat?

Brown, who had 1,079 receiving yards in just 13 games last season, missed more time than anyone during the summer. He landed on the injury report on Aug. 4 after eight training camp practices and was not a full participant in any team workout the rest of the way.

“I feel great,” Brown said. “I was doing what I was told and just taking care of myself each and every day. … I’m ready to go and we’re ready to go.”

The Eagles were well into their game preparations late last week when the Cowboys shipped Micah Parsons to Green Bay, but have had ample time to prepare for a new-look defense under new coordinator Matt Eberflus. Brown said that despite some of the recent results — the Eagles outscored Dallas 75-13 in two meetings last season, both without Dak Prescott — that the Cowboys games always feel close and offer some of the most physical tests.

Dallas has two strong corners to defend Brown and Smith in DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, who has been recovering from a knee injury.

It’s fair to expect the Eagles’ offense to look similar to last season’s, but Patullo will have his own wrinkles. The Eagles may have to adjust, too, as opposing defenses had more time to evolve to stop Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ potent rushing attack.

“It’s the first game, so you never know what to expect in the first games,” Smith said. “Right now, it’s just being able to adjust to whatever they throw at us the first game.”

Asked to describe Patullo’s offense in one word, Smith replied: “Fun.”

Asked the same question, Brown said: “I don’t have one word, but we’re going to see. I haven’t experienced it, so we’re going to see.”

Will the lack of physical reps impact the timing and the rhythm?

“The game is going to be played how the game is going to be played,” Brown said. “You don’t know how it’s going to go. We’re moving forward. I feel good. We feel good, and everybody out there is going to try to do their job to the best of their ability.”

» READ MORE: The new-look Eagles secondary will be tested by a high-powered Cowboys passing attack Thursday

Nick Sirianni was doing the thing that coaches do when they pretend like something obvious doesn’t exist when he said Tuesday that he didn’t know that a banner would be unfurled Thursday night celebrating his team’s Super Bowl victory from earlier this year.

But he did reveal that he won’t be watching it.

“We won’t be out for that,” Sirianni said.

It isn’t a terribly surprising development. The 2018 Eagles were not on the sideline and did not take part on opening night when the 2017 team’s championship was celebrated with a banner ceremony.

The Eagles have spent a lot of the summer turning aside any questions about the Super Bowl by saying how last year was last year and the 2025 Eagles are a new team, so being inside the locker room during the pregame celebration Thursday should have probably been expected.

“This building has been locked in,” Brown said. “We put that to bed long ago. We’re just ready to go. That’s over with. A lot of players [on the 2025 team] didn’t experience it.”

Left guard Landon Dickerson returned to practice Tuesday as a full participant after missing practice Monday with a back injury. Dickerson being listed with a back injury would seem to indicate that his recovery from Aug. 13 knee surgery is no longer a concern.

“We only list the things on the injury report that would limit them in practice,” Sirianni said.

Backup quarterback Tanner McKee (right thumb) was the only player on the active roster absent from practice. Given that McKee hasn’t been throwing balls, Sam Howell figures to be the backup on opening night.

Jalen Carter (shoulder), Drew Mukuba (hamstring), Joshua Uche (groin), and Dickerson (back) were all full participants.

In keeping with normal Thursday game rules, the Eagles will put out a final injury report Wednesday with game designations. Normally those come after Friday practices for Sunday games.