Guard Landon Dickerson sits out Eagles practice with a back injury

Landon Dickerson did not participate in the Eagles’ practice on Monday, three days before their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

However, Dickerson was listed on the injury report with a back ailment, not a knee injury. The 26-year-old left guard had been working his way back from meniscus surgery in his right knee after he suffered the injury in the public practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Aug. 10.

A three-time Pro Bowl player, Dickerson missed the rest of training camp, then returned to practice last week following the roster cutdown deadline, participating in some capacity on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

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Dickerson was the only player on the active roster missing from the beginning of practice on Monday, which consisted of a stretch period and individual drills. During those drills, Brett Toth filled in for Dickerson as the starting left guard. Toth, the 6-foot-6, 304-pound depth offensive lineman, had taken the majority of those snaps in training camp after Dickerson went down.

Even though Dickerson did not practice, he could still suit up for Thursday’s game against Dallas. Dickerson has been heralded throughout his NFL career for his toughness. He has missed just one regular-season game because of injury in his last three seasons and played through a left knee injury in the Super Bowl.

When Nick Sirianni was asked Sunday about his level of optimism regarding Dickerson’s availability for Thursday’s game, the Eagles coach was noncommittal.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Sirianni said. “I know he’s working really hard to get back. You’re always excited when you get really good football players back on the field, and Landon’s shown that he’s a really good football player for the past four years here. I know he is working really hard, and we’ll see where we are by the end of the week.”

A longtime backup at nearly every position on the offensive line, Toth said after practice that he lives by the mantra of “always be ready.” This latest case is no different. Toth is preparing to step in, whether he starts or not.

Beyond the challenges of taking mental reps, Toth said one of the toughest parts about filling in for a starter is ensuring there isn’t a drop-off in cohesion with the player on either side of him. That’s why it was “very helpful,” Toth said, to build up those reps with Jordan Mailata and Cam Jurgens this summer while Dickerson was out.

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Still, even Toth acknowledged that Dickerson could still have a chance to start in the opener.

“One of the best things about Landon is how tough he is,” Toth said. “And so if there’s a way, he’s going to find a way. He’s a great leader for our room. But it’s always be ready.”

Dickerson’s health — and Toth’s preparedness — is all the more important this week when the interior offensive line goes up against a familiar face on the Cowboys defensive front. Tackle Kenny Clark, the nine-year veteran formerly with the Green Bay Packers, was traded to the Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons deal.

He is set to team up with Osa Odighizuwa, the standout Cowboys defensive tackle who signed a four-year, $80 million contract extension in the offseason.

Clark, who turns 30 in October, is coming off a down season with the Packers, finishing 2024 with just one sack and 19 stops, which Pro Football Focus defines as tackles that constitute a failure for the offense. Those 19 stops were the second-lowest total of his career as a full-time starter in Green Bay. Still, Toth isn’t overlooking the newest member of the Cowboys defensive line.

“For all the conversation about it with Micah, you still get an unbelievable player [in Clark] as well,” Toth said. “And now, again, every good player has to be game-planned against. So there’s different emphases and stuff. But he’s an unbelievable run stopper. He’s a powerful guy, and he can win in the pass game as well.”

In addition to Dickerson, Tanner McKee (right thumb) was listed as a nonparticipant on the injury report. The 25-year-old backup quarterback’s status for Thursday is in question as he recovers from a fracture to the thumb on his throwing hand. If McKee can’t go, Sam Howell is expected to back up Jalen Hurts.

Drew Mukuba (hamstring) and Joshua Uche (groin) were listed as limited participants. Mukuba, the second-rounder out of Texas, has practiced for two consecutive days following the hamstring injury he suffered late in training camp.

Vic Fangio played it coy when asked who would start at safety alongside Reed Blankenship (and at cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell, and inside linebacker next to Zack Baun). While he acknowledged that the injuries Mukuba had faced in camp set him back, the Eagles defensive coordinator spoke highly of the rookie safety and his performance since he returned to action.

“He’s done well this week, looks healthy, looks like he’s done a good job of staying on top of things and he has done well with the reps he’s gotten in practice,” Fangio said. “So, I do think as it pertains to comparing other rookies, he’s done well overcoming those obstacles.”

Jalen Carter (shoulder) was listed as a full participant on the injury report.