Eagles training camp news: Kellen Moore on Kenny Pickett vs. Tanner McKee for backup QB; C.J. Gardner-Johnson injury update
The Eagles will open the preseason on Friday night in Baltimore. But first, a couple more days of practice.
The Eagles are back out on the field at the NovaCare Complex for their third of four straight practices. For the second day in a row, they have pads on.
Practice began around 10 a.m. and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore met with the media about 20 minutes before it started.
Both safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and center Cam Jurgens left Monday's practice early, and the team has yet to provide an update on either player.
On Monday, the Eagles signed veteran free-agent linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the team announced.
The Birds open their preseason schedule on Friday against the Ravens at 7:30 p.m. Their only home preseason game is Aug. 24 against the Vikings. They open the regular season Sept. 6 against the Packers in Brazil.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson and more Eagles injury updates
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was in street clothes for the start of Tuesday’s practice. He is not participating in drills but was on the field observing the defensive backs.
Gardner-Johnson left the field Monday before taking any snaps with a shoulder injury. His injury is not expected to be long term.
In his place, it was Avonte Maddox taking reps at safety after James Bradberry had that role on Monday.
Jake Elliott is adjusting to the new kickoff rules too
The NFL adjusted kickoff rules for 2024, and fans — and players — got their first look at them in action during the NFL's Hall of Fame Game.
The new rules are intended to simulate a scrimmage-style play by putting both teams on the line of scrimmage and promote more returns.
The new returns are a challenge for kickers, but one that Jake Elliott is excited for. He said preseason will be essential to test out different looks and see what the ideal outcome is.
Tanner McKee, Brazilian travel guide?
The Eagles open the 2024 season in São Paolo, Brazil, against the Packers in their first international game — and the NFL's first game in South America. But it’s not a first for Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee, who served his Mormon mission in Curtiba, Brazil in 2018-19.
The team plans to participate in a cultural event, and while McKee wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail, he said he was looking forward to experiencing the rich culture with his teammates. He’s become the unofficial Eagles’ Brazil ambassador, helping players learn Portuguese and giving food recommendations, and thinks the trip will be a huge hit with Brazilians.
“Anytime that you give love to them — it's similar to the people of Philadelphia, anytime that you show a little bit of love, they're gonna love you back 10 times more,” McKee said. “Having an NFL team there and present, the fans are gonna love it. I've had hundreds of people — when we announced that we were going to play in the game — hundreds of Brazilians following me on social media, asking questions, so I think it's going to be a lot of fun to be down there as far as football.”
— Gabriela Carroll
Meanwhile at Giants camp ... a brawl
Tyler Steen working his way back from injury
Tyler Steen is on the field taking second-team reps at right guard behind Mekhi Becton. The 2023 third-round pick has been limited for much of camp with an ankle injury, but was presumed to be a strong competitor to replace Cam Jurgens, who moved to center to replace Jason Kelce.
“No one ever wants to be out this time of year and those things are hard on every player,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “Obviously everyone wants to do what they can to get back out there. We still have time. We still have time here. Certainly we're excited about what the future will hold for him and give him more and more opportunities in early August here.”
— Gabriela Carroll
An update on the backup quarterback battle between Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee
Over the last few practices, quarterback Tanner McKee’s reps have spiked. He’s taken over a number of second-team reps from presumed backup Kenny Pickett, who the Eagles traded for in the offseason.
But offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said ahead of Tuesday’s practice that both Pickett and McKee, the 2023 sixth-round pick, have had strong camps and are firmly in the mix.
“Sometimes when you have younger guys, we just like to put you in some different situations where you're with different guys on the field, whether it be with a second group or a first group,” Moore said. “All those things are trying to mix and match these things just to give you a different perspective. Kenny's handled it awesome. Tanner's handled it awesome. It's been really good for these guys.”
— Gabriela Carroll
Watch: Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore meets with media
Jalen Hurts looked sharp again on Monday
Jalen Hurts kept up his streak of stacking good days. He has yet to toss an interception. Camp is a time for some experimentation, so a turnover here and there isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But he had a career-high 20 giveaways in 2023. It’s clearly an area he’s intent on cleaning up.
I mentioned this earlier in camp, but Hurts just seems more explosive than he was a year ago (and I’m talking in camp before the knee injury). He had a scramble during one team-drill play in which linebacker Zack Baun chased him. It was as if Hurts were teasing him until he hit another gear and pulled away for a chunk of yards.
Hurts and the first-unit offense were efficient during red zone drills. Baun snuffed out a misdirection screen to Saquon Barkley on the first play. But tight end Dallas Goedert beat Blankenship on a crosser. DeVonta Smith caught a touchdown over the middle and then another a few plays later on an orbit route in which the defense busted its coverage, and he walked into the end zone.
Johnny Wilson making his case at wide receiver
Johnny Wilson wants to be Jalen Hurts’ best friend.
The Eagles rookie, making a rapid ascent into the starting offensive huddle this past week, began laying the groundwork by attending a summer throwing session that Hurts held with a handful of Eagles wide receivers a couple of months ago.
Now that Wilson is earning more time with the starters midway through his first NFL training camp, his efforts to build enough trust with Hurts to count for something down the road are continuing on the right path.
Eagles injury report heading into Tuesday's practice
The Eagles lost a couple of starters during practice on Monday — one early and one late. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was the first to go. I didn’t see how he got hurt or even him walking off, but it came before team drills. Coach Nick Sirianni followed Gardner-Johnson, and when Gardner-Johnson came out, I asked how he was and he said he was “fine.” He never returned, though.
Center Cam Jurgens walked off the field with a trainer toward the end of the workout. He, too, headed indoors and never came back. The Eagles didn’t have an official update on either player.
Guard Tyler Steen returned after missing about a week with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Mekhi Becton was back after missing a day with an illness. They were both listed as limited, although they had varying degrees of participation. Cornerbacks Josh Jobe (concussion) and Eli Ricks (illness) were also limited.
Eagles training camp and preseason schedule
The Eagles preseason schedule kicks off Friday night in Baltimore against Ravens. Here are some more key dates fans should know ...
Aug. 9: First preseason game, Eagles at Baltimore Ravens, 7:30 p.m. (Cozi TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, 94.1 WIP)
Aug. 13: Joint practice against the New England Patriots at 11 a.m. in Foxborough, Mass.
Aug. 15: Second preseason game, Eagles at New England Patriots, 7 p.m. (NBC10, 94.1 WIP)
Aug. 24: Final preseason game, Minnesota Vikings at Eagles, 1 p.m. (NBC10, 94.1 WIP)
Aug. 27: Roster cut from 80 to 53 players by 4 p.m.
Sept. 6: Week 1, Green Bay Packers at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. (Peacock, NBC10, 94.1 WIP)
— Rob Tornoe