Eagles newcomers ‘26: Can journeyman guard Michael Jordan offer Birds an upgrade in the trenches?
Also, undrafted free agent long snapper Rocco Underwood tries to crack the special teams rotation.
With Eagles training camp drawing nearer, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28.
Player: Michael Jordan
Position: OG
Age: 28
Previous experience: Despite suiting up for four different teams (plus two practice squad stints with the Packers), Jordan actually has a decent NFL resume. A journeyman guard, Jordan has 49 starts in 78 games in his six seasons.
He most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he started nine games and played in 11. He played in his home state of Ohio in college and NFL, playing two years for Ohio State before being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft (136th overall).
Whether a 2026 draft choice, a veteran addition, or a rookie free-agent hopeful, we’re telling you more about each player’s potential role this season. We’re rolling out two players per day in a mostly unscientific order that balances offense and defense, bigger names with mysteries, and locks with longer shots to be chosen for the 53-man roster.
Path to a roster spot: Jordan’s chances of making the Eagles roster are fairly high. Beyond Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, who are virtual locks to start, Philadelphia has a fairly inexperienced guard group — made up of names like Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Jaeden Roberts, and Jake Majors. On paper, Jordan should shine vs. an inexperienced bunch.
Fun fact: So, let’s talk about that name. Yes, Jordan is well aware that he shares a name with arguably the most famous basketball player ever. In fact, according to a story on Panthers.com, he once got “cursed out” when trying to order a pizza on Super Bowl Sunday, since the restaurant thought it was a prank call. “And he starts cussing me out,” Jordan said with a laugh. “He said ‘This is Super Bowl Sunday; you can’t be playing around with fake names like that.’”
Quotable: “I’m actually pretty terrible at basketball,” Jordan said. “You can ask the guys in the locker room; they already know that. I’ve been terrible since I was a kid. I have to look at the ball when I dribble.” — Jordan said in an interview with Panthers.com
Player: Rocco Underwood
Position: LS
Age: 23
Previous experience: The Eagles snagged one of the best long snappers in college football in their undrafted free agents group. Underwood, who played in 50 games over five years at Florida, won the 2024 Patrick Mannelly Award as the top long snapper in college football.
Path to a roster spot: Underwood is a virtual lock to make the team. The Eagles are still trying to find their long-term replacement for long snapper Rick Lovato, who was with the team from 2016 to 2024. The tandem of Charley Hughlett and Cal Adomitis didn’t quite cut it in 2025, which is why general manager Howie Roseman picked up the highly-regarded Underwood.
Fun fact: Trainer Chris Rubio is widely recognized as the best long snapper coach in the nation. Rubio’s camp is the longest-running long-snapping camp in the nation. Underwood was the first ever athlete to earn six-star status as a long snapping prospect at the camp.
Quotable: “He’s jelled really well with the veteran guys. [He’s an] athletic individual,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “It’s nice [that] he played under [Florida senior special teams analyst] Joe Houston, who had coached in the NFL. He knows the rigors of the NFL probably from talking to Joe, but he’s doing a really good job. Obviously, once the pads come on, he gets an actual real rush, but he’s taking it stride for stride, and he and [special teams assistant] Tyler Brown meet every day. I’m in there poking fun at him still. I’ll rush him a couple times, [but] he’s going to get rushed by a far better athlete in game situations.”
Jeffrey Lurie has owned the Philadelphia Eagles, which he purchased in 1994, longer than his son, Julian, has been alive. But in recent years, the younger Lurie, heir to the franchise and now 31, has assumed a more pervasive and influential role in the organization. While the Eagles have made no secret about Julian’s increased involvement with the team, specifics about his role have been scant. In recent months, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane spoke to nearly two dozen sources on and off the record to gain a better understanding of not just who Julian Lurie is and what he does, but - most important of all - whether he’ll be ready to assume the reins as Eagles Chairman and CEO, whenever the time comes. Jeff shares the biggest takeaways from his reporting with Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski in this companion episode to Jeff’s feature article about the Eagles' succession plan. Listen here.
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