First look 🧐 | Sports Daily Newsletter

The NFL season is upon us, Philly. We’re officially less than a month away from the Eagles’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at the Linc.

And on Thursday, we’ll catch a glimpse of the reigning Super Bowl champions as the Eagles will play their first preseason game against the Bengals, who plan to play their starters, but don’t expect the Birds to do the same.

Just as he did last year, Nick Sirianni isn’t revealing his personnel plans. The fifth-year coach says he is “still thinking through all of those things” and it would be a departure from the recent norm if the offensive starters saw any action at all.

In 2023 and 2024, Jalen Hurts and other key members of the offense were sidelined for all three games. Meanwhile, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said that Joe Burrow and the starters will play “several series.”

But don’t worry, there are still plenty of storylines to follow in the opener, even though the stars won’t be putting on the pads. It will mark Kevin Patullo’s first opportunity to call plays in a game scenario, and there are multiple positions up for grabs, especially on the defensive end.

Training camp has been competitive so far. One player even called Thursday a “statement game.” With that being said, let’s take a look at some players to watch.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓Which Eagles newcomer or young player are you most excited about and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

José Alvarado broke his silence Tuesday during his return to Citizens Bank Park. The reliever is two weeks shy of his 80-game suspension being over for taking a performance-enhancing drug. He released a 168-word statement on his Instagram account and addressed the team Tuesday, apologizing and noting that he took the drug, intended as weight-loss medication. Rob Thomson said it was “short and sweet.” But Alvarado is barred from pitching in the postseason, so how will he contribute once he steps back on the mound?

Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler were unlikely stars in the Phillies’ shutout win over the Orioles. Each player homered and Kepler recorded his first game with multiple extra-base hits since March 31.

Next: The Phillies wrap up their series with Baltimore at 12:35 p.m. today (NBCSP, NBC10). Ranger Suárez (8-4, 2.68 ERA) will start against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (4-2, 1.44).

Ben VanSumeren went from chasing down running backs to clearing the way for them. The Eagles’ 25-year-old utility man made the switch from linebacker to fullback in training camp, and it hasn’t been a difficult transition. He says there are plenty of similarities between the positions and just looks “to be the best at something.”

During the Eagles’ 10th day of practice, Saquon Barkley continued to impress. He hasn’t let up all camp and seems committed to outdoing last season’s MVP-caliber performance. Also, Jahan Dotson made some key plays against Cooper DeJean. For more takeaways, tune into Jeff McLane’s practice observations.

Last week, the annual World Junior Summer Showcase took place in Minneapolis. The event has become an important time on the hockey calendar in recent years since it serves as a chance for Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States to evaluate their World Junior talent pool. Let’s just say that several Flyers impressed.

And in case you missed the latest Gameday Central, when The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel sat down with Flyers player development chief Riley Armstrong, we’ve got the full recap.

The Union gave their attacking depth a major boost Tuesday with the signing of forward Milan Iloski. The 26-year-old scored 10 goals in 14 games to start the season with San Diego FC, where he played on a short-term loan from April through July. While this addition comes at a good time for the Union as they make run toward the playoffs, the team had to jump through a pile of hoops first to get him.

Hall of Famers Eric Allen and Brian Dawkins share the Eagles’ record for career interceptions (34) with which other player?

A) Bill Bradley — Kevin M. was first with the correct answer.

We asked: Which departed Super Bowl contributor will the Eagles miss the most? Among your responses:

I really don’t believe they will miss any one player. Why other teams wind up paying obnoxious amounts of money to Super Bowl players is beyond me. Do they not realize that the other 10 players on the field help make that one player great. Perfect example would be Nick Foles. Super Bowl MVP. Went for the money instead of a parade (can’t blame them) and they all wound up being a bust. — Ronald R.

While Brandon Graham may not have had the statistical impact that the others who left did, but his impact as a veteran leader is immeasurable. Expect more from Lane Johnson as a veteran presence in the locker room this season. — Stiles B.

In spite of his injury last year, he has always been the spirit of the defense. All of the others will be missed too, but BG was the king! — Kevin B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, EJ Smith, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Sidney Snider, Jeff McLane, Ariel Simpson, Gabriela Carroll, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jackie Spiegel, and Gustav Elvin.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful Wednesday, Philly. Kerith will be on the newsletter controls tomorrow. — Bella