Eagles tackle Andre Dillard suffers broken forearm; timetable for return unknown

Andre Dillard suffered a non-displaced fracture in his forearm during Eagles practice Thursday and is expected to miss the beginning of the season, according to league sources who confirmed media reports.

The Eagles’ backup left tackle will need to undergo further testing to determine how long he’ll be out, but the indication is that the injury should not knock him out for the entire season.

Dillard, 26, has made steady progress in each of the last two summers after a rocky start to his career. A first-round draft pick in 2019, Dillard is noticeably bigger than he was during his first season and is better at anchoring against bull rushes as a result.

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Dillard played well in five games last season. He spent two in relieving an injured Jordan Mailata, two when Lane Johnson missed time and Mailata moved to the right side, and one against the Cowboys in a meaningless Week 18 game. He was reportedly the subject of trade talks during the offseason because some teams view him as a starting-caliber left tackle. Dillard may have more value as a starter for a team than he does as a backup because of his discomfort playing any position outside of left tackle.

Dillard conceded that it was hard to accept his role as a backup behind Mailata, whom Pro Football Focus ranked third among offensive tackles last season, even after he had made meaningful progress.

“I’m not going to lie. It was hard at first. It was a lot,” Dillard said after the Eagles’ preseason win against the Cleveland Browns. “I had to look deep within myself last year and figure out: What are you going to be from here on? How are you going to react to this situation, these cards that you’ve been dealt?”

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If Dillard is expected to miss extended time, the Eagles could place him on injured reserve. In that case, he would be eligible to return after the team’s Week 4 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Dillard on the shelf, the Eagles could turn to Jack Driscoll on the 53-man roster and Le’Raven Clark on the practice squad if Mailata goes down. Undrafted rookie Josh Sills is also on the 53-man roster and played tackle in college, but he’s more of a developmental player at this point.