PHILADELPHIA — Uh-oh.
Some unwelcome news popped up at Eagles training camp.
Top receiver A.J. Brown left the first part of Sunday’s session at NovaCare Complex with a hamstring injury and didn’t practice. There is no timetable for his return.
Last year, Brown was dragged by lingering knee and hamstring issues, so the organization is going to be extra cautious with him, especially considering the season opener is still nearly five weeks away.
Meanwhile, for the first time in his career, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will be calling plays Thursday night, when the Birds host the Cincinnati Bengals in their preseason opener.
The 44-year-old coach, who spent his early childhood in Hillsborough Township, N.J., before his family moved to South Florida, is downplaying his debut.
“It’ll be fun,” Patullo said. “It’s really not much different. It’s kind of how we’ve been doing it out here a lot of times and it’ll be different on Thursday just because we’re just trying to put the guys in position to succeed and do the best they can.
“We’re not necessarily scheming up the Bengals, but we want to do the best we can and see how the operations go. That’s really what it’s all about is how the operation works. When they come off the field, they go back on the field, we can make adjustments and go from there.”
Two key pieces in wideout DeVonta Smith (back tightness) and linebacker Nolan Smith (concussion) returned to the field on a limited basis after missing time. A receiver battle has been ongoing down the depth chart among Jahan Dotson, Terrace Marshall Jr., Johnny Wilson, Elijah Cooks and others. No single player has emerged early on.
“It’s been fun to watch,” Patullo said. “They’re all different. All those guys that are competing for those spots in the back end, we’ve got some fast guys, we’ve got some bigger guys. They all bring a different element to the table and so it’s just a matter of getting them in the right position to see them do what they do best. And so, each day there’s a different guy that’s kind of shown up and made a play and done something where we’re like, ‘OK.’
“And I think really what it’s going to come down to is the whole body of work. We’ve got a long way to go and you don’t realize that, how many weeks we actually have left until these games, and the joint practices will really be critical for those guys, especially to see what they do against other competition.”
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Left guard Landon Dickerson is the Eagles’ alternate representative with the NFLPA, which has been in upheaval recently. (Left tackle Jordan Mailata is the team’s main rep.) He has seen the issues, from financial mismanagement to fraud to conflicts of interest in leadership.
“Right now, it’s just kind of getting rid of anything that was a problem and establishing a baseline and kind of getting everything in order, right?” Dickerson said Sunday. “When your house is a mess, you gotta start somewhere. Go room by room and clean it up.”
He added that he believes young players will begin taking an interest as they grasp the role of the NFLPA.
“I think as you get educated and learn more about what the players association does for players, you can get involved more and understand how they’re helping out players,” Dickerson said. “The real thing is taking care of all players and making sure everybody’s set with benefits, pension, retirement, insurance, all that stuff. There are perks to it while you’re playing, but then there are a lot more perks to it in retirement too. They’re trying to take care of you long-term. I think if a lot of younger guys understood that, they’d be more interested.”
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NOTES: WR A.J. Brown (hamstring), LB Zack Baun (back contusion), WR Terrace Marshall (knee), S Lewis Cine (hamstring), RB Montrell Johnson (hamstring), CB Mac McWilliams (quad), FB/LB Ben VanSumeren (ankle), G Trevor Keegan (back) were all out. … Limited were WR DeVonta Smith (back tightness), EDGE Nolan Smith (concussion), LB Jihaad Campbell (shoulder), S Andrew Mukuba (shoulder), TE E.J. Jenkins (hamstring), LS Charley Hughlett (neck). … C Cam Jurgens (back surgery) continues to work his way back.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
Source: Berkshire mont