Eagles News: How are you feeling about Sean Mannion?

WAS SEAN MANNION THE WRONG GUY? It’s a fair question, but I do think it’s too early to draw any final conclusions. The Eagles’ offense has been so riddled by injuries, especially on the offensive line, that it’s impossible to declare definitively that Mannion was the wrong guy to guide the Eagles’ offense this year. He’s currently down four offensive linemen, a stud receiver and two running backs and he’s just getting his tight end back. To his credit, he refuses to use the injuries as an excuse, even though obviously they have affected what the Eagles can do on offense. But nonetheless there is plenty to be concerned with. For starters, I have no idea what the Sean Mannion offense is. For all the offseason talk about under center and play action that’s not really what the Eagles are doing. So are we back to running the Nick Sirianni offense? What exactly is the concept? The other big concern is that in just a few weeks the offense has regressed. The Washington and Tennessee games certainly weren’t perfect, but at least this looked like a real offense. After two games, they were averaging 24 points, 330 yards, they were 53 percent on third down and they were averaging 5.3 yards per play. All respectable figures that put them in the upper half of the league. The last two weeks they’ve been the worst offense in the NFL with 13.5 points per game, 210 yards per game, 9.5 percent on third down (that’s not a typo) and 4.0 yards per play – all worst in the league except scoring, where they’re 30th. Four games is a small sample size and a nice 390-yard, 30-point outburst against the Jaguars Sunday would alleviate a lot of concern. Now, if guys start coming back healthy and the offense is close to full strength and it still doesn’t start functioning at a drastically higher level then it’s really time to wonder if Mannion is just Kevin Patullo II. It’s too soon now. But things need to get better soon.

Lane Johnson had a way of making everyone around him feel welcome. He has always been that way. Piled under a mountain of pads, the hulking, 6-foot-6, 335-pound perennial Eagles’ All-Pro right tackle was an anomaly since high school, part superhero, part ballerina with the way his nimble feet were able to move his massive frame and spring out on edge rushers. He had that patented right backfire mule kick that he borrowed from Jason Peters and perfected it. He will no doubt one day be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for being a two-time, first-team and three-time second-team All-Pro selection, earning six Pro Bowls, winning six NFC East titles, and two Super Bowls. Five years from now, Canton, Ohio, will be covered in midnight green when Johnson gets inducted, a city paying homage to a true hero on and off the field. The fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft changed the tenor of this franchise as a parting gift from former Eagles’ coach Chip Kelly. In his 14 NFL seasons, Johnson was the cornerstone of a team that had only three losing seasons (7-9 in 2015 and 2016, and 4-11-1 in 2020). The Eagles won 66% of the time, going 122-63-1 when he played. They were 18-30 when he didn’t. His brilliance first began to shine in the dusty, sun-bitten back trail of Groveton, Texas.

Can Jalen Hurts fend off a spiraling season? Did Eagles general manager Howie Roseman already punt on this year with the Cam Jurgens trade? Deniz Selman and Brandon Lee Gowton join EJ Smith to discuss all the big themes surrounding the Eagles going into their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Gowton questions if the same problems the team faced last year have lingered into the 2026 season, while Selman questions whether the Eagles are still too far behind the curve offensively with Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator.

I don’t think this is a lost season, but it is fair to say it feels like it is slipping away. The offensive staff must come up with some solutions. The scheme isn’t working as currently configured. Jalen Hurts has regressed over the past six quarters. This team needs good Jalen to emerge. Better pass protection would help him a lot. The OL needs to be better coached and they also simply must block better. The defense must make more plays. They are too talented to be such a mediocre unit. Sunday would be a great time for the Eagles to turn things around, but injuries are going to make that even more challenging.

Why the Eagles haven’t officially said goodbye to Lane Johnson — Philadelphia, meanwhile, still has not processed the paperwork on Lane Johnson’s retirement — that’s due to cap considerations, I’m told. Johnson announced Tuesday he was walking away from the game to focus on his mental health and spend more time with loved ones. The Eagles thanked him for his years of service, and I’m sure it’ll be a helluva party in Canton at some point in the 2030s. But there is still the matter of nearly $22 million. Johnson had a $21.7 million option bonus this season, with about half of it already paid and the other half due in December. The Eagles have the right to get back at least some of the money due to forfeiture. But it’s less about the cold cash and far more about the cap implications for 2027 and 2028, which had been assessed as manageable should he have been declared a post-June 1 cut next year. “They’ll figure it out easily enough,” one cap guru told me. “Just some accounting gymnastics, as all cap problems are.” One potential option is placing Johnson on the left-squad list. The designation sounds bad given Johnson’s stated reasons for retiring, but it would allow the team to clear the roster spot and preserve the cap hits in 2027 and 2028 as a June 2 cut. “They have to be careful about forfeiture,” a second cap guy said. “Asking someone of his stature and what he’s done won’t look good.” These are always delicate situations. The Indianapolis Colts didn’t force Andrew Luck to pay back the money he could have forfeited. The Detroit Lions did with Calvin Johnson and got the cold shoulder for years. And the Saints finagled a compromise with Derek Carr two offseasons ago to make his retirement fit their cap needs. If no resolution is reached by 4 p.m. ET Saturday, I would expect the retired Johnson to be one of Philly’s seven inactive players for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After that, we’ll see which way Eagles GM Howie Roseman decides to skin this cat.

Gus: Travon Walker. In case you didn’t hear, future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement after missing last week’s game due to personal reasons. Our friends at Bleeding Green Nation believe third-round rookie Markel Bell will draw his second NFL start over veteran swing tackle (and former Jaguar) Fred Johnson. Walker should be licking his chops to face a young buck following his 1-pressure performance against Amarius Mims. On top of that, it’s no secret that Jalen Hurts is much more efficient when rolling out to his right than his left. Even if Walker doesn’t destroy Bell on every snap, he’s got to contain Hurts. Henry: My X-Factor for Sunday morning is Anthony Campanile. He should be able to feast upon the remnants of this bad Eagles offense. With potentially no DeVonta Smith or Saquon Barkley, this could be a very long afternoon for new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Final score prediction? Dillon: Jaguars 27, Eagles 17. Travis: Jaguars 30, Eagles 13. Gus: Jaguars 27, Eagles 13. Henry: Jaguars 35, Eagles 14.

Moody predicts three fantasy sleepers […] Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (32.3% rostered). Shipley is on the flex radar with Saquon Barkley unlikely to play due to a hamstring injury and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve after core muscle surgery. That should put Shipley in line to lead the Eagles’ backfield. He had six carries for 23 yards after Bigsby exited last week, and Shipley was already being used on passing downs. The Jaguars have been tough against the run, so this is more about opportunity than matchup. Shipley should see enough volume to be deployed in lineups.

Near the 50-yard line, the Jaguars can score. The task is real for the Eagles’ defense against quarterback Trevor Lawrence, an outstanding running game, and some explosive receivers for many reasons, including the presence of placekicker Cam Little, who holds the NFL record with a 68-yard field goal. He is 7-of-9 on his attempts this season and has been good on all 11 PAT kicks. Jacksonville is strong on special teams and will be a true test for the Eagles, whose special teams unit had a dominant game last Sunday against the Rams.

As the Eagles travel to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they’re bringing more than American football and Philly culture to the United Kingdom. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles Autism Foundation also brought their work with them internationally. During a symposium on Friday in London, Lurie announced a donation totaling $670,000 to support London-based autism research. The donation includes a $500,000 pilot grant as well as a $170,000 two-year postdoctoral fellowship that will fund research at the Lurie Autism Institute in Philadelphia. The symposium featured panel discussions, which included two researchers on the autism spectrum. The second half of the day was led by the Lurie Autism Institute.

LIAM COEN — After immediately transforming Jacksonville from a 4-13 doormat to a 13-4 division champion in his first year on the job, Coen has the Jaguars in a position to emerge as legit title contenders in Year 2. The bold and bodacious play-caller has turned Trevor Lawrence into a top-five quarterback while constructing a balanced but explosive offense that gives the Jags a chance to win any game, regardless of style or foe. With a collection of underrated playmakers and pass catchers flourishing under his tutelage, Coen has used Jacksonville’s versatility and interchangeability to befuddle opponents with a ball-control offense built on complexity and flawless execution. As Anthony Campanile’s defense continues to suffocate running games and create turnovers at a high rate, Jacksonville is beginning to look like one of the league’s most complete teams. Consequently, the feisty head coach increasingly commands respect as the leader of a franchise that doesn’t typically top the NFL marquee.

On the Giants’ side of things, the bad news is that the team will be without defensive lineman Chauncey Golston, who suffered a neck injury in the Giants’ win over the Arizona Cardinals, and safety Jason Pinnock who suffered a concussion in the same game. The absence of Golston will likely mean the debut of returning Giant Jihad Ward, who was a favorite of former Giants’ (and Baltimore Ravens) defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The good news is that Giants will have five of their best players available. Left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin), wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee), tight end Isaiah Likely (knee/groin), tight end Chris Manhertz (shoulder), and running back Cam Skattebo (shoulder) are all expected to play.

Watching the Dallas Cowboys find new ways to lose games has started to become really annoying. On Thursday night, they were supposed to easily handle the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it didn’t go down like that. Instead, it was the Bucs that took it to Dallas in a convincing 24-16 road win. Insert sadface emoji. This latest loss serves as a stark reminder that this team has a ways to go. We know about the defensive problems, but what happens when the offense is having a rough go too? Well, that’s what we found out on Thursday in this very unpleasant primetime affair. Here are 10 thoughts on the Cowboys’ very upsetting defeat to the Bucs.

I’ve seen many people call for Dan Quinn’s head. I don’t think I’ve seen a sane person who is not a fan of a division rival believe Quinn just needs more time. That being said, are we pointing the finger at the right person here? Should Adam Peters be the one whose seat is the hottest right now?

New center Cam Jurgens (concussion) won’t make his debut until next week.

The San Francisco 49ers announced they released Ogbo Okoronkwo. He appeared in all four games and has the second-most snaps of any edge rusher this season. Okoronkwo hasn’t lit up the stat sheet, but he managed 10 pressures with an 11.8% pass-rush win rate. But he’s only played 33 run snaps this year. This move is the 49ers telling us they need a run defender.

Denver also signed defensive back Ugo Amadi to the practice squad. […] A 2019 fourth-round pick, Amadi has appeared in 85 career games. He has recorded 208 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 22 passes defensed and an interception.

Legendary NFL head coach Mike Ditka passed away on Friday at age-86. His passing was first reported by Jarrett Payton, son of the best player Ditka ever coached, running back Walter Payton, and was later confirmed by multiple outlets. Ditka became a legend by leading the 1985 Chicago Bears to one of the most dominant championship runs in league history. Led by Payton and arguably the best defense the NFL has ever seen, the Bears finished the regular season at 15-1, then outscored their three playoff opponents by a combined score of 96-10, capped by a blowout of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

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