Makai Lemon (hamstring) misses another practice

It’s a reasonable assessment for a rookie who missed valuable spring and summer practice reps due to a recurring hamstring strain. Lemon reportedly admitted that he should have been “more professional off the field” regarding the injury, and Eagles WR coach Aaron Moorehead eventually told him to do “whatever” WR DeVonta Smith did during his own hamstring rehab program. Per McManus, “coaches say Lemon attacked the mental part of the game with high intensity as he waited to get healthy.” McManus believes Lemon should get playing time right away, but Smith and WR Dontayvion Wicks will “receive the bulk of targets while the rookie gets his footing.” Lemon must be safely stashed on benches at this time.

Lemon had a rough night, but tonight’s outcome does not make him any less of a top-tier prospect. The first-round rookie was sidelined by a recurring hamstring injury for much of the spring and summer, so a rusty first showing is understandable. Lemon took the blame, on the field, for QB Tanner McKee’s interception, although it is fair to note that McKee’s pass arrived late. Lemon had broken inward, off his stem, and an open window was available to the Eagles’ backup quarterback. Unfortunately, Lemon was forced to slow down and leap for the pass, accidentally batting it backward as he attempted to high-point it. Bengals CB Tacario Davis snagged it and that was that. Davis also broke up a pass intended for Lemon on a corner route 20 yards downfield earlier in the game. He had a good night. Lemon may need to ramp up for another couple of weeks, but he remains a smart draft pick in 12-team leagues. Lemon later went back into the game to field a punt, but went nowhere with it.

Lemon returned to practice last week and was seen running with the first-team offense on Monday. Speaking with the media after Monday’s practice, Lemon confirmed that the hamstring injury he had been dealing with was in the same leg that had given him problems earlier this offseason. He’s missed a lot of time, but the rookie first-rounder has just under three weeks to get up to speed and be ready for the season opener, so we’ll see if he can get there. Lemon is worth a late-round pick in fantasy drafts, but shouldn’t be put in lineups until we see how he’s used in game situations.

Lemon was back at practice for the first time in weeks. The first-round receiver missed most of minicamp and training camp up to this point with a hamstring injury. While Lemon is playing from behind, there’s plenty of time for him to work his way into the offensive game plan ahead of the Eagles’ Week 1 matchup against the Commanders.

The rookie first-round pick has been sidelined for nearly two weeks with the hamstring issue, as DeVonta Smith deals with his own hamstring injury. While Lemon was seen running on the side at practice earlier this week, the Eagles will probably be careful with the wideout ahead of their Week 1 game against Washington. Lemon should operate as the team’s WR2 when healthy.

It’s a blow to the Eagles as first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion uses training camp to install his system and ensure the team’s key players — including Lemon and Smith — are acclimated to the offense before the regular season. Hopefully the Eagles’ top two wideouts don’t miss much time with the soft tissue injuries. We can expect Eagles coaches to be cautious with Smith, the team’s new No. 1 receiver, and Lemon, who will likely play primarily from the slot in 2026. The Athletic’s Zach Berman said this week that the team “seems committed to finding ways to get [Lemon] the ball.”

Lemon has been working with the first-team offense, and this is all broadly encouraging for the idea that he can be a viable fantasy receiver in his rookie season. Lemon missed a chunk of offseason activities with a hamstring injury but it looks like he’s making a good mark early in training camp. He’s currently coming off the board just inside the top 40 wideouts on most sites by ADP.

Lemon has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for most of the offseason, but the 20th overall pick of this year’s draft is preparing to be a full go when the Eagles first take the practice field on July 29th. Lemon is expected to take on a big role in his first season after the Eagles traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots last month, but whether or not that translates into a breakout rookie campaign is to be determined. DeVonta Smith has been the talk of the offseason for the Eagles and is expected to command a significant portion of the targets in his first season as the WR1, and Philly has been among the most run-heavy teams in the league since signing Saquon Barkley in 2024. Given his time away, the camp reports on Lemon will be one to keep an eye on as this will be our first real look at him since his last season at USC.

No major cause for concern just yet, but it’s worth monitoring how he rebounds from a hamstring injury. With A.J. Brown now officially on the Patriots, Lemon is ticketed for a fairly big role in Philadelphia’s new offense in his rookie season. We’d be surprised if it had major breakout potential, but a WR3 season is probably in the range of outcomes if everything goes right.

Under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will reportedly have “total authority” over the team’s offense, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will have to learn an entirely new playbook predicated on the concepts that have made Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers and Sean McVay’s Rams two of the league’s most efficient offenses. This is very much in line with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pledging in April that the team would implement “significant offensive changes” after a 2025 campaign in which they ranked 17th in EPA per play, in line with the Texans and Falcons. Depending on which version of the Shanny/McVay offense Mannion installs, Saquon Barkley could see more pass-game involvement while short-area pass catchers like Dallas Goedert and rookie Makai Lemon see plenty of looks from Hurts, who last year ranked 14th out of 45 qualifying quarterbacks in accuracy on short throws. In 2024, Hurts led all QBs in accuracy on attempts between 1-10 yards.