NFL Player News

GM Ted Thompson was impressed by Montgomery’s performance: “He just has a knack. He knows how to play the game.” Montgomery was getting a majority of the reps by the second half and may have jumped back ahead of Jeremy Thompson on the team’s depth chart.

Johnson was back at practice after being excused earlier in the week as he handled some personal business. Entering his 14th season in the NFL, Johnson told reporters this will probably be his final season. He cited his family as the primary motivation for potentially hanging up his cleats for the last time after this season. Johnson appeared in only 10 games last year, but was named either a first-team or second-team All-Pro in the four seasons prior to 2025.

Reporters noticed Downs in street clothes on the sideline at the beginning of practice. He’s dealing with a groin injury, according to the team. There should be an update on Downs’ status following the conclusion of Saturday’s practice. For now, it’s not a great sign that Downs is dealing with an injury so close to the start of the regular season, though it’s unclear if he’s dealing with a long-term injury.

Giddens appeared to have the inside track on the No. 2 RB job behind Jonathan Taylor at the end of July. With Taylor out looking for a new contract, Giddens took the majority of first-team reps during minicamp. Now Giddens is out dealing with a hamstring injury and seventh-round rookie Seth McGowan is getting the reps behind Taylor. It could be an uphill battle for Giddens, who the Colts selected in the fifth-round in 2025, once he returns from injury.

Burden got tangled with a defender and fell awkwardly during a one-on-one red zone drill at practice on Saturday. The 22-year-old wide receiver limped to the locker room slowly with a trainer. It’s unclear if Burden is dealing with a significant injury. We’ll continue to monitor the situation until more information is known.

Smith continues to miss practice with a hamstring injury. While the injury isn’t considered to be serious, the Eagles still aren’t going to push Smith in practice just yet. He figures to be the top target in the Eagles new offense under new OC Sean Mannion in the wake of the Eagles trading A.J. Brown this offseason.

The good news: Eagles GM Howie Roseman didn’t seem overly concerned that Lemon wasn’t practicing during an interview with Kay Adams on Friday. Lemon also was seen catching passes from the JUGS machine on Saturday. Still, it’s the fourth consecutive missed practice for the rookie receiver who also missed time during minicamp. Lemon is starting from behind, but it’s important to remember how long the 17-game NFL season is. The Eagles will certainly need production from Lemon at some point as the team revises its passing attack without A.J. Brown.

No surprise here as the Tush Push has been an extremely effective play for the Eagles over the years. Mannion, Philadelphia’s third OC in the last three years, is sure to change things with the offense. When it comes to the Tush Push, however, that’s one area that doesn’t need to be fixed. QB Jalen Hurts should continue to be the main beneficiary of the short touchdowns the Tush Push provides.

Bateman, 26, has never quite lived up to his first-round draft capital, lining up on the perimeter on 88.4 percent of his career receiving snaps. Allowing him to line up in the slot and as the Z-receiver could help him out, although true sixth-year breakouts are uncommon in the NFL. He can only be viewed as a late-round, boom-bust option.

Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Ayomanor was in the huddle early at today’s practice, which is a good sign. The second-year wide receiver left practice early yesterday after seemingly injuring his left shoulder. He appears to be good to go and will now resume competing for a starting role.

According to Kendall, “everyone in Atlanta can see” Branch’s ascension. The diminutive rookie has been “a standout in Atlanta from the moment he stepped on the practice field.” Zaccheaus is still taking most of the first-team snaps, so Branch may have to continue fighting for the starting role in-season. That said, the coaching staff plans to line up Branch at all three wide receiver spots. Obvious questions remain regarding Branch’s ability to play in the NFL at 5'10/180, but the youngster bench-pressed 225 pounds 20 times at the NFL Combine, so his strength is not in question. Even if Branch assumes a starting role, it will probably be tough for Branch to reliably return FLEX value, earning targets behind WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts and RB Bijan Robinson, but showing up with a few big performances is possible.