When Jaire Alexander stepped away from the Eagles last season, there was word that he planned to “focus on getting himself right physically and mentally before deciding on his future” as a player.
Alexander’s knee troubles led to the Packers releasing the cornerback after the 2024 season and he wrote in an essay for The Players Tribune that he struggled to deal with that release while likening the end of his seven-year run in Green Bay to a “divorce.” He signed with the Ravens, but had a poor outing in a season-opening loss to the Bills that left him “very, very embarrassed” and doubting his health. He would only play one more game as Baltimore deactivated him in order to try to recover on both fronts and eventually traded him to the Eagles.
Alexander wrote that he made the decision to step away without appearing in a game because his knee began troubling him again and that led to a repeat of doubts about his ability to do the job. He wrote that he “needed to listen to myself, and look out for myself, and put my well-being first.” Alexander’s essay outlines some of the ways he’s done that and whether he is considering a return to the field.
“People still sometimes ask me if I’m ever gonna come back and play,” Alexander wrote. “And, you know what . . . I’ll never say never — I still work out, and the knee’s fine now, so I’m in good shape. But for me, right now, the most important thing really is just to be in a good place overall. To be happy.”
Alexander had previously addressed his mental health and the detail he shares in the essay underlines how difficult last season was for him. His play when healthy in Green Bay would likely earn him a look if he does decide to play again, but it’s far from certain things will play out that way.
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All of the international matchups for the 2026 NFL season were announced on Wednesday morning.
We already knew the first two games on the schedule. The 49ers and Rams will meet in the NFL’s first-ever game in Melbourne, Australia in Week 1 while the Ravens and Cowboys will head to Brazil to play a game in Rio in Week 3.
There will be three straight weeks of games in London kicking off the next week. The Colts will face the Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 4 and the Eagles and Jaguars will square off in the same place the next week. The Jaguars will stay in London to take on the Texans at Wembley Stadium in Week 6.
From there, it will be on to Paris for the first time in league history. The Steelers will battle the Saints at Stade de France in Week 7.
The Bengals-Falcons matchup in Madrid in Week 9 was announced earlier this week and it will be followed by a Patriots-Lions clash at Allianz Arena in Munich the next weekend. The NFL’s return to Mexico City will come in Week 11 when the Vikings and the 49ers square off on Sunday Night Football.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked about his desire to see the league play international games each week and the NFL is moving closer to that goal in 2026.
Charlie Young, a first-round pick of the Eagles in 1973, has died. He was 75.
Young was the sixth overall selection out of USC. After three years with the Eagles, Young played three years with the Rams, three years with the 49ers, and three years with the Seahawks.
In Philadelphia, Young was a Pro Bowler all three years. He also was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie, and a second-team All-Pro in 1974 and 1975.
He played in 187 regular-season games, with 142 starts. He caught 418 passes for 5,106 yards and 27 touchdowns. Young also appeared in 13 postseason games.
Young appeared in two Super Bowls. With the Rams, he appeared in Super Bowl XIV. He started Super Bowl XVI with the 49ers, which San Francisco won over Cincinnati.
In 2004, Young was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
We extend our condolences to Young’s family, friends, teammates, and colleagues.
When Romeo Doubs signed with the Patriots in March, he moved to the top of their depth chart at wide receiver but he may not be there at this time next month.
The Patriots are expected to trade for Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown after June 1 and that would move Doubs down the pecking order in the first year of the four-year, $68 million deal he signed in New England. That might not have been exactly what Doubs had in mind after years in a crowded Packers receiver group, but he said on Tuesday that “love to have [Brown] here.”
“I was true to my word when I came here that there is no No. 1 guy in this offense,” Doubs said, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. “So, whatever it is I have to do, whether it’s playing into the strength more or playing on the backside every here and now, or even having [revolving roles], which I’m really familiar with because I’ve done it in Green Bay also. I’m open to all roles. That’s just part of this league. You know, the more you can do, the more you can do for the team, the more you show for yourself, just things of that nature.”
Stefon Diggs led the Patriots with 85 catches for 1,013 yards on their way to an AFC title in 2026, but a Brown/Doubs combo might unlock even more space to grow the passing game this year.
The NFL announced that the Cowboys will host the Eagles on Thanksgiving Day in Week 12, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game annually is the highest-rated regular-season game of the NFL season, regardless of their opponent. The Chiefs were Dallas’ opponent on Thanksgiving Day in 2025, and the game set a new regular-season ratings record with 57.3 million viewers.
That was the 58th Thanksgiving Day game for the Cowboys, while the Eagles have played seven games on Turkey Day. Philadelphia last played in Arlington on Thanksgiving Day in 2014, when the Eagles defeated the Cowboys 33-10.
The only other time the Eagles played at the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day was in 1989 when the Buddy Ryan-led Birds beat the Jimmy Johnson-led Cowboys 27-0 in a game known as the “Bounty Bowl.”
The Cowboys are 35-22-1 all-time on Thanksgiving Day and have won their past four games.
The Cowboys now know three games on their 2026 schedule. They will open the season on the road against the Giants on Sunday Night Football and will face the Ravens in Week 3 in Rio de Janeiro.
The NFL will announce the full schedule on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Eagles announced a number of title changes and new hires in their front office on Wednesday.
The moves include the previously reported promotion of Adam Berry to assistant General Manager and the addition of Mike Maccagnan as a personnel executive. Maccagnan was hired as the Jets’ GM in 2015 and was fired after the team went 24-40 over the next four seasons. He was succeeded by Joe Douglas, who will now be his co-worker as the Eagles announced that his new title will be senior vice president of player personnel.
Other members of the football operations department to receive new titles are senior director of team operations Dan Ryan, director of player engagement Matt Leo, director of football administration Grant Reiter, director of football research and strategy Zachary Steever, assistant director of personnel strategy Zach Drapkin, senior quantitative analyst Isabel Pantle, and video manager Marlon Sanders.
The scouting department title changes affected vice president of player personnel Phil Bhaya, vice president of football operations and strategic initiatives Alan Wolking, director of player personnel Jeremy Gray, assistant director of pro scouting Lee DiValerio, southeast area scout Preston Tiffany, and NFS scout Terrence Braxton.
Player personnel and football operations coordinator Clara Montenegro DuBerke, video assistant Samantha Harvey, pro scout Caspian Svenson, and assistant strength and conditioning coach Fred Hale are the other new additions in Philly.
The Eagles are moving Adam Berry into a new position in their front office.
NFL Media reports that Berry will be promoted to assistant General Manager. The move comes a short time after Alec Halaby stepped down from the same role in Philadelphia. Jon Ferrari, who recently signed an extension, also has the assistant GM title.
Berry was previously the vice president of football operations and strategy. He joined the Eagles in 2023 after spending 14 years working in finance at Goldman Sachs.
Berry is the twin brother of Browns General Manager Andrew Berry, who spent one year working for the Eagles before being hired in Cleveland in 2020.
The Eagles made a couple of changes to their roster after their rookie minicamp.
They announced that they have signed linebacker Isiah King, who took part in the minicamp on a tryout basis. They waived defensive back Tucker Large with an injury designation to open a spot for King on the 90-man roster.
King had 79 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble while playing for Idaho during the 2025 season. He appeared in 41 college games over the last five seasons.
Large signed with the team after going undrafted last month. He played at South Dakota State and Washington State.
During the second night of the 2026 NFL draft, the Vikings traded defensive end Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles. The Eagles, in turn, agreed to (reportedly) a four-year, $100 million deal with Greenard.
We’ve gotten a look at the full details of the new deal. Here they are, per a source with knowledge of the terms:
1. Signing bonus: $23.275 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $1.215 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2026 per-game roster bonus: $510,000 total, fully guaranteed but must be earned.
4. 2027 option bonus: $22.905 million, fully guaranteed.
5. 2027 workout bonus: $240,000, fully guaranteed but must be earned.
6. 2027 base salary: $1.345 million, fully guaranteed.
7. 2027 per-game roster bonus: $510,000, fully guaranteed but must be earned.
8. 2028 option bonus: $21.86 million.
9. 2028 workout bonus: $240,000.
10. 2028 base salary: $1.39 million.
11. 2028 per-game roster bonus: $510,000.
12. 2029 option bonus: $21.815 million.
13. 2029 workout bonus: $240,000.
14. 2029 base salary: $1.435 million.
15. 2029 per-game roster bonus: $510,000.
The deal also includes a 2027 escalator in the amount of $500,000, based on being a first-team All-Pro in 2026, a 2028 escalator in the amount of $500,000, based on being a first-team All-Pro in 2027, and a 2029 escalator in the amount of $500,000, based on being a first-team All-Pro in 2028.
The four-year deal replaces the two years that were remaining on his prior deal, at $38 million. Given the base value of the new deal ($98 million), the two-year extension has a new-money average of $29.5 million.
The deal includes $50 million fully guaranteed at signing, with team-held options for 2028 and 2029.
This means, as a practical matter, that the Vikings likely could have kept Greenard under contract for the next two years by increasing his pay from $38 million to $50 million, and by guaranteeing all of it in full at signing. The extra two years, at $48 million, could have been added at no immediate cost to the Vikings, allowing them to move on after 2027, if they decided to do so.
That fact will prompt some to wonder why the Vikings didn’t just increase his pay to $50 million over the next two years, from $38 million. Given that the market for pass rushers has increased to $50 million per year, it’s not an unreasonable question to ask.
The Cowboys are meeting with a potential addition to their secondary on Tuesday.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is visiting with the team, per a report from NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. The Cowboys currently have one open spot on their 90-man roster.
Jackson played for the Eagles last season and he recorded 55 tackles and an interception in 14 regular season appearances. He also had four tackles in their playoff loss to the 49ers.
The move to the Eagles came after Jackson spent four seasons with the Giants. The 2017 first-round pick spent his first four years in the league with the Titans. He has 459 tackles, five interceptions, six forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries over the course of his career.
The Cowboys signed Cobie Durant and Derion Kendricks as free agents before drafting Devin Moore in the fourth round last month. DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel are their top returning corners.
