Eagles rule out 1 starter, another key starter will play

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Eagles starting safety Rodney McLeod (knee) has been ruled out for the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Falcons, but right guard Brandon Brooks (knee) will play.

Both starters have been limited this week in practice.

In addition to those two, rookie offensive lineman Landon Dickerson (knee) has also been ruled out for Sunday, head coach Nick Sirianni said.

Out: McLeod (knee), Dickerson (knee)

Questionable: Davion Taylor (calf)

No injury designation: Brooks (knee)

McLeod is still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2020 season early. He said all offseason that his goal was to be ready for Week 1 but he’ll fall slightly short of that goal. McLeod has been practicing with the team since being taken off the Active/PUP list but isn’t quite ready to return to game action.

“I’ve been getting to see Rodney even more because he’s been working out with the scout team a little bit for us,” Sirianni said. “I’d just like to take a second to brag on Rodney because I see why every day more and more, from the day I got here until now, I see why the guys voted him captain. He is a team player, he’s a good player. He just leads by example over and over again. He can be vocal when he needs to. It has been a great look for our offense this week because Rodney has been leading our scout.”

The fact that McLeod had been running scout team this week makes it clear the Eagles didn’t expect him to be ready for Week 1. In his place, the Eagles will start Marcus Epps or K’Von Wallace.

Brooks popped up on the injury report this week with a knee injury. But he’ll be back on the field for the first time since the regular season finale in 2019. He missed the playoff game in 2019 with a shoulder injury and all of last season with a torn Achilles.

The Eagles starting offensive line will look like this on Sunday (from left to right): Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brooks, Lane Johnson.

Dickerson, the Eagles’ second-round pick this year, was removed from the Active/Non-football Injury list at final cuts. That allows him to practice with the team even when he’s not ready to suit up for a game.

Sirianni said he has “really been pleased” with Dickerson this week. And Dickerson looks to be getting healthier. He did a cartwheel during the stretching period on Friday.

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