Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
What are you expecting from Jalen Hurts this season? Yeah, he threw a lot of interceptions in training camp, but I don’t think any daily practice observer would describe his summer as a bad one. My feeling on him is that I’m not worried about Hurts. I’d be pretty surprised if he bottomed out because he offers a high floor. At the same time, I’m not expecting him to be MVP. Which is fine! He doesn’t need to be for
the Eagles to have a successful season. I tend to think Hurts will have a good but not great season. What say you?
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
An Eagles Q&A: Is Hurts acclimating? Will Lemon contribute? – ESPN
Passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard described a timing-based aerial attack which requires Hurts to have consistent footwork and trust in his pass catchers to be at the right place at the right time. “I think it’s the commitment from the whole group,” Grizzard said on what has impressed him most about the passing offense so far. “I think what you saw from the spring and where we’re at right now, with everybody’s understanding of the spacing of the field and the attention to fundamentals and details has really come a long way.” There’s going to be growing pains, no doubt. We witnessed some of that during the summer. Hurts threw double-digit interceptions during training camp — much more than we’re accustomed to seeing from him. Some of those fell on the receivers, some can be chalked up to a lack of synchronization in a new scheme, and some were on the QB. It’s worth noting Hurts is making more over-the-middle throws in this offense and he got burned a handful of times while doing so. The real test for Hurts’ commitment to this style of play will come during the regular season when the inevitable bumps in the road hit. The consensus to this point is he is bought in and fighting hard through the learning curve.
NFL Week 1 odds: Eagles favored to beat Commanders – BGN
Can you believe it? The first game of the 2026 Philadelphia Eagles season is just days away! And there’s reason to believe the Birds are going to begin this year’s campaign with a win. The Eagles are 5.5-point home favorites against the Washington Commanders.
NFC East Mixtape Vol. 187: 2026 Season Predictions – NFC East Mixtape
It is officially Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season and every team within the NFC East is playing another one. What does this season have in store for the NFC East? Last year saw a team win it in consecutive seasons for the first time in 20 years, so anything is on the table. RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton offer their 2026 predictions for the division in a way that only they can. You can see that we have a BRAND NEW NFC East Mixtape YouTube Channel so make sure to subscribe as the show will live here exclusively in video format. AND you can also listen to the show! On Blogging The Boys and/or Bleeding Green Nation podcast feeds as well as the SB Nation NFL Show feed!
Eagles-Commanders preview: 5 things to watch – PhillyVoice
The Commanders allowed 141.5 rushing yards per game last season, third-worst in the NFL. So what did they do this offseason? They paid over $40 million in cash in 2026 to a couple of edge defenders in Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson who should really only be playing on obvious passing downs. They also did not bring back Bobby Wagner, which is understandable as he became a liability in coverage, but he was at least still a good run defender and he had a deep understanding of what opposing offenses were trying to do. Meanwhile, high-priced Javon Kinlaw gets pushed around in the run game, DaRon Payne is on the downside of his career, and fake tough Frankie Luvu is a situational pass rusher who has been masquerading as a three-down linebacker. (It seems the Commanders finally figured out that Luvu isn’t that guy, by the way, based on their acquisitions of Leo Chenal in free agency and Sonny Styles in the draft.) Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ve seen a worse tackling secondary than what the Commanders were last season. The success of the Eagles’ offense in 2026 is going to be dependent on their rushing attack. If they can’t get that going, it’s going to be a long, frustrating season on offense, like it was in 2025. This Commanders defense offers an outstanding opportunity to get the run game going right out of the gate.
Another Journey – Iggles Blitz
I don’t know how things will turn out this season, but I am confident that this season will be more fun than 2025. We’ll get to see a new offensive scheme. The O-line is healthy and that means we’ll see a more productive Saquon Barkley. He only had 3 games with 100 or more yards last season. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t at least double that total this season. The defense could be the best in the league. There are special playmakers at each level of the defense. Make sure you enjoy the journey. That could be seeing a young player develop or an old player navigate his final season. Lane Johnson is an all-time great right tackle. We won’t see anyone like him in the future. Enjoy his greatness while you can. Nick Sirianni has led the Eagles to the postseason in each of his five years as the coach. I don’t expect that to change. He led the team to the Super Bowl in 2022 and 2024. That would seem to bode well for 2026. We’ll have to wait and see on that. The waiting is almost over. Football season is here.
How Jalen Hurts is preparing for a season that could shape his Eagles future – The Athletic
But it did raise two questions: “When should Hurts abandon his progressions and scramble? And how much will Mannion’s offense leverage Hurts as a runner? Hurts totaled a career-low 65 designed runs in 2025, apart from his 39 scrambles. Hurts totaled 92 designed runs in 2024, and 105 in 2023. Sirianni, Mannion and Hurts have all been cagey about any reason for the downward trend. Runs inherently carry risks, and Hurts, who did not suffer a long-term injury in 2025, had entered each of the playoffs of the previous four seasons managing some form of injury. Mannion vaguely acknowledged that Hurts’ rushing ability is a “special talent” the Eagles still intend to use — including in their continued usage of the Brotherly Shove. Fangio did note that Hurts is faster this season. Hurts demurred when asked if he’d changed his offseason approach at all to improve his speed. “He is a true weapon with his feet,” Grizzard said. Whatever his rushing role, the words in Hurts’ notes will become action in the Eagles’ regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders. “We’re all being asked to do something a little different,” Barkley said. “But the thing is, Jalen is willing and able to do what we ask him to do. He has that type of mindset of just wanting to be great and doing whatever it takes to win, but also always trying to find ways to win — and he’s doing that.”
Now out of A.J. Brown’s shadow, is DeVonta Smith ready for his close-up? ‘The guy was built to do this’ – Inquirer
For the first time since his rookie season, Smith is a No. 1 wide receiver. He excelled in that role in college and had a record-breaking first season — his 916 yards set the Eagles rookie record for most receiving yards — but he’s lived in the shadow of A.J. Brown for the last four years. The Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots in June, which immediately placed Smith back atop the depth chart again. Is he ready for his close-up? “The guy was built to do this,” said James Madison coach Billy Napier, who recruited Smith when Napier was the wide receivers coach at Alabama. “DeVonta, he’s not motivated by normal things. This guy’s in a pursuit to be the best that’s ever done it. “Eagles fans are going to have fun watching Smitty in this role, I can promise you that.” He has the backing of his current teammates and coaches, too. Smith never led the Eagles in receiving yards when Brown was on the team, but he’s eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons and is the all-time franchise leader in postseason receiving yards with 665. Jordan Mailata put it best when asked about Smith, whom the Eagles took with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. “He’s always been a No. 1 receiver,” Mailata said, referring to Smith’s skill and leadership style. “Nothing has changed for Smitty.”
Remembering the 10 greatest opening-day plays in Eagles history – NBCSP
2000 [Eagles 41, Cowboys 14, Texas Stadium]: The onside kick: It’s a play you couldn’t run now, but the Eagles opened the 2000 season with a surprise onside kick in Dallas, and it really is one of the most pivotal plays in franchise history. The Cowboys had won three Super Bowls in the previous eight years and reached the playoffs eight of the last nine years and the Eagles had won just two playoff games in 20 years. But John Harbaugh saw something in the way the Cowboys backed off on kickoffs, and Andy Reid went along with his desire to open the season with an onside kick. David Akers kicked it, Dameane Douglas recovered it, and the route was on. The Eagles were up 14-0 by the end of the first quarter and 24-6 at halftime on the way to a 41-14 win, the Cowboys’ worst home loss in 12 years and worst home opening-day loss ever.
Spadaro: Welcome to the 2026 Eagles season! – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
The Eagles’ offense is the great unknown. Head Coach Nick Sirianni and new Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion kept things very simple and basic throughout the course of Training Camp and in the preseason, the time when the Eagles do much of their on-field work in front of reporters and fans. For the last week and then in the days ahead, it’s all about the Commanders and putting together a game plan to defeat Washington. What kind of offense are the Eagles installing? This is probably the overarching biggest question heading into the 2026 season and, certainly, it is the most intriguing. Mannion is calling plays in a regular-season game for the very first time, is in his position of power after playing quarterback in the league and coaching the last few seasons in Green Bay. This is going to be fun seeing what the Eagles have in mind …
NFL Coaches, GMs and Execs Vote on the Best QB at the End of 2026 – SI
Also receiving votes: Brock Purdy, 49ers (3 points, 2 ballots); C.J. Stroud, Texans (3 points, 1 ballot); Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (2 points, 1 ballot); Jaxson Dart, Giants (1 point); Jalen Hurts, Eagles (1 point); Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (1 point); Geno Smith, Jets (1 point).
Cowboys starting left guard Tyler Smith out 4-6 weeks with thumb injury – Blogging The Boys
Interior offensive line depth was one of the biggest concerns for the Cowboys all training camp and preseason, and now right off the bat they’ve been dealt the biggest possible blow, losing the experienced Smith at left guard. Luckily Bass is the backup with the most experience capable of stepping into this spot, and Dallas also has Ajani Cornelius as they prepare for week one on Sunday night at the Giants.
Dan Quinn: Full participation in practice today; trending in right direction for Week 1 – Hogs Haven
Dan Quinn is back for his weekly “Tell the Truth Mondays” as the team begins their official Week 1 preparations. The season opener is in Philadelphia this year, and they’re visiting last season’s NFC East Champion Eagles, where the Commanders are big underdogs. That game will be followed up with another road division game against the Cowboys. In his press conference, Quinn said everyone participated in practice today, including OLB Odafe Oweh, who has been dealing with a calf injury. DQ stressed that today was only a walkthrough, but added that everyone is trending towards being available for Week 1.
NY Giants release WR Darius Slayton, team’s longest-tenured player – Big Blue View
That said, while Slayton provided a much-needed vertical element to the Giants’ offense, he has struggled to consistently generate separation with his route running. He has also struggled with drops throughout his career. Slayton played in 106 games for the Giants, starting 78. He has 296 catches for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns as a Giant. Despite his limitations, Slayton was an undeniable hit as a fifth-round pick. Slayton had double sports hernia surgery in the offseason, and recently admitted that he still did not feel he was running as well as he could. The release of Slayton positions Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields to be primary receivers along with Malik Nabers and Odell Beckham Jr.
Past proposals to show tenths of a second on NFL stadium clocks have gone nowhere – PFT
The Eagles proposed this approach twice in recent years, in 2023 and most recently in 2024. The effort failed in 2023 because many of the existing clocks weren’t capable of showing tenths of seconds, and teams didn’t want to spend the money to adapt to the new rule. The proposal failed in 2024, too. Pennywise. Pound foolish. If/when the NFL experiences a scandal similar to the one that played out in Ann Arbor, the owners will wish they’d written the checks for new clocks.
Someone screwed Western Michigan. But who? – SB Nation
I don’t think Michigan’s absurd escape against Western Michigan on Saturday night was the result of foul play by the Big Ten. But it’s a different kind of scandal, one where either a conference’s faulty system or that of its multibillion-dollar media rights partner gave the Broncos every reason to feel robbed. Either the Broncos pulled off their biggest win in program history and had it taken from them, or they were led to believe they’d pulled it off because one of two massive businesses made a logistics error that benefitted an underachieving business partner (Michigan) at the expense of a MAC team playing its heart out.
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