Eli Stowers took a step toward making his NFL debut Wednesday when the Eagles opened the rookie tight end’s practice window ahead of their Week 6 matchup against the Panthers
. The move lets Philadelphia’s second-round pick resume practice while remaining on injured reserve. The Eagles have a 21-day window to evaluate Stowers and activate him to the 53-man roster, but his availability for Sunday is not confirmed.Stowers has missed the first five games of his rookie season. Philadelphia placed him on injured reserve Sept. 12 after listing him as out for the opener with quadriceps and hamstring injuries. He initially suffered a hamstring injury during the second preseason game at New England and missed the preseason finale. Selected No. 54 overall
out of Vanderbilt, Stowers arrived with an accomplished receiving résumé. He won the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end after catching 62 passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns in 2025.
The 6-foot-3, 239-pound tight end also set combine records for his position with a 45.5-inch vertical jump and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. His athleticism could give Sean Mannion another receiving option as Philadelphia works to improve its passing game.
The Eagles also opened Grant Calcaterra’s practice window Wednesday. Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, and E.J. Jenkins handled tight end duties against Jacksonville, and Zach Ertz also got a look from the practice squad.
Stowers’ return would add another player to that competition and give the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate how he fits in the offense. His work in practice will determine how quickly he can move from rehabilitation to contributing on game day.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles move Eli Stowers closer to debut by opening practice window
