Seattle sports, on tap daily

Johnny Wilson Was on IR All Last Season and Now Waived Injured: The Eagles’ Early Roster Battle Gets Real

Philadelphia Eagles logo on gradient background

Written by

in

Philadelphia Eagles logo on gradient background
Philadelphia Eagles logo on gradient background — Created by the Sports On Tap desk | Source : Sports On Tap (team logos property of their respective owners)

The Philadelphia Eagles just pulled the trigger on a tough decision, waiving wide receiver Johnny Wilson with an injury designation today. This isn’t just some routine roster shuffle, folks. This is a serious blow for a player who’s already navigated a brutal gauntlet of injuries and setbacks in his young career. Wilson had been missing recent practices with a knee injury, and for a guy who spent **all of last season** on injured reserve, this kind of news has to be absolutely devastating.

Wilson’s Brutal Stretch Continues for the Eagles

Let’s rewind a bit to when Wilson first landed with the Eagles as a sixth-round draft pick in 2024. He actually showed some real flashes, right? He played in 16 games as a rookie, earning four starts, which is a big deal for a late-round guy trying to make his mark. He even snagged five passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. That’s a start! You see that, and you think, “Okay, this kid has potential, he can develop.”

But then came the crushing blow of 2025, where he was sidelined for the *entire* season on injured reserve. Talk about an uphill battle to get back on the field. To fight through that, finally get back into the swing of things, only to suffer another knee injury that leads to being waived? It’s a gut-wrenching turn of events for Wilson and a stark reminder of how brutal this league can be. For the Eagles, it shows they aren’t messing around when it comes to roster spots, especially with the season right around the corner. Every single position is being scrutinized.

Immediate Roster Shakes Up with New Signings

You know the NFL. When one door closes, another one swings right open, sometimes for better or worse. Almost immediately after the Wilson news dropped, the Eagles announced they were bringing in center Zeke Correll and wide receiver Brandon Hayes. Talk about swift action! Correll’s journey has been a bit of a bumpy ride too. He signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and, get this, he *also* spent his rookie season on injured reserve before Minnesota waived him back on March 13. So, the Eagles are bringing in a guy who knows all about fighting back from injury and trying to stick.

Then there’s Brandon Hayes. He’s been an interesting story for the Eagles, popping on and off their roster since he first joined their rookie minicamp as an undrafted free agent. But here’s the kicker for Hayes: this guy is a serious playmaker, especially on special teams. Last season, he ranked third across the entire Football Championship Subdivision, averaging a ridiculous 30.7 yards per kickoff return. He wasn’t just good, he took two of those kickoffs all the way to the house for touchdowns! And let’s not forget his receiving chops either, with 19 catches for 227 yards and two more touchdowns. That kind of versatility and explosiveness could be exactly what the Eagles need to inject some life into their depth.

This early August roster churn tells us one thing: the Eagles are laser-focused on getting their squad right. The decisions they make on these new guys, Correll and Hayes, and how they manage the remaining receiver spots, are going to be critical. Every move matters now, and the clock is ticking for these new additions to prove they belong before the regular season storms in.

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.

About the author

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *