Jonathan Greenard, the Eagles’ edge rusher, finally stepped onto the practice field for the first time in what feels like ages, warming up with his squad as they officially prep for their Week 1 showdown against the Washington Commanders. This is incredibly impactful news, especially considering he missed *all* of training camp after that pec strain sidelined him while training. Seeing him back out there is a massive shot of adrenaline for that defense.
The Road Back Was Quicker Than Expected
Let’s be real, watching Greenard miss the entirety of training camp with a pec strain was a total gut punch. You’re always worried with those kinds of injuries, especially for a key pass rusher. The team will drop a formal injury report later today, and the word on the street is he’ll likely be a limited participant for this first day back. But the fact he’s back at all is the story! The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane mentioned the team wants to see how he handles the grind this week before making any final calls on whether he’ll actually suit up on Sunday. Even if Week 1 is a no-go, his return is clearly happening “sooner than later.” And get this, the team’s decision to *not* stash him on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list is a huge tell. That would’ve benched him for the first four games! Avoiding that move tells you everything: they’re expecting him to be a factor early.
Pass Rush Depth Is The Real Story Here
Now, here’s the wild card, and it’s absolutely *not* an indictment of Greenard himself. The article hints that he’s “arguably become less important to the team than he was at the time they traded for him.” Why? Because guys like Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith apparently absolutely popped off and “looked pretty good this summer” in Greenard’s absence. You’ve also got A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie looking like “quality rotational contributors.” You put all that together, and what do you get? A front seven that has the “potential for the Eagles to have one of the stronger pass rushes in the NFL this season.” That’s not just hype, folks, that’s real, legitimate depth. It means even if Greenard isn’t 100% right out of the gate, or if he’s on a snap count, this squad has a terrifying amount of talent to throw at opposing quarterbacks.
What’s next? We’ll be glued to that formal injury report coming out later today for sure. But even more, we’re looking forward to seeing this potentially dominant pass rush, with or without Greenard fully unleashed, take on the Washington Commanders in Week 1. Get ready for some fireworks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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