The Philadelphia Eagles are already scrambling, as starting left guard Landon Dickerson is headed for injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least four games. This immediately puts second-year offensive lineman Drew Kendall in the hot seat, as he’s expected to be the first man up to fill that critical spot.
Kendall Steps Up, But What’s the Catch?
So, Drew Kendall is the likely choice, and honestly, he probably should be. He was the guy taking first-team reps at left guard whenever Dickerson missed time during the summer. Even though people love Willie Lampkin, he wasn’t getting those first-team snaps. The kicker with Kendall is his college career: he played exclusively at center. He’s been learning guard since entering the NFL last year, so he’s not exactly a seasoned veteran at the position. Shifting center Cam Jurgens to left guard is another option, but that would change two starting spots on the offensive line, which just feels like asking for trouble. Lampkin is still in play for either interior spot, but Kendall looks like the guy.
The O-Line’s Shaky Foundation
This isn’t just about one guy, though. Cam Jurgens had a rough Sunday against Washington, and like Dickerson, he played through injury during the 2025 Super Bowl LIX run. He had back surgery and hasn’t looked 100% since. Dickerson’s own career has been plagued with injuries since college, dealing with multiple ACL tears and ankle surgeries. Even with those red flags, the Eagles drafted him in the second round, and he became one of the NFL’s best interior linemen, earning three straight Pro Bowl nods from 2022-24. But the injuries mounted, affecting his performance even when he only missed a handful of games. To make matters worse, the Eagles’ new wide-zone blocking scheme, which demands more athletic and agile blockers, was expected to impact Dickerson the most out of the starting five.
Roseman’s Revealing Admission
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman dropped a telling admission during a news conference last month closing out training camp, one that hits different now. If he’d been given “truth serum” before the summer, Roseman said his biggest worry was interior offensive line depth. He pointed to Kendall, training camp darling Willie Lampkin, and sixth-round rookie Micah Morris, all of whom had strong enough camps to quiet that initial concern. “If any of you would’ve given me a truth serum and said, ‘What are you looking for in training camp?’ It would be how our interior offensive line depth panned out,” Roseman stated. “Those young guys and the growth that they showed, their ability to play in the passing game, in the run game.” Now, that depth is about to be tested big time.
Drew Kendall is expected to get the nod to start this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. The Eagles are facing a real test of their offensive line depth way earlier than they wanted.
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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