Eagles Practice Notes: Landon Dickerson Returns

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Landon Dickerson was doing everything he could to be ready for Thursday night’s season opener. Minutes later, there was Dickerson stretching with his teammates as they warmed up for Tuesday’s practice.

Dickerson wasn’t seen during Monday’s Labor Day practice, and he turned up on the team’s injury report later in the day with a back issue. That the three-time Pro Bowl left guard was at practice two days before the Dallas Cowboys come to town has to be viewed as a positive sign.

In the short term, anyway. That it’s Week 1 and your standout offensive lineman is nursing a back injury just two weeks after having surgery to trim some meniscus out of his right knee may not bode well for the long term, however.

There’s no doubt Dickerson’s toughness is unparalleled, but a back issue can crop up at any time during the week or on game day. Cam Jurgens struggled with a back issue late last season and needed surgery to correct the issue. The center was a limited participant early in training camp but has seemed to move past the injury.

Another Good Sign From Tuesday

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni played catch with his receivers as they warmed up for practice two days before the season opener. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

The Eagles can only hope Dickerson can, too. Brett Toth took first-team reps at left guard during Monday’s practice, so he would likely be the next man up if Dickerson can’t play Thursday night or at any point as the season unfolds.

Tanner McKee isn’t expected to play as he recovers from a broken finger on his throwing hand. He did not practice Monday, although he was at practice on that day and Tuesday, the backup quarterback was listed as “did not practice” on Monday, with that designation expected when the injury report comes out later in the day.

There are on concerns with the Eagles’ top tier receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both players were full participants in Monday’s practice and looked like it would be more of the same on Tuesday. Sirianni was throwing passes to his receivers as they warmed p before Tuesday’s practice.

Brown told reporters on Sunday that he was playing on Thursday night after missing most of camp with a hamstring issue. The receiver is expected to talk with reporters when the locker room opens later in the day.

One name to keep an eye on when the injury report is released later on Tuesday is safety Drew Mukuba. The rookie was listed as limited on Monday with a hamstring issue.

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