Eagles Won't Be Benching Landon Dickerson After Tough Week 1 Tape

Pro Football Focus credited Dickerson with four pressures allowed, a quarterback hit, and a grade in the low 40s that ranked near the bottom of qualifying offensive linemen in the entire league during Week 1.

Jun 10, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson (69) stretches during minicamp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PHILADELPHIA — Landon Dickerson’s Week 1 tape left little room for debate. The three-time Pro Bowl left guard was one of the Eagles’  biggest problems in Sunday’s 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders, allowing multiple pressures, getting flagged for a holding penalty, and suffering repeated interior breakdowns that helped put Jalen Hurts on the run.

Pro Football Focus credited Dickerson with four pressures allowed, a quarterback hit, and a grade in the low 40s that ranked near the bottom of qualifying offensive linemen in the entire league during Week 1. 

Dickerson's run blocking was equally uneven. Commanders interior defenders won the A-gap too often, and Saquon Barkley was hit in the backfield on multiple occasions. 

The entire starting offensive line played together for all 55 offensive plays but the interior — Dickerson, center Cam Jurgens and right guard Tyler Steen — drew most of the blame for the protection issues and penalties that stalled drives. 

The struggles fit the same worrying recent pattern tied to the litany of injuries Dickerson played through during the Super Bowl LIX run and last season.

Nick Sirianni is not ready to write off his veteran guard, however. Speaking Monday, the head coach framed the problems as team-wide and pointed to Dickerson’s size and power as reasons for patience.

“I think we did some really good things obviously throughout offensively, defensively, special teams. Obviously, there's things to work on,” Sirianni said when asked about Eagles On SI about his leaky interior. “I thought we got, at times got really good movement, and push. At times we gave up some pressures, and that's an entire offensive issue, not just, not just one spot or one area and so again, I think there was a lot of good things, particularly in there.”

The head coach did admit there was room for improvement but couched that by again broadening the scope.

“Then obviously, just like everything, especially the first game, there's a lot of things to clean up, and that's what [Monday] was about,” said Sirianni. “We were able to get in there as a group, as a team first, offense and defense second, as positions, third, and go to work to try to get everything fixed so we can continue our rise to get better.”

When pressed on Dickerson specifically, Sirianni highlighted a key block on Barkley’s long third-down run and the traits that have defined the 27-year-old’s career.

“I think what you what you see with Landon is his extreme power,” the coach noted. “He's a big man who is able to move guys off the spot. If you go back and you look at, I think okay, so he gives up some pressures. But he also caved in the side on Saquon's long run on that third down and just did a really good job of pushing their defensive tackle and displacing him, which is a big job description for him.

“He's tough as heck. We've won a ton of games with Landon, and there's a lot of good things that he can do. Just like every player on our team from yesterday's game, and every coach for that matter, there's good moments, and there's moments that we gotta fix. And that's where we are.”

Football Will Find Your Weakness

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While the Eagles next test is the road opener at Tennessee, not the NFL’s most talented team. The Titans do possess perhaps the best interior defender in the NFL in Jeffery Simmons.

While outside voices continue to argue that Dickerson's health issues have turned him into a declining player who needs to be replaced there is no organizational push to consider young upstarts Drew Kendall or Willie Lampkin as potential replacements. 

Dickerson remains the starter and the issues are being treated as collective with one poor game not enough to abandon a player who has performed at the highest level.

The film over the next few weeks will decide how long that stance holds.

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