Why We Could See More From Eagles Rookie After A "Solid" Debut

Nick Sirianni didn't have much to add to the Lane Johnson saga, but said he is pleased with the play of Cam Jurgens, who self-reported a concussion on Monday.

Eagles rookie third-round pick Markel Bell made his pro debut in Week 4 vs. the Los Angeles Rams. | Dan Shrensky/Eagles on SI freelance

PHILADELPHIA – Nick Sirianni talked to the media via Zoom in his day-after-game news conference and said he was "pleased" with the play of Cam Jurgens in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Then came news that Jurgens self-reported concussion-like symptoms on Monday.

Whehter that happened before or after Sirianni spoke is unclear. The coach never mentioned it, though NFL rules surrounding concussion protocol may not have allowed him to say anything at that point.

Sirianni said this: “I'm pleased with where Cam is. Obviously, we didn't put out there the product that we want to put out there offensively yesterday, and then also combine that with a loss. There's going to be plays he wants back, but there's good moments also. I think that's the consistency of everybody, from our coaches to our players, has to be the thing that continues to rise. That's Cam, that's everybody. But Cam is definitely doing good things and like us all, got to be more consistent at times as well.

Perhaps that explains Jurgens' subpar play, which was highlighted in several social media clips. One showed him blowing up a crucial third-and-goal from the 2 as the Eagles looked to go up 17 points. He pulled to his right and knocked the ball loose from Jalen Hurts, who hung on, but it disrupted the timing of the play. A swarm of Rams tacklers stopped the quarterback in his tracks for no gain.

Another showed him missing badly on a block on a third-and-one sweep that lost five yards and led to a field goal.

Lane Johnson could be an even bigger story that is developing. The right tackle wasn’t able to play on Sunday due to personal reasons, something the team wasn’t aware of until only a couple of hours before the 1 p.m. kickoff. Afterward, former Eagles defensive lineman Brandon Graham said on a postgame show that Johnson could end up retiring immediately rather than wait until the end of his 14th NFL season.

Sirianni was asked on Monday if he knew anything more about Johnson’s situation.

“No update,” was all he said.

What's Going On With Lane Johnson?

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

The reason for the late callout isn’t clear – whether it was due to his ongoing battle with anxiety and depression or something to do with his aging parents’ health, something he alluded to as the reason he missed time in training camp. Perhaps it's both - his parents' health triggering his anxiety and depression.

Johnson’s sudden absence thrust rookie third-round pick Markel Bell into the starting lineup, because veteran reserve Fred Johnson was ruled out 48 hours before the game with a knee injury.

If Johnson can’t get healthy, Bell could be in line for his second career start, albeit with better preparation and the bulk of first-team reps at practice.

“I think Markel did some really good things,” said Sirianni. “…by no means did he play a perfect game, but he did some really good things. I think that watching the tape with the team (Monday), he had some really good movement on some double teams, and second-level stuff that we were able to show (to the team during their rewatch of the game on Monday), and highlight and point out for his teammates to see. …I thought he was solid.”