HEADLINES

Month: July 2025

Bears TE Colston Loveland On Shoulder Recovery

July 14th, 2025 at 11:39am CST by Adam La Rose

The rehab process from an AC joint sprain cost Colston Loveland time during spring practices. The Bears rookie will soon receive clarity on his participation outlook in training camp.

“It’s been good. There haven’t really been live bullets flying yet,” Loveland said at a youth football camp in Michigan this weekend (via MLive’s Aaron McMann). “We’ll really know in camp once I get out there, doing a lot more stuff.”

Surgery on his right shoulder put Loveland in position to be fully cleared in time for the start of the regular season. Last month, head coach Ben Johnson said the No. 10 pick is expected to receive a clean bill of health at some point during training camp, which in the Bears’ case will see rookies report this Saturday. The team will no doubt proceed with caution in this situation, but continued progress in the rehab process will be welcomed by all parties.

Loveland’s latest comments suggest he has not encountered any setbacks to date. His limited action in spring drills consisted of non-padded practices, however, so training camp participation will be notably different. It will be interesting to see if his next medical evaluation reveals any cause for a delay in Loveland receiving full clearance sometime this summer.

Chicago already has Cole Kmet in place at the tight end spot for 2025 and beyond, but Loveland will be expected to contribute as a pass-catcher at the position early and often in his career. The All-Big 10 performer’s ability to do that will of course be impacted by his involvement in training camp and the preseason. As a result, it will be interesting to see when he receives the green light for a full workload this summer.

Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson Addresses Health Entering Training Camp

July 14th, 2025 at 10:06am CST by Adam La Rose

Aidan Hutchinson confirmed in May that he received full medical clearance after completing the recovery process on his broken leg. To no surprise, then, no limitations are expected for the Lions Pro Bowler during training camp.

“I’m exactly where I need to be,” Hutchinson said in an interview with CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson (video link). “Every year I’ve been able to improve on my own physical attributes along with the mental ones, so I feel like every year I take a step. Despite having that rehab this offseason, I feel like I’m in the perfect spot and exactly where I need to be going into Year 4.”

2025 will be a critical campaign for the former No. 2 pick as he and the Lions look to rebound from last year’s early postseason exit. Hutchinson’s absence was a key factor in Detroit’s defensive performances after his Week 5 injury. Up to that point, he was in contention to receive the Defensive Player of the Year award with 7.5 sacks and 27 QB pressures on that statsheet. If Hutchinson can remain healthy through the coming campaign, the Lions’ pass rush will be in a strong position.

Of course, a clean bill of health will also crucial from a financial standpoint in this case. Hutchinson is eligible for an extension, and at the age of 25 (as of next month) he is a prime candidate to be among the top earning edge rushers. The position’s market stands at $40MM annually for now, but T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons are both candidates to surpass that figure before Week 1. The Lions are aware of the rough cost of a new deal for Hutchinson, and an expectation emerged this spring that talks with the Michigan product were likely to accelerate in the wake of his recovery.

No updates have emerged on the extension front since then, but time still remains for Hutchinson and the Lions to hammer out a lucrative deal. Doing so just before or sometime during training camp will be more feasible based on his health situation.

Steelers Evaluating T.J. Watt’s Trade Value

July 13th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers’ standoff with T.J. Watt continues amid the star edge rusher’s desire to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

The impasse in negotiations has naturally led to trade speculation. Though teams have reportedly inquired about Watt, the Steelers’ position has been clear: they have no intention of moving the current face of their franchise.

However, the Steelers have been evaluating Watt’s trade value, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan that Pittsburgh is “obviously inquiring” about the potential return of a Watt trade, characterizing it as “due diligence” as the team is still focused on retaining their all-time sack leader.

Still, exploring Watt’s value on the trade market could give the Steelers information to help them in their negotiation and decision-making process. Lowball offers would indicate that other teams would not sign Watt to a top-of-the-market extension and instead see him as a one-year rental. More aggressive valuations would suggest that other teams see Watt as a long-term investment and may be willing to meet his contract demands.

This is a common practice for teams in contract stalemates, especially with older players. Taking calls on Watt is unlikely to inspire the Steelers to trade him, but it will clarify his value around the league and help them hone in on agreeable extension terms.

Of course, it is possible that another team could blow the Steelers away with their offer and get newly-extended general manager Omar Khan to consider moving the four-time All-Pro. Teams in similar situations have reverse course once the trade compensation hits the table, and Pittsburgh’s desire to add a top quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft may make them more willing to consider a deal. It’s worth noting, however, that interested teams are likely contenders who will only get better by adding Watt, capping the value of their draft picks, which will likely be late in the round.

The expectation remains that Watt and the Steelers will find a way to agree on terms before the season starts. Watt skipped OTAs and minicamp, but is not expected to hold out from training camp. However, he has never expressed any desire to leave Pittsburgh and seems unlikely to demand a trade to fulfill his financial wishes.

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement 

2016

2017

2018

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Extension Candidate: Courtland Sutton

July 13th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Broncos have rebounded from their disastrous 2022 situation, some of the key players to help them climb out of that hole are entering contract years. Nik Bonitto is a traditional extension candidate, coming off a breakout season ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, while Zach Allen jumped a level ahead of his age-28 season. A significant raise will be necessary for the Broncos to keep the ascending interior D-lineman on a third contract.

Denver, however, has a homegrown player residing as a more interesting extension candidate. Courtland Sutton carries a few unusual markers along his journey to another extension case. Even though Bonitto and Allen qualify as higher-value players due to their ages, Sutton stands as a pivotal piece considering the Broncos’ plan on offense. The former John Elway draftee has waited patiently for a deal, reporting to both OTAs and minicamp after skipping some offseason work while pursuing a raise last year. But he looks to have seen the younger defenders leapfrog him in Denver’s extension queue.

Sutton is going into his age-30 season, and he carries an atypical resume for a No. 1 receiver. The 2018 second-round pick’s two 1,000-yard seasons are spaced five years apart. He helped build an initial extension candidacy by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2019. That 1,112-yard season still stands as Sutton’s career high; it came with Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and a rookie-year Drew Lock making starts. A 2020 ACL tear paused Sutton’s ascent, and Denver’s QB quagmire lowered the receiver’s ceiling for an extended stretch.

As the Broncos assembled a low-octane Teddy Bridgewater offense, Sutton and Jerry Jeudy became info-graphic fodder due to Aaron Rodgers‘ interest in being traded to Denver in 2021. The Packers held onto the reigning MVP that year and in 2022, leading the Broncos to their blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. That move brought a spectacular failure, as an overmatched Nathaniel Hackett grounded Denver’s offense to 32nd in 2022. Sean Payton elevated Wilson back to respectability in 2023, however, and that season effectively launched Sutton’s second extension campaign.

Wilson’s 26-touchdown pass, eight-interception season ended ugly, with a contract-based benching taking place. But Wilson-to-Sutton became the team’s most notable connection since the Peyton Manning days; the 6-foot-4 WR totaled 10 TD receptions, displaying a penchant for acrobatic grabs. Sutton then submitted a second 1,000-yard season, being a linchpin on a 2024 offense bereft of other reliable pass catchers. This helped Sutton post a 1,081-yard 2024 season, boosting Bo Nix to 29 TD passes — the second-most by a rookie QB in NFL history.

So much happened between the Rodgers rumors and Nix’s rookie season, though. Sutton signed a four-year, $60MM extension days after Tim Patrick‘s three-year, $30MM deal. While injuries dogged Patrick in the years that followed, Sutton remained a productive starter. Being an Elway-era draftee extended under George Paton, Sutton became a trade-rumor mainstay during Payton’s initial months on the job. The Broncos listened closely on Sutton and Jeudy during the 2023 offseason, aiming for a second-round pick for Sutton and a first for Jeudy. Nothing on that level emerged, but the Ravens came close to acquiring Sutton — before pivoting to Odell Beckham Jr.‘s $15MM guarantee.

Denver declined a Jeudy offer that included third- and fifth-round picks before the 2023 deadline, holding onto Sutton as well. That Jeudy decision became a mistake, as the team both sold low in March 2024 (fifth- and sixth-round picks) before seeing him post a Pro Bowl season in Cleveland. Jeudy’s departure solidified Sutton’s WR1 standing, to the point the Broncos declined a third-round pick from the 49ers during the summer 2024 Brandon Aiyuk saga. Sutton more than doubling any other Broncos pass catcher in yardage last season strengthened his extension case.

Missing out on Emeka Egbuka in the draft, the Broncos did not address the receiver position until Round 3 (Pat Bryant). The Illinois prospect’s 4.61-second 40-yard dash time docked his value, and while Marvin Mims has flashed, the Broncos have mostly deployed him as a gadget cog on offense. The team’s 2024 rookies (Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin) also appear role players, even if Vele’s skillset resembles Sutton’s (Vele is also set to turn 28 before year’s end, complicating the second-year player’s long-term NFL future).

Everything since the 2023 season has boosted Sutton’s stock, but finding a price may be proving tricky. The Broncos agreed to only an incentive package with Sutton last year, telling his camp 2025 would be the window for true extension talks. We are here now, and nothing has transpired since Sutton labeled the 2025 talks positive in April. Denver completed summer extensions with Patrick Surtain and Quinn Meinerz last year; Sutton drama could resurface if no deal emerges this summer.

It would surprise if the Broncos revisited trade talks in the event they could not come to terms with Sutton before Week 1. The SMU product remains valuable due to the dearth of proven WR help ahead of Nix’s second season.

Finding contractual comps does prove difficult. Mike Evans and Davante Adams signed similar deals — two years, $41MM (Evans) and 2/44 (Adams) — while Calvin Ridley‘s resume did not match Sutton’s ahead of a four-year, $92MM Titans deal. Ridley signed that contract months before his 30th birthday, though his standing as last year’s top WR free agent — after the Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. tags — boosted his value. Evans and Adams are much more accomplished players, both of whom also being more than two years older.

Jeudy signed a Browns-friendly extension (three years, $52.5MM), but it came after the Broncos’ QB struggles suppressed his stats. Sutton is in a similar boat, but after being tied to an AAV ($15MM) that sits 25th at the position — following market booms in 2022 and ’24 — it would surprise if the eighth-year vet settled for anything south of $20MM per year.

Pittman’s three-year, $70MM accord could be a comp for Sutton, as the Colts’ No. 1 target is just two years younger and agreed to that deal before another salary cap spike commenced. Jeudy fetched $41MM guaranteed at signing, Pittman $46MM. That is probably beyond where the Broncos will go regarding locked-in compensation, though Sutton residing in a gray area due to age, production and importance makes that number harder to peg as well.

A short-term extension seems the most likely outcome here. The sides’ price points will be interesting to learn. Sutton would command reasonable value as a 2026 free agent, but will he want to chance negotiating ahead of an age-31 season? Many variables have led to this point, as the next several weeks figure to determine where this years-long saga ends.

NFLPA Leadership Backing Executive Director Lloyd Howell

July 13th, 2025 at 8:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Lloyd Howell‘s tenure as the NFLPA’s executive director has run into choppy waters. As the prospect of an 18-game season looms, the staffer set to be tasked with shepherding those negotiations on the players’ side has seen multiple issues come up this offseason.

After a collusion grievance produced some eye-catching headlines, some of them shedding light on the quiet power transfer to Howell in 2023, DeMaurice Smith‘s successor has run into conflict-of-interest trouble. Howell has been working as a consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm approved by the league to pursue a minority ownership stake in an NFL team.

A recent report indicated a Change.org petition calling for Howell’s resignation had circulated among NFL players and NFLPA staff. Pushing back on that, NFLPA leadership released a statement backing its chief. The NFLPA allows player reps to remove the executive director with a two-thirds majority vote at a meeting with a two-thirds quorum, but with the executive committee holding the line for now, no change at the top of this pyramid is imminent.

“As members of the NFLPA Executive Committee, we categorically reject false reports insinuating doubts within this committee or suggestions that we have asked our Executive Director to step down,” the statement reads (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). “We further reject attempts to mischaracterize the committee’s views or divide our membership. We have established a deliberate process to carefully assess the issues that have been raised and will not engage in a rush to judgement.

“We believe in and remain committed to working with our Executive Director and other members of NFLPA staff and player leadership who have a shared mission to advance the best interests of players. As we approach the 2025 season, we look forward to continuing our important work together and ensuring the strength and unity of our association.”

Howell received $3.4MM consulting for Carlyle in 2024, and although the firm (via an emailed statement) indicated Howell had “no access to information about the NFL and Carlyle process beyond public news reports,” the optics are obviously not ideal for the third-year union chief. Howell also received almost $700K from board positions at GE HealthCare and Moody’s, according to ESPN. This multi-front workload differs from previous NFLPA executive directors, who had neither outside jobs nor paid board seats during their respective tenures.

Smith was at the wheel when the NFLPA ratified the 2011 and 2020 CBAs, the second of those accords running through the 2030 season. Howell and NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin are unlikely to be in position to negotiate a new CBA for a few years at least. But Howell is positioned to be the union’s point man when that time comes. Based on the stakes, scrutiny from NFLPA ranks would be understandable.

The appeal of the recent grievance ruling — one that determined owners likely aimed to reduce guaranteed money in high-profile contracts (while stopping short of deeming collusion occurred) — surfaced days after veteran reporter Pablo Torre made the grievance findings public. The ruling came down in January, however, meaning it took the release of the report to prompt the union to act here.

Howell having quietly added former NFLPA president J.C. Tretter as the union’s chief strategy officer has drawn scrutiny due to the latter’s involvement in the Russell Wilson leg of the collusion grievance. Tretter not wanting his texts to Smith about Wilson being “a wuss” for not sticking to his ask for a fully guaranteed Broncos extension (in 2022) to be made public was believed to be a driving force behind an NFLPA effort to conceal the report’s findings.

Howell conducted a conference call with the executive committee (which includes 10 members and Reeves-Maybin) shortly after the ruling was made. He passed along the outcome of the case but did not mention specifics or distribute copies of the findings from Droney. The lack of transparency during the early part of Howell’s tenure has certainly generated questions about his leadership, especially as these developments have come after he was elected in relative secrecy in June 2023. As the appeal process begins, however, the NFLPA is sticking with the leader it tabbed.

Browns Planning To Return To Previous Stefanski Scheme

July 13th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After finishing the 2024 season as one of the league’s worst offenses, the Browns are making some schematic changes in a transitional year for their running and passing game.

Cleveland is planning to return to an earlier iteration of Kevin Stefanski‘s scheme, according to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, with a stronger emphasis on running the ball from under center to open up the play-action passing game.

The Browns used more under-center formations in the first few years of Stefanski’s tenure as head coach and regularly posted top-10 rushing numbers. They moved to more shotgun looks after the acquisition of Deshaun Watson in 2022 and the running game suffered as a result, dipping to 19th in 2023 and 29th in 2024. (Injuries to Cleveland’s offensive linemen and running backs also played a role in their rushing regression.)

Stefanski has also dialed up play action less frequently in recent years. In 2020, his first year at the helm, the Browns’ 29.4% play-action rate ranked eighth in the league, per Next Gen Stats (subscription required). Since then, their highest rank was 19th in 2023 with a 25.1% play-action rate. A heavier usage of under-center runs will naturally provide a foundation off of which Cleveland can build more play-action concepts.

The Browns’ four-man quarterback room has varying amounts of experience with this type of offense. Joe Flacco, a 17-year veteran, is no stranger to adapting to new schemes after playing for three teams in the last three years and five in the last six, including a 2023 stint in Cleveland. Flacco has also spent plenty of time operating from under center and pushing the ball downfield off of play action dating back to his days in Baltimore.

The Steelers had a strong under-center running game during Kenny Pickett‘s tenure as a starter, but his play-action rate in Pittsburgh across the 2022 and 2023 seasons was just 16.7%, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That ticked up to 23.5% in Philadelphia last year, though the Eagles primarily used a shotgun spread system. Pickett said (via Oyefusi) that he is familiar with many of the Browns’ concepts and is more focused on learning the new terminology.

Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders both have experience with RPOs and play action, but the vast majority of their college snaps came out of the shotgun. Their adjustment to the Browns’ under-center operation is another reason that neither is likely to win the starting job out of training camp.

Regardless of their move back to Stefanski’s previous scheme, the Browns will need better quarterback play on a fundamental level to improve their passing game, though more robust under-center rushing attack could certainly help take some pressure off of the air attack. Cleveland’s changes this year will also be subject to next offseason’s roster moves, which are expected to include an early quarterback selection in the 2026 draft.

Bengals Could Cut LG Cordell Volson

July 13th, 2025 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Bengals left guard Cordell Volson is in the unique situation of being both a starting option and a cut candidate. Per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required), Volson could regain his role as Cincinnati’s starting LG, but Dehner also sees the fourth-year pro as a player the team could cut in favor of a better and/or cheaper option.

Volson, who will turn 27 in one week, was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, and prior to a late-season demotion last year, he had served as the club’s primary left guard since entering the league, racking up 48 starts along the way. Despite being afforded such an extensive opportunity to establish himself, he has failed to impress. 

The North Dakota State product has yet to earn an overall Pro Football Focus grade above 59.3, and while his run-blocking has been adequate over the past two seasons, his pass-blocking has never been up to snuff. Last season, he allowed 43 pressures (which led to six sacks) and racked up eight penalties in 984 snaps. As Dehner points out, the strength of the offense in general and the abilities of the team’s tackles and center mean that the guards need to be merely serviceable, but Volson is arguably not even at that level.

That said, Dehner himself recently reported that the Bengals do not plan to add to their guard depth. It therefore appears Volson will need to fend off rookie third-rounder Dylan Fairchild to retain his job, but it is worth noting that Cody Ford and Lucas Patrick are also on the roster. Though both players are currently fighting for the right guard post, they both have spent time at left guard in their careers, so it is theoretically possible that one of them could factor into the LG mix.

Unproven options like Jaxson Kirkland and Tashawn Manning round out the guard depth chart. 2025 UDFA Caleb Etienne saw action at guard in college in 2023, but he spent all of 2024 as BYU’s starting left tackle, and Cincinnati presumably wants to keep him on the outside.

The playing time that Volson amassed over his three professional seasons qualified him for the Level Two Proven Performance Escalator and boosted his 2025 salary to $3.656MM, but his on-field performance forced him to take a pay cut in May. Parting ways with Volson would lead to a net cap savings of roughly $2.5MM, which contributes to Dehner’s belief that the blocker could be on the outs if he does not show significant improvement in camp.

Dolphins WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Dealt With Undisclosed Injury This Offseason

July 13th, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins agreed to terms with WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine during this year’s legal tampering period, which illustrates how highly they prioritized adding a big-bodied pass catcher to their wide receivers room. Miami authorized a two-year, $6.5MM deal ($3.2MM guaranteed) for the former UDFA.

Outside of this year’s crop of college free agents, the ‘Fins did not sign any other WRs this offseason, nor did they draft one. That keeps Westbrook-Ikhine in line for a notable role on the offense, especially since he is the first prototypical red zone threat Miami has rostered since 2021, when players like DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins were on the club.

Of course, the Dolphins do have a dynamic 1-2 punch at the receiver position in the form of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But according to C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald, head coach Mike McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith are intrigued by the physical element that Westbrook-Ikhine (6-2, 211) can add to the passing game.

Per Smalls, Westbrook-Ikhine has battled an undisclosed injury this offseason, which exacerbated the struggles he acknowledged in adapting to the timing of the Miami offense. It sounds as if the ailment is continuing to impact him to an extent, as Smalls says the break before training camp opens later this month is giving Westbrook-Ikhine additional time to heal.

Nonetheless, Smalls does point out that the 28-year-old wideout played well in front of the media during mandatory minicamp. During the red zone portion of that session, Westbrook-Ikhine made several touchdown grabs, a notable development given the role the club has in mind for him.

Westbrook-Ikhine tallied 32 catches for 497 yards and nine TDs with the Titans in 2024, all career-best marks (although 98 of those yards came on one play). Of his nine scores, six of them came in the red zone, and his presence could certainly help Miami improve on its middling 56.6% success rate inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. 

“I love the red zone,” Westbrook-Ikhine said. “I’m a bigger target, which makes it a little bit easier too. You can kind of throw it wherever. I enjoy being in the end zone.”

Hill surfaced in trade rumors earlier this year, but he remains on track to lead the Dolphins’ WR group. A bounceback season from him, coupled with the addition of Westbrook-Ikhine, could help the offense regain the form it displayed over the 2022-23 seasons, when it finished at or near the top of the league in yardage and scoring. Naturally, that will also depend heavily on the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

For now, Smith has nothing but good things to say about one of his newest weapons.

“He’s going to be extremely reliable,” Smith said of Westbrook-Ikhine. “I think ultimately if you talk to the guys that knew him in Tennessee and our exposure so far has been consistent work ethic. I think that’s ultimately where he puts himself in position to be successful is because he really is a student of the process, making sure he’s on the little things so, therefore, on Sundays he can be reliable for the quarterback and really the rest of the offense.”

Eagles RB AJ Dillon On Roster Bubble?

July 13th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Rory Parks

While running back Saquon Barkley was the primary catalyst for the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship last year, the team did lose important RB depth when Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Steelers in free agency. Almost immediately thereafter, Philadelphia signed former Packer AJ Dillon, whose history of production as a staple of the Green Bay rushing attack suggested he would become Barkley’s primary backup.

However, that may not be the case. Per Geoff Mosher of PhillyVoice.com, 2024 fourth-rounder Will Shipley impressed in OTAs, and he offers more playmaking upside than Gainwell and Dillon. Gainwell, though, was prized for his abilities in pass protection and blitz pickups, skills that Shipley will have to develop. If he can add that dimension to his strong hands and explosiveness, he could have the inside track on the RB2 gig.

In that scenario, Dillon may be on the outs, with Mosher saying the Boston College product is not a lock to make the 53-man roster. Now 27, Dillon remained with the Packers last year via the seldom-used four-year qualifying offer, which paid him just $2.74MM. Unfortunately, he landed on season-ending injured reserve in late August, which forced him to miss the entire 2024 campaign (OverTheCap.com confirms Dillon’s current deal with the Eagles is for the league minimum).

Dillon’s IR placement was due to nerve issues in this neck. While Mosher does not necessarily imply the 2020 second-rounder is still dealing with those issues, the fact remains that he is a between-the-tackles bruiser who does not not have Gainwell’s pass protection capabilities or Shipley’s big-play potential. Plus, after averaging 4.3 yards per carry over 419 totes during his first three NFL seasons, Dillon dipped to a 3.4-YPC rate in 2023. That made him a speculative cut candidate last summer, even before his neck problems surfaced.

He still profiles as a useful short-yardage and red zone threat if he is healthy, so the Shipley/Dillon battle will be worth monitoring in training camp. And, if Shipley cannot develop the skills expected of a third-down back, the Eagles may need to recalibrate their offensive scheme to an extent.

Behind Dillon and Shipley on the RB depth chart are a host of unproven options like Keilan Robinson – a recent waiver -wire addition who was likely brought in for his special teams ability – and 2025 UDFAs Montrell Johnson and ShunDerrick Powell. That lack of depth would seem to heighten Dillon’s chances of at least cracking the roster if no outside addition is made.

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