The Philadelphia Eagles picked up a strong 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1, putting them in a good position to start the 2026 season.
It was far from perfect on offense and defense, but there are early signs that this is going to be another good Eagles football team. The offense is starting to get into a groove with the new scheme and the defense is just as elite as they have ever looked.
Still, after one week, it's a good thing to take a look at who is playing well, who is improving, and who might be in trouble after Week 1. The real question is about trust and which players are earning it entering the Tennessee Titans game.
Eagles' Trust Index
- How the Eagles Trust index works
- The alphas
- The mainstays
- The fast risers
- The proving ground
- The slipping grip
- The afterthoughts
How the Eagles Trust index works
This is going to be done weekly with multiple factors that go into it. All of it will be based on the previous week's performance and comments that the coaching staff and players are saying in their media availability.
At anytime this season, the trust of a player can be broken if they fail to perform well. Sometimes, a bad game won't affect it too badly, but having multiple bad games could hurt them.
Here is a look at all the players who have earned the fan's trust, who is rising, and who is falling.
The alphas
Jalen Hurts, QB
Hurts got off to a strong start with the Eagles, throwing for 203 yards and three touchdowns and adding another 46 on the ground. He's not 100% perfect in this offense, but he showed some new things that Philly fans didn't see last year. This Eagles team's success directly depends on how he does in Sean Mannion's offense.
Saquon Barkley, RB
15 carries for 83 yards are pretty good numbers for Barkley to kick off the 2026 season. He had a nice 42-yard run that was vintage Barkely and Eagles fans hope to see more of that throughout the saeson. The running game might have been inconsistent, but if he can have a run or two a game where it goes for big yards, they should be just fine.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB
Mitchell just did Mitchell things in the Commanders game, completely shutting down the Commanders. There's really not much else to say other that he continues to be a top-five shutdown corner in the NFL and that hasn't changed a bit from last year.
Zack Baun, LB
The Week 1 NFC Defensive Player of the Week was all over the place with 12 tackles, two pass deflections, and one tackle for loss. Baun continues to show off his versatility and do everything for this Eagles team. Just let the man continue to cook and play well on defense.
Jordan Mailata, LT
Would it really surprise any Eagles fan to learn that Jordan Mailata was the highest-ranked pass blocker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus? Probably not, as he got a grade of 90. Mailata continues to be criminally underrated as a left tackle and still is one of the best in the NFL.
Lane Johnson, RT
Johnson is still doing Johnson things at right tackle, posting the sixth-highest PFF grade at tackle in the NFL with 75.9. The future Hall of Famer can still play well and still has earned the trust of the Eagles fan base.
The mainstays
Dallas Goedert, TE
Goedert gets forgotten about too often, but he is just so good at his job. He led the Eagles with four receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Commanders. Sometimes, it looks like he is getting better and deserves more respect for how good he is of a tight end.
DeVonta Smith, WR
It wasn't a crazy game for Smith against the Commanders, but his 31-yard reception was a reminder of how great he is. Give Smith time and he can still be one of the top receivers in the NFL when the targets start going to him.
Cooper DeJean, CB
Look, he had a bad game in coverage, but DeJean is still racking up a ton of tackles and did it while being injured in the game. There's no reason to believe he is losing his touch, so he gets a pass. DeJean is still one of the best nickel corners in the league.
Jordan Davis, DT
Davis is still a beast in the middle of the defensive line, racking up eight tackles against the Commanders. He can pass rush and stop the run with the best of them. He's keeping the weight off and the energy high, which is all Eagles fans can ask for.
The fast risers
Riq Woolen, CB
It was a fast start to Woolen's time in Philly after being known for his inconsistency with the Seattle Seahawks. He only allowed one reception in the Commanders game. Give him some time and he might be the shutdown CB2 the Eagles have been looking for since the end of the 2024 season.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR
Wicks' 64-yard completion was an incredible play in the game and his touchdown catch to go down and grab it was just as good. He ended up being one of the leading receivers with two receptions for 73 yards and a score. Eagles fans were hoping he would live up to the training camp hype, and he has certainly done that.
The proving ground
Jake Elliott, K
Elliott got off to a good start with one field goal made and three extra points converted. His lone field goal, though, was only from 35 yards out. He still has to earn everyone's trust by nailing multiple 50+ yard field goals throughout the season.
Jihaad Campbell, LB
There's still a lot to be excited about with Campbell after nine tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit against Washington. The potential is there for him to be great, but he still has to earn everyone's trust with each week.
The slipping grip
Eli Stowers, TE
Goedert and Johnny Mundt's Week 1 performances won't make things easy for Stowers when he returns from injury. The slow start at OTAs and training camp is already not a great look for the rookie tight end, so there is going to be a lot of work to do. Stowers has to earn the trust of the Eagles fan base.
Makai Lemon, WR
It was not a great start for lemon, catching three passes for -5 yards. Some of it was on Mannion's play calling, but part of it was the inefficiency of the rookie receiver. It's a long season, so things can change, but patience is already starting to wear thin with Eagles fans after two bad games.
Jonathan Greenard, EDGE
There were a lot of excited Eagles fans to see Greenard before training camp began, but he ended up missing all of it and the first game due to a pectoral injury. Everyone doesn't have a clue what they have in Greenard, but Hunt is picking up momentum, so if Greenard wants to justify that $100 million the Eagles gave him, he better get on the field soon.
Landon Dickerson, LG
Dickerson had one of the lowest grades among offensive linemen in Week 1 with four pressures allowed, but it has since been revealed that he was hurt and now is on IR with a knee injury. He used to be such a good player, but injuries are derailing his career. If Drew Kendall ends up playing well, that could be the end for his time in Philly.
The afterthoughts
Hollywood Brown, WR
Brown didn't even play in the Commanders game, so it feels like he won't get many chances to get catches this season. He's a good depth player, but after a tough training camp, there isn't a good chance for him to make any kind of impact in 2026.
Read more: Sean Mannion's pre-snap motions are helping Jalen Hurts like never before
Tanner McKee, QB
Being the third stringer to start the season after losing the backup job to struggling Andy Dalton is not a great look. McKee was one thought of as a valuable trade asset, but now the Eagles might be lucky to get a seventh round pick for him. Still a solid backup QB, but disappointing to see how far he's fallen.
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