The hope was that, just four days before the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Washington Commanders, there would be more clarity on whether edge rusher Jonathan Greenard would play. That did not happen.
All week, there's been a level of uncertainty surrounding Greenard since he injured his pectoral before training camp. That injury kept him out of all of training camp.
It's been nice to see Greenard back at practice this week, preparing. Does that mean he will play against the Commanders? Who knows at this point.
Jonathan Greenard's status for Eagles-Commanders game is up in the air
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Greenard earlier this week, but he didn't provide clarity. Then Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked about Greenard, and he said, "day-to-day." Fangio, though, hinted that at least a rotation will happen at edge rusher, as Greenard needs time to ramp up.
Greenard himself was asked whether he would play in Week 1. Even the former Pro Bowl was not 100% sure.
"That's up for them," Greenard said via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Ashlyn Sullivan. "I'm literally just trying to work day by day. Like, I literally am out there every second trying to just show what I can do, and it's up for them, but I feel pretty solid.
When asked where he felt he could play in the game, he said it was more of the same, but he felt good.
"That's not for me to decide. I feel good though. I will say I feel I'm in a good spot just to know that I know that I'm working every day to continue to try to get this thing stronger. We're close. I know that."
Just one more piece of information to add even less clarity to the situation: the Eagles released their injury report. Greenard was once again listed as a limited participant in practice.
Thursday's Injury Report#WASvsPHI pic.twitter.com/eFiTLbZg5w
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 10, 2026
To sum it up: either no one knows if he will play or the Eagles won't tell a soul on what the plan is.
In reality, the Eagles probably already know what to do since it is so close to kickoff, but why would they announce that to the public? Sirianni and company have always kept injuries and things like that out of the media spotlight. The Commanders don't need any competitive advantage.
Instead, the Eagles know how deep they are at edge rusher and can use it. Jalyx Hunt had a stellar training camp, and Nolan Smith Jr. is a more-than-capable starter in this league. Rotating all three, alongside A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie, makes too much sense.
Read more: Commanders expert warns Eagles about 'element of surprise' for Week 1
No matter what, though, the Eagles' defense is still elite and can take the Commanders down with or without Greenard. They are that deep of a unit.
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