Philadelphia Eagles rookie first-round pick wide receiver Makai Lemon had not practiced with the team in training camp since Day 4 due to his hamstring injury.
Last week at the joint practices with the New England Patriots, Lemon was listed as limited and worked out slowly, but never took part in team drills. That changed at the Eagles' first practice since their preseason loss to the Patriots, as Lemon was not on the injury report and practiced fully. He spoke with the media after practice and shared his thoughts on coming back from the injury.
"I feel like it's definitely tough. I'm real competitive. I ain't never want to be away from this game. So me knowing that it's the hamstring again, just making sure I take the right precautions. I'm learning from it so it don't happen again."
Makai Lemon confirmed he was dealing with the same hamstring that he hurt during spring workouts.
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 24, 2026
He said he’s learned from the injury and plans to be “more professional” going forward to avoid tweaking it in the future. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/0pEBUU5KbL
Makai Lemon is back, but what about the other Eagles rookies?
For all Eagles fans, it was good to see Lemon back on the field and practicing. He was even working out with the first-team offense, showing the team wants to roll with him. It all feels like everything is finally coming together for the Eagles.
That was until the new injury report came out, and the 2026 rookie draft class seems to have taken a massive hit. Three drafted players did not practice with the team because of injuries.
- Markel Bell - thumb/leg
- Eli Stowers - hamstring
- Cole Wisniewski - concussion
Bell has had a great training camp with the Eagles, allowing no sacks in his first two games. He is working his way to being the future successor of Lane Johnson at right tackle.
Stowers has gone in the opposite direction, struggling to find a rhythm during training camp and the preseason. He got a vote of confidence from his offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, but his development is taking longer than fans expected.
Wisniewski just came back from injury after missing the first three weeks of training camp. Another injury to add to his name is not a great look for the seventh-round pick.
Read more: Eagles say goodbye to two reserve players with one preseason game to go
The hope is that the Eagles can hold up while the rookies heal, as they want to continue their development plans. Until then, the focus is on Lemon and getting him ramped up over the next three weeks before their regular season opener against the Washington Commanders.
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