Well, it wasn't originally going to be much of an issue, but now the Philadelphia Eagles might have a bigger headache at training camp.
Eagles edge rusher Jonathan Greenard was placed on the PUP list to start training camp due to a pectoral injury. The injury occurred while he was working out.
While it was originally reported that it wouldn't be too serious and he would be back soon, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that Greenard will “miss a good bit of camp.” Greenard is going to be asked to do more in coverage, so for Fangio, this is valuable time his top pass rusher will miss.
“That’s really what he’s going to be missing with his time off,” Fangio said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "I do think he’s capable of it. But he’s gotta learn it. And the only way you learn it is to do it. He does a good job in the meetings. He’s focused, watching practice, but it’s not the same.”
The unexpected emergence of an edge rusher might alleviate the Jonathan Greenard headache
This was the last thing the Eagles needed with Greenard missing valuable time in training camp. Fangio loves his athletic edge rushers, so he's going to ask more from them. Greenard hardly did that with the Minnesota Vikings, so he will have to play some major catch-up later in camp.
That could end up being a short-term problem for the Eagles, as the focus now shifts to Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. Hunt got some major praise from Fangio in his press conference after a great start to camp, but someone else is catching the coach's attention as well: A.J. Epenesa.
“I told A.J. this, and I said it in front of the whole team, too,” Fangio said via Penn Live's Johnny McGonigal. “For a guy that’s being asked to do a few things that he’s never done before, I thought he did a nice job (Wednesday). It was very encouraging.”
Unlike Greenard, Epenesa has more experience dropping back into coverage while with the Buffalo Bills. He has played well in a hybrid role, rushing the passer and covering well. In 91 career games, Epenesa has 24 sacks, 21 pass deflections, and four interceptions.
This is going to be important as the Eagles roll through training camp. Guys like Epenesa and Hunt are going to have an advantage with playing time and getting more snaps because of the work they can do in coverage. Hunt nabbed three interceptions and racked up 6.5 sacks last season for the Eagles, both team leads, and made franchise history as the only player to do that.
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Sure, it would be great to have Greenard on the field, but the Eagles might actually be in a better position than they were last year at edge rusher. Epenesa has given them the depth they needed, and Hunt is getting the reps he needs to win a starting job. Philly is in a prime position to be just as good defensively as they were in 2025.
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