It wasn’t long ago that we were barely discussing E.J. Jenkins and his prospects of making the Philadelphia Eagles team, but let’s not be too hard on ourselves or question our football knowledge. Why would we have assumed there was a cause to?
The former undrafted rookie free agent started his career with the New York Jets immediately after the 2023 NFL draft. Adversity arrived early. He was waived at the final roster cuts.
He subsequently played for the Las Vegas Raiders before spending two weeks on Philly’s practice squad and signing a future/reserve deal.
That isn’t exactly the pedigree we seek for when considering potential roster members, but E.J. has done what a marginal player should do. He arrived at training camp and has performed as if he was expected to be there since the first day.
He used each opportunity as practice, doing his best to do something noteworthy when the ball came his way. That dedication resulted in a solid preseason performance.
Also read: Eagles’ preseason standouts have enhanced their cases.
E.J. Jenkins impresses everyone, including the Eagles’ coaches.
The Eagles presently have seven tight ends on their roster, as listed below: Jenkins, Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Kevin Foelsch, Albert Okwuegbunam Jr., C.J. Uzomah, Armani Rogers.
Following the news of his one-year contract, we anticipated Albert O would have an opportunity to make the roster. We assumed that Uzomah’s arrival meant he would compete for a roster position. We considered Grant’s chances, although truth be told, many had given up on him…. Shame on you all!
Foelsch and Rogers were late additions. Jenkins had been around longer. We weren’t discussing whether the coaching staff regarded E.J. more than Dallas, Grant, C.J., or Albert. We thought he had a chance to make the practice squad.
He had different plans.
Let’s hope E.J. Jenkins’ momentum isn’t derailed by the current injury that has kept him out of Eagles training camp.
Goedert and Calcaterra will be on this team. We previously knew this, but we recently discovered something more. Jenkins performs better than the other tight ends on this team.
The ball only went his way once in the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens. He reeled in one for four yards, but he continued to grind. He had a better night in week two.
E.J.’s five receptions against the New England Patriots on Thursday equaled him for the club best with Joseph Ngata. His 47 receiving yards were the second highest total on either sideline that evening (Ngata contributed 88 yards).
We saw him make difficult receptions along the sideline. We saw him soar and outclimb opponents for another. Overall, he done himself a lot of favors.
Unfortunately, this is a ‘good news, terrible news’ situation.
Jenkins, who is now widely regarded as the Eagles’ third-best tight end, planned to extend his recent success into the final stages of training camp. He was unable to participate in the most recent Saturday and Sunday workouts due to a knee issue.
Let us hope it is not too serious. A spot on the Eagles’ roster might be his. Nothing is assured, but we know every rep counts. Every lost opportunity could be disastrous, but for Jenkin’s sake, we’re crossing our fingers and hope the best.
