Eagles’ Andre Dillard Fractures Forearm, Key Backup Awaits Prognosis

GettyPhiladelphia Eagles offensive lineman Andre Dillard suffered a forearm injury during practice on September 1.

Philadelphia Eagles backup offensive tackle Andre Dillard fractured his left forearm in practice today with just over a week remaining before the season opener, according to a report from Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Dillard is expected to be available for the majority of the regular season, but will undergo more testing before a recovery timeline is detailed for his non-displaced fracture, as per the report.

Dillard had been the subject of some trade rumors, and put together a strong preseason hoping to earn more playing time in Philadelphia or elsewhere. The timing couldn’t be much worse for Dillard, who put in extra work this offseason according to Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Dillard Has Battled Injuries Previously

Dillard was the Eagles first-round draft pick in 2019, and started four games in his rookie season while playing in all 16. The Washington State product missed the entire 2020 season with a torn biceps, missing out on an opportunity to assert himself as a starter.

In 2021, Dillard lost a battle with Jordan Mailata for the starting job, but started four games filling in for injured teammates, as well as the season finale when the Eagles had clinched a playoff spot and rested some of their starters.

That led to the current campaign, and with the 26-year-old in the final year of his rookie contract and the two starting tackle jobs locked down by Mailata and Lane Johnson, the trade speculation started. However, the Eagles weren’t particularly interested in dealing the valuable backup, according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan.

With more and more talk about the Eagles as a contender in the NFC, depth along the offensive line could be an important piece of the puzzle. After all, during their Super Bowl run in 2017, starting left tackle Jason Peters was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Backup Halapoulivaati Vaitai took over in Week 8, and held down the blind side for the remainder of the season. While he didn’t earn a starting job in Philadelphia, Vaitai would eventually get his chance, along with a $50 million contract, from the Detroit Lions.

Eagles Have Experienced Depth at Offensive Tackle

For now, the Eagles will await more definitive news from their medical team, but it’s safe to say they’ll be without Dillard for the start of the season. That leaves Jack Driscoll as the backup offensive tackle, but the youngster also has significant experience.

The 2020 fourth round pick started four games as a rookie and nine in his second season, as the Eagles dealt with a rash of offensive line injuries. Last year the Eagles saw nine different lineman land on the injury report and five land on the injured reserve, according to records from Pro Football Reference.

The Eagles currently have no scheduled press conferences or media availability until Tuesday, September 6, so it is unlikely that there will be an official update on the prognosis for Dillard before then. The Eagles open their season on Sunday, September 11th at 1:00 pm on the road against the Detroit Lions.