Getty Clayton Thorson #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans during a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 8, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Well, so much for Josh McCown getting one final tune-up before the regular season. The veteran quarterback was jogging in place with the rest of the Eagles starters and won’t play in tonight’s preseason finale against the Jets.
That means plenty of snaps for rookie Clayton Thorson and fourth-year quarterback Cody Kessler as the two try to latch on in Philadelphia or somewhere else. The latter seems like the most logical as the Eagles seem set on keeping only three quarterbacks: Carson Wentz, Josh McCown and Nate Sudfeld. Thorson is a likely candidate for the team’s practice squad, but he’ll need to clear waivers first. If he plays well tonight in New York, that’s going to be an issue.
Some other Eagles players that were warming up and won’t see action against the Jets are L.J. Fort, Zach Brown, Avonte Maddox, Sidney Jones, Ronald Darby, Rasul Douglas, Orlando Scandrick, Johnathan Cyprien, Corey Clement, Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, Malcolm Jenkins, Andrew Sendejo, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Darren Sproles, Lane Johnson, Brandon Brooks, Jason Peters, DeSean Jackson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumolo, Tim Jernigan, Vinny Curry, Andre Dillard, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Brandon Graham, Nate Gerry, Lane Johnson, Rodney McLeod, Malik Jackson, Nate Sudfeld, Carson Wentz, Josh McCown and Derek Barnett. Wow, that was a mouthful.
Also, Jackson had his brand new splint on to protect his broken left ring finger.
Biggest Battle to Watch: Mack Hollins vs. Greg Ward
This the last chance for the Eagles to see players in a real game setting before Saturday’s roster cutdown deadline. Maybe the only position still up for grabs — other than the logjam at defensive end — is wide receiver. The preseason winner for the fifth spot has been Greg Ward Jr. He has six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, including a big 38-yard score last week against Baltimore.
Former @UHCougarFB QB Greg Ward Jr. with preseason touchdown for @Eagles
But the coaching staff remains high on Mack Hollins. He did make an impressive toe-tapping reception near the sideline last week. Hollins has the speed to make people forget about his weird injury history and that might make a lesser-known quantity like Ward expendable. Of course, there is one more dark-horse candidate in the mix: Marken Michel. The former Canadian Football League star has two receptions for 87 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown in three preseason games.
#Eagles WR Marken Michel putting in work vs Adoree Jackson. Nice job tracking the football! TOUCHDOWN👀
There is one more scenario where the Eagles keep six receivers. That would open up two spots for three guys: Hollins, Ward, Michel. Hollins already stated his case for the final roster spot when he promised “no dropoff” after an up and down — mostly down — training camp.
“There can’t be a drop-off. That’s part of this business,” said Hollins. “I had a year off, but I can’t make excuses for not making plays. I’ve got to be right back like everybody else.”
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Clayton Thorson, Cody Kessler Splitting QB Reps for Eagles-Jets