After missing all of training camp and the preseason schedule, it’s easy to see why no one on the Philadelphia Eagles wants to rush Jonathan Greenard back to action.
All PostsWednesday represented the biggest step forward in Greenard’s recovery from a weightlifting injury, although his status for Sunday’s season opener against the Washington Commanders remains up in the air.
“Eagles EDGE Jonathan Greenard (pec) is practicing today,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “Team wants to see how he feels as the week progresses before deciding if he can play on Sunday, from what I understand.”
“Big news: Jonathan Greenard is practicing,” The Athletic’s Zach Berman wrote on his official X account.
“Eagles edge rusher Jonathan Greenard gets his first practice in while in full pads,” The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena wrote on his official X account. “He missed training camp with a pec injury.”
History of Injury Issues for Jonathan Greenard
The injury problems that have dogged Greenard throughout his NFL career with the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings seem to have followed him to the Eagles.
Philadelphia traded a pair of 3rd-round picks to the Vikings for Greenard in April after he missed 5 games in 2025 with a shoulder injury that required surgery — the Eagles signed Greenard to a 4-year, $98 million contract extension following the trade. That deal included $50 million in guaranteed money.
Greenard, 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, is a dominant player when he’s healthy — as evidenced by consecutive seasons with at least 12.0 sacks in 2023 and 2024 and missed just 2 regular-season games in that stretch.
Concern About Bringing Greenard Back Too Soon
The worst-case scenario for the Eagles is bringing Greenard back too soon and seeing his preseason problems turn into regular-season problems.
“When you trade a third-round pick for a 29-year-old edge rusher and guarantee him $50 million, it’s a win-now mode,” Berman wrote on August 22. “That doesn’t mean the first snap of Week 1 is of the utmost priority. My feeling on his injury is unchanged from the start of camp — my concern isn’t when he’s back, but how the injury affects him this season. A pectoral injury for a pass rusher is not something to dismiss, and if this is affecting his production in October or December, then that’s problematic.”
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