The Philadelphia Eagles undoubtably wish it would have come in a different situation. But third-round rookie Markel Bell made his first NFL start in Week 4.
Based on his initial watch of the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Bell did well.
“Sometimes it’s hard to see exactly what’s happening with an offensive lineman unless it’s going really bad,” Sirianni told reporters. “I didn’t feel like, ‘Hey, that one was on Markel.’ We’ll see. We have to watch the tape. But I thought he battled. He went in there and played his butt off.
“I know coming off the field every time having given it his all, and he was ready to play. You love that about it.”
A couple hours before Sunday’s Week 4 matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles ruled out starting right tackle Lane Johnson. With primary backup tackle Fred Johnson also out, Bell started.
The Eagles selected Bell at No. 68 overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The team loved his tremendous size — 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds.
Nick Sirianni Praises Rookie Markel Bell After Making First NFL Start
Bell’s first start Sunday came in very unusual circumstances. Hours before kickoff, the Eagles ruled out their All-Pro right tackle because of a personal matter. The team included Johnson on the inactive list for the game.
It was an awful day for the Eagles offense. Philadelphia had just 68 team passing yards and went 0-for-12 on third down. There were multiple short-yardage situations that they didn’t convert, which badly hurt the offense.
With those woes, the Eagles blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead to allow the Rams to win 24-20.
With Bell starting instead of Johnson, perhaps Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion called the offense differently than he would have with the All-Pro right tackle. But as Sirianni put it, the rookie right tackle didn’t appear to be a liability.
It will be interesting to hear what Sirianni says about Bell after he gets an opportunity to review the tape from Week 4. The head coach’s assessment of the rookie at that point could be crucial depending on how Johnson’s status changes or doesn’t change entering Week 5.
Eagles’ Lane Johnson Dealing With Personal Matter
Sirianni also received a question on Johnson during his Week 4 postgame press conference. The Eagles head coach, though, wasn’t willing to offer any new information on the starting right tackle.
“I think you guys know that he’s dealing with a personal matter, and that’s really all I’m going to say on that,” said Sirianni.
With that answer, it’s safe to call Johnson uncertain for Week 5 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s an issue with the Eagles already missing multiple other players on offense, including guard Landon Dickerson.
In Week 4, Philadelphia was also missing wide receiver DeVonta Smith, running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert by the end of the game.
But at least if Johnson doesn’t play again next week, Bell will be aware that he’s starting more than two hours ahead of time.
The Eagles will face the Jaguars in London at 9:30 am ET. It will be the Eagles’ first London game since 2018.
Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Reacts to Rookie Markel Bell’s First NFL Start