Despite missing Makai Lemon for a chunk of training camp, the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t hesitate to start the rookie in Sunday’s Week 1 action against the Washington Commanders.
Lemon was the third wide receiver alongside DeVonta Smith and Dontayion Wicks, and the Eagles attempted to draw up some plays to get him going early.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Philadelphia’s first-rounder. Lemon caught three passes against the Commanders for negative five yards. As expected, he’s catching heat for his negative production amid his debut.
But as the head coach Nick Sirianni pointed out, negative production doesn’t always equal negative value.
Nick Sirianni Unleashes Thoughts On Makai Lemon’s Game
“There are a lot of things that Makai did in that game that don’t reflect on the stat sheet,” Sirianni told reporters on Monday, September 14.
“We constantly talk about that. What are you doing to help this team win the game? Particularly if you’re a skill guy that might not be able to be seen in a stat book or to the naked eye. He’s always done a good job since he’s been here of blocking, doing the right things, being in the right spots.”
Lemon might not have starred in the passing game, but he did lay one of the most important blocks of the game during Jalen Hurts’ massive first-down run on third and long. Lemon received credit from fans for being the unsung hero on the play.
While Lemon certainly has to bring more to the table, being a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Eagles remain confident in what he brings to the table.
“We trust him because he’s constantly doing the things without the ball that we need to help us win and that we know is going to help us win,” Sirianni continued.
“That just builds confidence and allows players to develop, because I’ve been on the other side of that where maybe you didn’t trust the guy and you didn’t want to put him in there and then it was hard to get that guy going. So because of that trust we have in him, I think that’s going to help him continue to develop as a football player as we continue on through the season.”
After the Eagles’ 24-22 win over the Commanders, it doesn’t sound like much will change on the Lemon front. He will continue to get a chance to contribute when the Eagles pay a visit to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, September 20.