Does Jonathan Greenard have a problem staying healthy?
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 Philadelphia Eagles, where he’s missed all of training camp and all of the preseason to this point with a pec injury.
Those problems are even more underlined after the Eagles not only traded a pair of 3rd-round picks to the Vikings for Greenard, who missed 5 games in 2025 with a shoulder injury that required surgery, but also because the Eagles traded for Greenard and promptly signed him to a 4-year, $98 million contract extension, which included $50 million in guaranteed money.
Want more issues with Greenard? Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said on August 11 that there was a chance Greenard might not even be available for the regular-season opener against the Washington Commanders.
“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,” The Athletic’s Zach Berman wrote on August 22. “That doesn’t mean the first snap of Week 1 is of the utmost priority, but I view this differently than, say, Makai Lemon. 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.
History shows Greenard has rarely been totally healthy. In his 1st 6 NFL seasons, he’s played every regular-season game just once, in 2024, when he earned his lone Pro Bowl selection.
Eagles Tried to Give Injury Timeline Update
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio gave an update on Tuesday that seems to point toward the team ramping Greenard up for the opener and nothing else after he’s been on the PUP list since the start of camp in July.
“Vic Fangio says we probably won’t see Jonathan Greenard all of training camp as he is rehabbing a pec strain,” Eagles reporter Ashlyn Sullivan wrote on her official X account on August 11 “Fangio says Greenard has been great behind the scenes learning the defense but will have to become calloused to football when he begins playing again, the Eagles will have to be conscious of that.”
“It sounds like we will see some of the defensive starters Saturday night in the Eagles first preseason game in Baltimore,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on his official X account. “That’s what Vic Fangio likes to do. Vic says we will probably not see Jonathan Greenard for at least a couple more weeks.”
Greenard Could Be Solution to Edge Rusher Issues
Greenard, 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, could be the dominant edge rusher the Eagles were missing in 2025 as they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook put Greenard at the top of his list of breakout stars in 2026. The Eagles originally intended to bring back edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, but he left for a 4-year, $120 million free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers — the largest contract in franchise history
“Greenard’s inclusion might seem misplaced to those who already understand how good he is,” Shook wrote. “At 29 years old, how much better can he get? Well, after Greenard posted just three sacks in an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Minnesota sent him packing for Philadelphia, where the Eagles were happy to welcome one of the most consistently underrated edge rushers in the NFL … he joins a front that includes Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and he will rush opposite the incredibly athletic Nolan Smith. He’s playing for defensive mastermind Vic Fangio. All of the ingredients are there for Greenard to produce a remarkable rebound season in a defense that saw Jaelan Phillips make a difference as a midseason acquisition and eventually cash in on a nine-figure deal with the Panthers. With all due respect to Phillips, Greenard is an upgrade. You’ll see why this season.”.
$98 Million Eagles Star Labeled ‘Problematic’ After Injury Issues