Getty Chad Johnson is attempting a comeback -- in the XFL.
Chad Johnson was sitting at home on his couch watching DeVonta Smith in awe on Thursday night. The two-time All-Pro receiver couldn’t hold his tongue as he watched the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie make his NFL debut. This kid is going to be special.
Johnson was impressed with Smith’s burst off the line of scrimmage, plus the way he effortlessly broke in and out of his routes. The 43-year-old has shown a knack for identifying top receiving talent over the years – Johnson served as a guest instructor for the Browns in 2016 – so to hear him rave about the Eagles’ top draft pick was reassuring. He summed Smith up by saying “that mofo gone be nice.”
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t quite as effusive in his praise of Smith. The Heisman Trophy winner did drop his first target on a very catchable ball thrown by Joe Flacco. He walked out of his NFL debut with two receptions for 19 yards.
“Yeah, you know, looked like he was a little antsy at first. Dropped a couple balls, and he was a little late with his eyes on the deep ball that Joe [Flacco] threw him,” Sirianni said. “He made a couple plays there. That’s what happens with young wideouts. They have to play and go through the ups and downs a little bit, and the preseason is for that to happen.”
Heisman level route running. @DeVontaSmith_6
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Eagles Reach Injury Settlement with Center
The Eagles reached an injury settlement with third-string center Luke Juriga on Saturday. The second-year player had been dealing with a low ankle sprain and didn’t survive the first round of roster cuts on Aug. 17. According to NJ Advance Media, Juriga has had interest from other teams and could be healed up for Week 1.
Juriga was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020 and saw 14 offensive snaps for Philly. He was in the mix to take over the backup center spot for a minute, but didn’t do enough to earn the job. Nate Herbig has been cross-training there during training camp. The Eagles used a second-round pick on Alabama center Landon Dickerson this year.
Public Practice at the Linc Canceled
The Eagles canceled their second public practice at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night due to inclement weather. The team was worried about excessive rain in the area due to Hurricane Henri. Fans who purchased tickets for the event were guaranteed a full refund. Unfortunately, that takes money away from the Eagles Autism Foundation which benefits from all proceeds raked in from the public practice.
Tonight’s public practice has been canceled. For more information, visit t.co/SEM4oMVSOX.
On Saturday, the organization hosted their fourth annual Eagles Autism Challenge after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 edition to be held virtually. The Eagles announced that more than 1,800 people participated in the ride, run, or walk event. No immediate financials were released for the team’s signature fundraising event. They have raised nearly $12 million for world-class autism research and care since 2017.