Getty The Philadelphia Eagles are signing three-time Pro Bowler Brett Kern.
The Philadelphia Eagles gambled a bit on Friday afternoon when they surprisingly released Sua Opeta. Now he’s back on the roster after clearing waivers and reverting back to their practice squad. Opeta has seen significant action at tackle and guard for the Eagles, including 92 offensive snaps this season. He was initially let go because the team needed to free up roster space earlier this week in order to activate safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end Robert Quinn.
Originally an undrafted player out of Weber State in 2019, the 26-year-old will be a restricted free agent in 2023. He is earning only $911,387 (via Spotrac) for the 2022 campaign. Opeta has played in 25 games for Philadelphia while making four starts since entering the NFL. Strength and power have been his calling card as evidenced by the 39 reps he put up on the 225-pound bar at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, the best number for all any offensive linemen that year.
Sua Opeta, who is not on the team in any way right now, is on the field with the #Eagles during warmups. Clearly the plan is to bring him back to the practice squad this week.
Opeta has long been a beloved backup for the Eagles, drawing droolworthy praise from Jason Kelce at one point. Opeta was one of the heroes of a patchwork offensive line against Arizona in Week 5. He also got a shout out from quarterback Jalen Hurts during fill-in duty versus Dallas in Week 6.
“I went up to every individual guy in the locker room and I said, ‘Hey, everybody played a part in this win because everybody truly did,'” Hurts told reporters on October 16. “People are staying ready when their number was called. Jack Driscoll coming in, Opeta coming in, everybody is playing their role and they are excelling in their role. That’s what I loved the most today, everybody did it together. We definitely play together as a football team and we win together.”
Colts, Texans Request to Interview Coordinators
Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was rumored to be a hot commodity in head-coaching searches and now it’s a reality. The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts have both asked for permission to interview Steichen for their vacancies, per multiple reports.
Those guys being linked to jobs is not surprising. In fact, Steichen was asked about the possibility before taking on the Bears on December 13.
“Yeah, if that opportunity came about, that would be awesome,” Steichen said, “but right now we’re focused on the Chicago Bears, and that’s it.”
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has emerged as a front-runner for the head job in Houston. The Texans interviewed him twice last season and requested permission to interview him again during this hiring cycle (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). Remember, the Eagles don’t have to accommodate the requests for interviews, but most franchises do out of respect. The Eagles have a bye this week so there would be time for in-person visits.
Carson Wentz Gives Stadium Suite to Sam Howell
Just when you want to hate Carson Wentz, the one-time franchise quarterback pulls you back in. Washington Commanders rookie Sam Howell revealed that Wentz offered his family their stadium suite for Sunday’s game at FedEx Field. It was an unprovoked act of kindness from Wentz who didn’t owe the kid anything.
Howell was making his first NFL start – essentially a job he stole from Wentz, by way of Taylor Heinicke – and had people trekking up to watch him from Waynesville, North Carolina. Wentz wanted it to be a comfortable experience for everyone. Howell finished 11-of-19 for 169 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception during a 26-6 victory over Dallas. He also ran five times for 35 yards with 1 rushing touchdown.
Sam Howell had his family in town for his debut. Carson Wentz gave Howell his suite for the occassion.