Eagles Sign A.J Epenesa, Michael Jordan: What Does It Mean?
The Philadelphia Eagles made two notable additions following the end of mandatory minicamp. The Eagles officially signed veteran edge rusher A.J. Epenesa and veteran guard Michael Jordan on Wednesday. What does the arrival of each player truly mean in Philadelphia? Here are my thoughts on both signings.
There’s a New A.J. in Philadelphia
After trading away All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, it was clear that the Eagles were missing another A.J. Therefore, it was important to fill that massive void and they did so by signing former Buffalo Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa. In all seriousness, this is a significant addition to Philadelphia’s defensive front.
It was clear that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman wasn’t happy with his plan at edge rusher last season, which forced Philadelphia to trade for Jaelan Phillips ahead of the trade deadline. Roseman wasn’t going to make that same mistake in 2026, as the Eagles have addressed the edge rusher rotation with several moves this offseason.
Now Epenesa joins an impressive edge rusher room that already includes Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr. and Arnold Ebiketie. While Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is also on Philadelphia’s roster, he has yet to attend any of the OTA practices or mandatory minicamp practices that were open to the media. Therefore, Epenesa’s arrival could mean the end of JTS’ tenure in Philadelphia.
Regardless, it’s clear that the Eagles are currently in a much better situation at edge rusher than they were at this point last year. The fact that Epenesa is currently projected as Philadelphia’s fifth edge rusher speaks to the strength of the room. Epenesa was a legitimate contributor for the Buffalo Bills over the last six seasons, as he played in 105 games, including 22 starts.
Over the last three seasons, Epenesa recorded 15 sacks, four interceptions and three forced fumbles for the Bills. It’s also worth noting that the Eagles are listing Epenesa at 6’6”, 280 lbs. on their official roster, which is 20 lbs. heavier than what he was listed at in Buffalo. The 27-year-old could play both inside and outside for the Eagles, similar to the role that Brandon Graham played late last season.
The Eagles may have had some added insight into Epenesa, both on and off the field, thanks to the presence of Philadelphia’s new secondary coach Mike Pellegrino. He was Buffalo’s nickels coach last season and likely got a chance to get a closer look at Epenesa. Now the duo will be reunited in the City of Brotherly Love.
Eagles Add Much-Needed Guard Depth
While the Eagles had plenty of depth at edge rusher prior to signing Epenesa, the same couldn’t be said at guard. Despite the presence of starters Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, Philadelphia was lacking any proven depth behind them in 2026. Therefore, the Eagles signed a proven veteran guard in Michael Jordan.
I’ll admit that Drew Kendall, Micah Morris and Myles Hinton are all intriguing guard prospects on Philadelphia’s roster. Yet none of them have played any meaningful snaps at guard during the regular season in the NFL. Meanwhile, Jordan has plenty of starting experience with over 3,500 career snaps played at guard.
The 28-year-old has primarily played left guard, which is noteworthy given Dickerson’s lengthy injury history. While Jordan isn’t a starting-caliber player, which is why he was still available in June, he offers a significantly higher floor at guard than Philadelphia’s other current backup options.
Jordan also has experience working with several members of Philadelphia’s new-look coaching staff. He played over 700 snaps for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, when Eagles passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard was the team’s offensive coordinator. Jordan also had a short stint with the Green Bay Packers in 2024, when Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion was an offensive assistant for the team.
Prior to signing Jordan, the Eagles were lacking any type of proven depth behind their starters at guard. After signing the 28-year-old veteran, Philadelphia can feel confident entering training camp with Jordan as their primary backup guard and Fred Johnson as their primary backup offensive tackle. Suddenly, the Eagles offensive line unit feels a bit more complete in 2026.