Eagles vs. Bengals: 5 Things To Watch For in Preseason Finale
The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night for their preseason finale. Each NFL team will have to trim their roster down to just 53 players by Sunday evening. The final preseason game could help decide several roster battles in the City of Brotherly Love. Here are 5 things to watch for the Eagles during Philadelphia’s final preseason game.
Sean Mannion’s Location
Philadelphia Eagles first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has yet to decide where he’ll call plays from in the NFL. In Philadelphia’s first preseason game, Mannion called plays from the sideline and the Eagles had an embarrassing offensive performance. In Philadelphia’s second preseason game, Mannion called plays from the booth and the Eagles looked far better on offense. Was Mannion’s location part of the reason why? I’m not sure. But Mannion’s location in the preseason finale could reveal his final decision.
Awkward Backup QB Situation
The Eagles continue to work through an awkward situation at backup quarterback. It feels like Tanner McKee has pulled away as QB2, while Cole Payton has shown enough to stick around as QB3. Yet given the team’s trade for Andy Dalton, they still seem to be entertaining a “competition” at QB2. While we would normally see Payton get the entire preseason finale to develop his skills, that may not be the case in 2026. We might see the Eagles play both McKee and Dalton to try and drum up trade interest in the 38-year-old quarterback ahead of final cuts.
Makai Lemon: To Play or Not To Play?
Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon has missed a ton of practice time and hasn’t played during the preseason due to a hamstring injury. Yet Lemon returned to practice earlier this week and could make his preseason debut on Friday night, according to Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation. “BLG” spotted Lemon working with the likely preseason starters during Wednesday’s practice. If Lemon plays, my guess is that he’ll receive a few early touches before being pulled out of the game rather quickly.
Last Chance for Wild Cards
As I mentioned in an article earlier this week, I believe that 44 roster spots in Philadelphia are already locked up. Therefore, the preseason finale will be key to decide which players will fill those final nine spots for the Eagles. While Friday night’s game will obviously be important for the team’s rookies, I’m going to focus on the veterans that are on the roster bubble. This could be the last chance for Elijah Moore, Cameron Latu, Carson Steele, Fred Johnson and Jonathan Jones to prove their worth to Philadelphia’s front office (and other NFL teams).
CB Depth Must Show Signs of Life
The Eagles have arguably the best cornerback trio in the NFL in Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen and Cooper DeJean. Yet Philadelphia’s cornerback depth beyond that trio is underwhelming, at best. Jones has missed time due to a shoulder injury and could make his Eagles preseason debut against the Bengals. Kelee Ringo and Mac McWilliams have shown flashes during the preseason but have also been abused at times. It would be huge if any of those three players had a big game against the Bengals to build some confidence in the depth in Philadelphia’s cornerback room.