Landon Dickerson Injury: What’s Next for the Eagles?
The Philadelphia Eagles hosted their only public practice of the year on Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. While the event provides fans with a chance to see their favorite players, it also gives them a chance to see the cruel reality of the NFL.
Which is exactly what happened when Eagles three-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson suffered an injury and silenced the surprisingly large crowd. While Dickerson was able to walk off the field, he was eventually carted to the locker room.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Dickerson is thought to have suffered a meniscus injury in his right knee. It’s worth noting that Dickerson also suffered a right knee injury in college and his lengthy injury history is what caused him to fall to the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Now the Eagles and the entire city of Philadelphia will collectively hold their breath as they wait to find out how long the Pro Bowl guard will be out for. If Dickerson is forced to miss a significant amount of time, here are the potential options that the Eagles could consider.
Potential In-House Solutions
The Eagles entered training camp with the luxury of having four Pro Bowl players starting along the offensive line. Right guard was the only position of concern and Tyler Steen quickly earned the starting job there. But now Dickerson’s injury could force Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland to make a few changes.
While Brett Toth initially replaced Dickerson during the public practice, I don’t think he’s the top choice moving forward. If Stoutland wants to stick to the “best five” philosophy, I believe Matt Pryor should be inserted into Philadelphia’s starting offensive line. Yet where he plays best could shake things up a bit.
Given Pryor’s experience at right guard, I believe he should start there. According to Pro Football Focus, Pryor has played 1,709 snaps at right guard in his NFL career. While he has only played 107 snaps at left guard.
Meanwhile, Steen has played 254 snaps at right guard and 196 snaps at left guard. Steen also started at left guard against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game, allowing just two hurries and no sacks or quarterback hits.
Shifting Steen over to left guard and inserting Pryor at right guard, where he has a ton of experience, could be the best combination for the Eagles moving forward. Steen actually played more snaps at left guard (193) than right guard (186) last season and would have several weeks to get acclimated before Week 1.
Thanks to Howie Roseman’s additions to Stoutland University in recent years, Stoutland will have no shortage of options. We could also see Kenyon Green become a factor now, since the Eagles have kept him at left guard in training camp. While Green hasn’t lived up to his status as a former first-round pick, he has played 1,405 career snaps at left guard in his NFL career.
Other names such as Toth, Trevor Keegan, Darian Kinnard and even Drew Kendall could be options too. Yet given Stoutland’s history of keeping the five most talented offensive linemen together, my guess is that Pryor will likely get the call if Dickerson is forced to miss time.
Potential Outside Additions
While the Eagles have plenty of offensive linemen enrolled at Stoutland University, you can never rule out Roseman making an addition. Therefore, it’s worth mentioning a few intriguing options that remain available on the free agent market.
Brandon Scherff is easily the most accomplished option available. Scherff has made five trips to the Pro Bowl and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2020. Yet he’s 33-years old and has strictly played right guard in the NFL. If the Eagles are willing to slide someone else over to left guard, Scherff would make sense.
Ironically, Shaq Mason started opposite of Green for each of the last two seasons with the Houston Texans. Mason has started 146 games on the way to winning two Super Bowls in his NFL career, primarily at right guard. Similar to Scherff, Mason would offer an option at right guard if the Eagles are willing to move someone over to fill Dickerson’s spot.
Cody Whitehair started his NFL career primarily playing center for the Chicago Bears. Yet he made the full-time move to left guard in 2021 and hasn’t looked back. While Whitehair isn’t necessarily the best option available, he would provide versatility and depth with over 3,000 career snaps at both left guard and center.
Dalton Risner was a second-round pick by the Vic Fangio-led Denver Broncos in the 2019 NFL Draft. Risner battled a back injury for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 but returned to play the final nine games of the season. Risner allowed just one sack in 398 pass blocking snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He has played 4,518 career snaps at left guard and would provide a seamless fit.
Last but not least, I have to mention Stoutland’s old friend, Jack Driscoll. The 28-year-old has managed to play at least 110 snaps for the Eagles in each of the last five seasons. Given his experience in Philadelphia and positional versatility, it would not be surprising to see the Eagles bring him back once again.