Eagles’ first-round pick finally provides an encouraging sign, giving Philadelphia reason for cautious optimism about what’s ahead
Wide receiver Makai Lemon is finally running again after suffering a hamstring injury.
Makai Lemon is finally showing signs of life, and for Philadelphia Eagles fans who have been holding their breath over the rookie’s hamstring situation, this is the most encouraging update we’ve gotten in a while. Lemon was spotted doing rehab work and actually running around, which might not sound like a massive deal, but given where things have been, it matters.
Now, to be clear, this wasn’t at the joint practice. He’s not out there running routes against defenders or anything like that. But just seeing him moving, seeing him on his feet and putting in work, that’s a step in the right direction. Because the reality is, this hamstring issue has been a recurring problem, and the concern at this point has been whether he’s even going to be available for Week 1 or if he’d be able to suit up at all early in the season.
So yeah, I feel a little bit better after seeing that video. But I’m still not overall pleased with where he’s at progress-wise. And look, it’s not his fault. You can’t control injuries. The guy didn’t ask for a nagging hamstring to derail his first training camp. But the fact remains that we’re deep into August and he hasn’t been a full participant, and that’s a problem when you’re a rookie trying to earn reps and build chemistry with Jalen Hurts and the rest of this offense.
Philly needs Lemon on the field
The Eagles have to get this guy back on the field. Simple as that. Philadelphia invested draft capital in Lemon for a reason, and every day he misses is a day he falls further behind in learning the playbook, developing timing with the quarterbacks, and proving he belongs on this roster in a meaningful role. You can’t develop a young receiver on the sideline.
We’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks, but Eagles fans should temper expectations while still holding onto the fact that him running is better than him not running. It’s a low bar, but sometimes in August, you take the small wins where you can get them.
