“Quite honestly, nobody really expected us to put up a performance like this,” Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart said afterward.
Maybe we should have.
One of the more shocking upsets in recent Eagles history happened at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 9, when the 1-4 Giants got their second win over the 4-1 Eagles, who were defending Super Bowl champions and the winners of the last seven truly meaningful games against their closest NFC East rivals.
Should it have been so shocking?
After all, the Giants’ losses came at the Commanders, who had the services of since-injured quarterback Jayden Daniels; at the Cowboys, who have the No. 1 offense; at home against the Chiefs, a current dynasty; and at the Saints, where Dart, in his second start, committed three of the Giants’ five turnovers.
Further, the Eagles played without two Pro Bowl players, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and guard Landon Dickerson, and they lost top cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the second quarter.
So, maybe the Giants weren’t so bad, and, clearly, the Eagles weren’t as deep as they needed to be.
A lot has changed in two weeks. That should make all the difference come Sunday afternoon.
1. Dickerson is healthy
Dickerson was the seventh-best guard in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus, when he was named to his third straight Pro Bowl and played in his second Super Bowl in three seasons. He has dealt with knee surgery that cost him most of training camp, a back injury that limited him in September, and an ankle injury that cost him the Giants game. He’s still ranked in the middle of the pack.
Eagles guard Landon Dickerson celebrates with wide receiver Devonta Smith after Smith’s touchdown in Minnesota on Sunday.
Dickerson was his healthiest this season last Sunday in Minneapolis, and the resulting grade showed it. Even with fifth-year backup Brett Toth playing at center for the first time next to him, Dickerson dominated.
Toth was Dickerson’s replacement in the loss to the Giants. Things did not go well.
2. Carter is healthy
The Eagles built their defense around Carter, who has succeeded Fletcher Cox as the franchise’s core defensive player. Carter’s injured heel cost him the game against the Giants, but the 10 days between the Giants game and the trip to Minnesota not only gave the heel time to heal (heh heh), it also allowed his sprained right shoulder to strengthen.
The shoulder cost him time in training camp and, intermittently, during the regular season. It also made him a horrific tackler: the worst, in fact, among all NFL defenders, according to PFF.
Also, he’s finally in good enough shape to be effective for more than half an NFL game. Of course, there’s no viable reason he should not have been in better shape to start the season.
In Minnesota, Hurts and his top three receivers, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert, finally appeared to be in sync. Hurts threw for 326 yards and had a perfect 158.3 passer rating for the first time in his career.
Much had been made about the ineffectiveness of the passing game through the first six games, but, as we warned when the season began, injuries to Brown and Smith kept the passing attack from practicing as a complete unit the entire preseason, which is why the preseason (and preseason games) exist. Hurts is always gun-shy. He’s much more gun-shy when he’s not comfortable. Last Sunday, for the first time, he looked comfortable.
Also, the team changed offensive coordinators for the third consecutive season.
Also, the offensive line has played just one of seven games from start to finish with its starters intact, and that’s why the Eagles won at Kansas City.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart scrambles during an Oct. 9 matchup with the Eagles.
4. Familiarity
There’s a little more tape on Dart, whose elusiveness and fearlessness are a formidable combination. Combine that with unpredictability, and you get a kid who will make a lot of plays but will also make a lot of mistakes.
A lot of the tape on Dart shows Eagles defenders getting roasted.
Don’t expect much more of that sort of tape from Sunday’s game.
5. Return of the Macks
Nobody commanded more respect in the Eagles locker room last season than 15-year veteran defensive end Brandon Graham. His return from retirement Tuesday will resound whether or not he takes a snap on Sunday.
A close second: third-year linebacker Nakobe Dean. Before he injured his pectoral muscle in the playoffs last season, he ranked 10th among all linebackers in overall defense, seventh as a pass rusher, according to PFF, and his impact as a tackler in his return Sunday was dynamic: He had six tackles, three solos, and a tackle for loss … on just 23% of the defensive snaps.
While the Phillies are poised for some roster changes in 2026, at the moment it doesn’t seem like those will occur in the infield.
The Phillies’ outfield has been a revolving door for the last few seasons, but the infield continues to run it back. And according to Dave Dombrowski, that seems to be the plan again. At least, for now.
“The infield is pretty well solidified,” the Phillies’ president of baseball operations said at his end-of-season news conference on Oct. 16.
And indeed, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper are under contract into the 2030s, while Bryson Stott, Edmundo Sosa, and Alec Bohm are arbitration eligible. Barring a trade, there isn’t much room for movement or change.
Here’s an overview of the Phillies’ infield outlook next season and beyond.
Trea Turner had his best overall season as a Phillie in 2025, winning the NL batting title with a .304 average and stealing 36 bases.
Turner’s improvement
This time last year, there were questions raised about Turner’s long-term future at shortstop after another below-average defensive season. But those questions have been all but put to rest after Turner made significant strides in 2025. His 17 outs above average were the highest of his career and tied for third among shortstops.
On the offensive side, Turner bought into the Phillies’ plan for him as their new leadoff hitter. Manager Rob Thomson wanted him to focus on using his athleticism and getting on base, rather than hitting homers. Turner did just that, stealing 36 bases and posting a .355 on-base percentage, his best since arriving in Philadelphia. With a .304 batting average, Turner also became the first Phillie to win the batting title since Richie Ashburn in 1958 and was named a Silver Slugger finalist.
He may have sacrificed some power to do it, hitting just 15 home runs compared to 21 last season. But overall, Turner did exactly what the Phillies wanted out of him in the regular season, both offensively and defensively.
“He’s tough on himself,” Dombrowski said. “He’s like one of these guys, if he doesn’t hit 40 home runs and 40 doubles and 40 stolen bases, and lead the league in hitting, he’s probably going to think that he needs to do more.
“That’s how he is, which is great. That’s a great quality and attribute, but he doesn’t have to hit with any more power for us. He really did a fine job.”
The Phillies plan to keep Bryce Harper, a Gold Glove finalist for a second straight season, at first base.
Harper to the outfield?
Don’t expect Harper to change positions, either, despite the first baseman expressing some willingness last offseason and ahead of the trade deadline to return to the outfield.
Harper, who earned his second straight Gold Glove nomination at first base this season, has said he would be open to making a position switch if needed for an offensive upgrade. But it doesn’t sound as if the Phillies will consider moving him back to the outfield to add, say, Pete Alonso, who plans to opt out of his contract with the Mets after a 38-homer season.
“I think Bryce is a first baseman at this time,” Dombrowski said. “I mean, that’s where we look at him as, and he has asked to go out into the outfield. He would be willing to do so, but I think it would be more for the short term if we had done something at the trading deadline, but it’s been a while since he’s been out [there].
“I’m sure he’d be fine, but he’s a really good first baseman, and I think for us, that’s the position we look at him playing for us.”
Harper finished the season with an OPS of .844. Though that still ranked 11th in the National League, it was his lowest since 2016 (.814).
Dombrowski seemed to lay down a challenge to Harper at his year-end news conference.
“He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good,” Dombrowski said. “… He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else, and that’s what it comes down to.”
Bryson Stott hit .310 with an .880 OPS from Aug. 1 through the end of the regular season, but still struggled against lefties.
Second and third base
Stott continued to be elite defensively at second base, but had a roller-coaster offensive season. He struggled over the first half, but a midyear adjustment to his hand placement led to improved at-bats overall. Stott went from hitting .194 with a .637 OPS in July to a .307 batting average and .864 OPS in August.
However, Stott’s .575 OPS against lefties kept him in a platoon with Sosa. When called upon, the Phillies’ utility man provided a spark of energy and clutch hits, plus an .895 OPS against left-handers.
“I view Stott as an everyday player, but Sosa’s numbers are so good against left-handed pitching that you’ve got to fit him someplace, whether it’s at third base when Bohm was hurt or mixed in for Stott against the lefties,” Thomson said. “So I view Stott as an everyday hitter. I think if he played every single day against left-handed pitching, he’d get better and put up pretty good numbers.”
On the other hand, Bohm spent last offseason amid a tornado of trade rumors. He will reach free agency in 2027, and his name will likely be floating around this winter, too, as one of the few ways the Phillies can change up their infield. The third baseman was afflicted by injuries — a rib fracture in July and shoulder inflammation in August — and slashed .287/.331/.409.
While Bohm and Harper were on the injured list at different points this season, Otto Kemp was a key fill-in. He hit .234 with 28 RBIs in his first 62 major-league games, most of which he played through knee and shoulder injuries that he will address with offseason surgery.
Kemp, 26, saw the bulk of his playing time at third but also appeared at first and second and in left field.
The Phillies believe Aidan Miller can stick at shortstop, but that’s blocked by Trea Turner for now.
Down on the farm
The Phillies’ top infield prospect, Aidan Miller, is rising quickly. The 21-year-old posted an .825 OPS this year and stole 59 bases between double-A Reading and triple-A Lehigh Valley. But the question remains as to where he will play in the majors.
Miller, who finished the season in triple A after a September promotion, has played shortstop throughout his minor-league career. Similar to the situation with top outfield prospect Justin Crawford, the Phillies believe that when Miller reaches the major leagues, he will need to be an everyday player.
A Miller breakthrough next season would require some changes to the current infield configuration. And Turner, who is under contract through 2033, doesn’t appear to be on the move from shortstop anytime soon. Dombrowski said the Phillies are still having conversations about Miller’s long-term position.
“When I talked to people in our organization, they feel he can play shortstop. Of course, we have an All-Star shortstop at this point,” he said. “… [Miller has] played some second, he’s played some third, but he’s primarily been a shortstop, so we’d have to make sure that we properly prepare him to do that, and that’s still a discussion that we’ll have to have.”
Miller initially planned to participate in the Arizona Fall League, but the Phillies decided to prioritize rest instead.
Further down the pike, second baseman Aroon Escobar is the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Escobar, 20, ascended three levels in 2025 to finish the season at double A. He hit 15 homers and had 62 RBIs in 120 games.
Also in double A to end the year is Phillies No. 13 prospect Carson DeMartini. In his first full professional season after being drafted in 2024 out of Virginia Tech, the third baseman posted a .707 OPS and stole 45 bases.
Kazuma Okamoto has slashed .277/.361/.521 with 248 homers over 11 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
Free agency
The Phillies don’t have a pressing free-agent need to fill in the infield, though that could change if a trade is made. (The battery will be covered later in this series.)
Currently, one of the top available names on the market is righty third baseman Alex Bregman, who is set to opt out of his contract with the Red Sox after an All-Star season in which he slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 homers.
Third baseman Eugenio Suárez was one of the most coveted offensive trade deadline acquisitions this year and was linked to the Phillies before ending up with the Mariners. Suárez saw a dip in production in the second half, but he still had some big postseason moments for Seattle, such as a game-winning grand slam in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
Gleyber Torres, 28, had an overall bounce-back year with the Tigers after the Yankees let him walk in 2024. The right-handed-hitting second baseman was named an All-Star for the first time since 2019. Torres saw diminished production later in the season, with a .812 first-half OPS compared to .659 in the second half, but revealed that he had been playing through a sports hernia late in the year.
There are also international options. In recent years, the Phillies have attempted to expand their outreach in Japan in the hopes of attracting top stars there, but have yet to break through.
The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball have announced that they will be posting corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto. The right-handed 29-year-old has hit .277/.361/.521 with 248 homers over 11 seasons in NPB.
According to an MLB.com report, Munetaka Murakami is also expected to be posted this winter. Murakami, 25, is a left-handed-hitting corner infielder with a career .951 OPS across eight seasons in NPB. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Central League in 2021 and 2022.
BOSTON — Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points and VJ Edgecombe added 34 in his NBA debut to help the 76ers rally to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their season-opener Wednesday night.
Edgecombe scored the most points in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain had 43 on Oct. 24, 1959.
The Sixers led by four with 22 seconds left, but it was down to one when Edgecombe missed a pair of foul shots with 9.1 seconds to play. Payton Pritchard missed two potential game-winning shots.
Joel Embiid played for the first time since February, scoring four points on 1-of-9 shooting. The 2023 NBA MVP and a two-time league scoring champion had six rebounds in 20 minutes in his return being limited to 19 games during the 2024-25 season because of a sprained left foot, a sinus fracture, and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (left) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game.
Jaylen Brown returned from a hamstring injury in the preseason finale to score 25 points. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is expected to carry a heavier load this year with fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum, who watched the game from the bench in street clothes, recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Derrick White scored 13 points of his 25 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics scored 16 straight points to turn a five-point deficit into an 11-point lead. The Celtics led 94-84 with nine minutes remaining before the Sixers scored eight straight points to make it close.
Up next
The Sixers will host the Charlotte Hornets for their home opener on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBCSP). The Celtics will travel to New York to face the Knicks on Friday night.
Inside the NBA made its highly anticipated ESPN debut on Wednesday during the league’s second night of action.
The hit show was originally televised on TNT before the network ended its NBA coverage following the 2024-25 season. But thanks to a licensing agreement between TNT Sports and ESPN, the show lives on.
Throughout its years on TNT, the show created plenty of iconic moments, from Charles Barkley’s comments on women from San Antonio to Shaquille O’Neal falling into a Christmas tree — multiple times. Now, it’s still making headlines on ESPN.
Here are some of the best moments from Wednesday’s show …
Barkley kissing up to ESPN
The original cast, featuring Ernie Johnson, O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Barkley, were excited to make their debut on ESPN. But Barkley may have been a little more excited than others.
“I was nervous today, I’m not going to lie,” Barkley said. “Every person who has ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN. They are the greatest sports network ever and to be working for these guys is an honor and a privilege. It is.”
Smith responded: “Do you want a napkin for all that kissing up you just did?”
Charles Barkley: "I was nervous today…Every person who's ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN. They are the greatest sports network ever."
Kenny Smith: “Do you want a napkin for all that kissing up you just did?”
Of course, the show wasn’t all about teasing Barkley. In fact, O’Neal gave the 11-time NBA All-Star a few compliments during the show.
“Chuck was fat last year,” O’Neal said. “Now look at him. He’s a sex symbol.”
Barkley responded: “He got a point about the sex symbol. … Shout out to my doctors at Ro.co. I’m working out too, now. You’ve got to work out. You can’t just take a shot.”
We got the very first race to the board between O’Neal and Smith on ESPN — if we can even call it a race.
“We’re going to do it a little different,” Smith said. “You know how you do the fast walk? So you don’t hurt yourself. So, we’ll do a fast walk to the board.”
During the halftime show of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks game, Johnson counted down and the two walked quickly to the board. Within seconds, Smith took the first win of the year.
Barkley has created a number of unhinged moments — from comparing O’Neal to Shrek to discussing Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Now, he’s done it again. When discussing the playoff picture, Barkley said the Miami Heat were out of the eighth spot.
Smith responded: “No, they play too hard.”
“They play hard,” Barkley said. “That’s like when you go out with a girl and you say she has a great personality. That just means she’s ugly. The Heat play hard. The Heat are not going to be in the top eight.”
Charles Barkley: The Miami Heat are out the 8th spot
Kenny Smith: Nah they play too hard
Charles Barkley: That’s like when you go out with a girl and you say she has a great personality that just means she’s ugly
Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 117-116 season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at TD Garden.
Dominant duo
Maxey and Edgecombe were fun to watch.
Maxey had 40 points on 13-for-25 shooting from the field and 7-for-9 from the three-point line to go with six assists. Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s draft, added 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting to go with six rebounds. He is the first Sixers rookie to have at least 30 points in his debut since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson did so on Nov. 1, 1996.
It was also the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 points on Nov. 30, 1954.
Sixers fans have to love the duo’s pace. The two guards put a lot of pressure on the Celtics. They also took over the game during stretches.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (left) scored 40 points against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Edgecombe scored 10 straight and 13 of the Sixers’ final 16 points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Maxey took over where Edgecombe left off, scoring 19 second-quarter points on 7-for-10 shooting.
The Sixers will have one of the league’s most explosive backcourts if the duo can keep this up. Their athleticism, speed, and ability to take over are unmatched on many teams.
“I feel like we both [play] really well in the open court,” Edgecombe said. “Playing fast is something that we want to do. Ain’t [many who] can keep up. Joel was out there here and there. But when Joel is fully back, it’s going to be a different game. It’s going to be better if you ask me, because he requires so much attention.
“You go one-on-one all night, that’s not night and day for whoever’s guarding him. And one on one for Tyrese, it’s night and day for whoever’s guarding him too.”
In Friday’s preseason finale, Embiid flirted with a triple-double in a little over 18 minutes of action. However, that performance came against a Minnesota Timberwolves team composed mainly of NBA G-League talent.
So his first actual test came in Wednesday’s contest against the Celtics.
Embiid failed to have the same impact against Boston centers Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman. He finished with four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. The performance paled in comparison to his night against Minnesota, when he scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out eight assists, and blocked three shots.
Embiid missed his first four shots en route to shooting 1-for-9 on Wednesday.
“I’m super happy that he was out there,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that he played good. I know that’s going to sound silly, 1-for-9. He just didn’t shoot it very good.
“I thought he transferred the ball good. I thought he made some good decisions. I thought he took good shots. I thought he protected the rim. So, again, he hasn’t done much. He’s kind of played in a scrimmage and a preseason game. I think there’s some rust there, but I thought he moving good and made good decisions.”
Sixers center Joel Embiid (center) is still working his way back into form after a long layoff because of knee injuries.
While Nurse raved about Embiid, the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder didn’t show a lot of lateral movement on defense. He also rarely jumped to contest shots or go after rebounds.
Embiid is resorting to using his massive frame to overpower opponents in the post. The 2023 MVP is also clogging everything up on offense. He has to either roll hard or launch three pointers from the top of the key. When he doesn’t, the offense stalls and the Sixers came away with bad possessions.
They actually played better without Embiid in the fourth quarter. He sat out the final 9 minutes, 17 seconds due to a minute restriction.
We’ll find out shortly whether this is the player he’s become or if he’s getting back into the groove after being sidelined since February.
“I’m good,” Embiid said. “You know, it’s going to take a while, you know, obviously, being on a minutes restriction, playing shorter stints, it’s harder to kind of get into a rhythm. But I got to figure it out. That’s the way they got it set up.
“It’s annoying, but if I want to play, I don’t really have a choice. But I want to be out there as much as possible.”
Embiid said there’s a lot he can do until returning to his old form. He wants to use his “gravity” to get teammates open.
“There’s still so much more I can contribute to other than scoring,” Embiid said. “So just using myself as a decoy to allow all these guys to do whatever they have to do to win.”
The two-way impact
With multiple seasons of NBA experience, Barlow and Walker weren’t your typical two-way players when they signed deals in July. At the time, the thought was that one of them — if not both — would garner a standard contract several months into the season.
What we didn’t know was that the Sixers would have to rely heavily on the duo, with Paul George (left knee) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) both sidelined.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow (left) had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds on Wednesday.
The big question was whether Barlow could duplicate the energy he displayed in the preseason. Based on Wednesday’s game, the answer appears to be yes.
Barlow attacked the glass, ran the floor, and was a solid role player. He had three points, three rebounds, and an assist before being subbed out for Walker with 3:14 left in the first quarter. Walker also provided solid energy while setting picks and hustling for loose balls and rebounds.
Barlow finished with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Walker had six points and four boards.
They are both making the most of their opportunities and will make the Sixers a deeper team once George and Watford return.
“This is my fourth year in the NBA,” Barlow said. “You can say I’m a two-way or whatever the case may be. But I know how to play basketball. I know what this team needs me to do. It’s just my job to play with energy and pick us up when we are down, or we are on those runs, get into actions and crash [the boards] and guard.”
The Eagles who were around before this season knew what to expect when Brandon Graham rejoined the team for his first practice Wednesday after coming out of retirement earlier this week.
The newbies had only heard the stories. Maybe they had met Graham in passing. Fellow edge rusher Joshua Uche recalled swapping jerseys with Graham after an Eagles-Patriots game in 2023. But when Uche joined the Eagles, it was in part because Graham was no longer with the team. “I just missed him,” Uche said.
Graham had been around the NovaCare Complex before this week and had been working out, but this week he’s back in the meeting rooms and on Wednesday he went through his first practice. The Eagles tried to fill the void he left behind when Graham retired from football in March. They signed veterans like Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo in the offseason. They then added an even more experienced veteran in Za’Darius Smith after Week 1. But Smith, 33, lasted only five games before hanging up the cleats himself.
Nothing could really replace all of the things Graham brought. And on Wednesday, make no mistake about it, Graham was back.
“The energy he brings, the leadership he brings, and the juice he brings out there on the field, we needed that part of the engine back,” Uche said.
Uche said Graham practiced normally and went through the day just like any other player in the position room.
“It feels good today,” Graham said, still dressed in his pads outside his old locker stall after practice, the same stall recently vacated by Smith. “I’ll just say that. I ain’t going to go too crazy. But I felt good.”
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham practiced Wednesday for the first time since unretiring and said he felt good.
Graham, who was listed as a full participant on the Eagles’ practice report, said he didn’t feel too far away from being in football shape because he has spent the last few months working out, many times at NovaCare. He did joke that he tapped his helmet to come out after only a few plays. Is he in good enough shape to play Sunday vs. the New York Giants?
“We’re going to see, man,” Graham said. “I’m going to let Coach do that. Honestly, I’m just here to continue to keep affirming everybody with what they are and their ability.”
How and when Graham performs remains to be seen, but that part — the leadership and the positive energy — should have an immediate impact.
“It was a vibe, man,” rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell said of his first practice with Graham. “That’s the OG. I was fortunate enough to have a relationship with him outside of being here in his early retirement, I guess you could say. He brings nothing but positive vibes, man, great energy to the brotherhood that we have here. He’s just an all-around great dude. He’s like a guy where it’s like, you look at him and you smile and you got to say what’s up. He never has bad intentions, he’s never talking about nothing negative, he’s always going to bring you up.”
And the trash-talking?
“It’s safe to say it ain’t no act,” Campbell said. “That’s just organic, exactly who he is, and I saw it for myself.”
Campbell said it didn’t seem like Graham had been away from football “for three months or however long it was.”
It was seven, but Graham said he knew he “wasn’t all the way done.” He was hoping the Eagles wouldn’t need him, but opportunity knocked as injuries piled up and Smith stepped away from the game. The Eagles reached out to him, and he and his wife, Carlyne, agreed it was right.
Graham said he told his teammates that he’s “here to give you affirmations every day and work hard and let’s all be professionals and try to build this thing and get us another one.
“It don’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Graham knows that well, both from the perspective of the totality of his career — a draft bust who turned into the franchise’s all-time leader in games played — and in the micro sense of last season, when the Eagles started slowly and eventually won the Super Bowl.
Brandon Graham announced his retirement from the Eagles in March. He unretired on Tuesday after just seven months out of football.
Graham retired on top. He cried and gave a heartfelt speech next to two Super Bowl trophies. As far as storybook endings go, he had a perfect one after making a surprising return from injury to play in the Super Bowl in February.
“Reality set in,” Graham said. “That story book will still be there, but reality set in. I still had the urge, and of course, I felt like I was still on my game last year. I still feel like I could help the team. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be back and Howie [Roseman] wouldn’t have picked me up.”
There is the risk that the ending to that story changes, and it’s something Graham said he talked about with Carlyne.
“When you think about it, when Tom Brady and all them boys came back, you still say he got seven rings and he’s still going to tell the story,” Graham said. “If I still feel like I can play, why not?
“I just feel like I still got a duty to come in and help because I feel like I still got a lot of juice left.”
The Eagles, new and old, got a taste of that Wednesday.
The Eagles were down a few prominent starters at practice on Wednesday, including Cam Jurgens (knee), A.J. Brown, and Adoree’ Jackson (concussion), as the week of preparation began for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Jurgens, the 6-foot-3, 303-pound center, exited the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a right knee injury after the Eagles’ second possession. He appeared to sustain the injury on the first play of the game. Still, Jurgens finished the rest of the drive and returned for the next one with a brace on his knee.
Brett Toth took over for Jurgens at center for the rest of the game, starting with the Eagles’ third possession. Toth said after the game that Jurgens would require an MRI for his knee. Coach Nick Sirianni declined to reveal the extent of Jurgens’ injury or his anticipated status for Sunday’s game.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “He’s always going to do everything he can do and our trainers, our doctors and our strength staff will do everything they can do to get him back going as soon as possible. We’ll see where we are. You’ll get the injury report later [Wednesday], but we’ll see where we are as the week continues and where Cam is.”
If Jurgens can’t play, the Eagles have a variety of options to consider to replace him. They could start Toth at center, leaving the rest of the offensive line intact.
Landon Dickerson could also slide over from left guard to center, a move the Eagles made when Jurgens was out for the start of the NFC championship game last year against the Washington Commanders with a back ailment. The Eagles would have a few options to consider at left guard in Dickerson’s place, including Toth or Matt Pryor.
The Eagles drafted Jurgens’ apparent backup at center in Drew Kendall this year, but the fifth-rounder out of Boston College has only been active for one game and has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season.
“You’re constantly trying to think of what the best thing is for the football team,” Sirianni said of the Eagles’ backup options at center. “So you have options because of the guys that we have there, with Landon, with everybody, you have options there. You want to keep continuity as much as you possibly can, but you also want to give yourself the best opportunity to win.
“So, all those things are weighed, how practice looks is weighed, how practice goes, and walk-throughs for that matter. But we got a lot of confidence in the guys that if Cam can’t go, we have a lot of confidence in the guys that would be filling that spot.”
Meanwhile, Brown stood on the sideline in a sweatshirt alongside Dom DiSandro during the brief portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday. The reason for Brown being sidelined will become public when the Eagles release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday afternoon.
The star receiver played 46 offensive snaps (92%) against the Vikings and was on the field until the final passing play of the game, his 45-yard dagger on third and 9 with one minute, 45 seconds remaining.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who dropped out of the Vikings game with an ankle injury, was also sidelined.
Additionally, Jackson and Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were not present for practice. Both players exited during the Vikings game.
On Tuesday, Vic Fangio expressed doubt about Ojulari’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Giants. He also noted that Kelee Ringo may get more opportunities to play at the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell, putting Jackson’s status in question, too.
Fangio may have another option to consider at cornerback in Jakorian Bennett, as the Eagles opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday. He was present and participating as he works his way back from a pectoral injury that placed him on injured reserve following the Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Grant Calcaterra (oblique) was practicing in some capacity on Wednesday for the first time in two weeks. The 26-year-old tight end exited the Week 5 game against the Denver Broncos and missed the two games that followed.
Brandon Graham, who ended his retirement and signed with the Eagles on Tuesday, was present for his first practice of the season on Wednesday.
The NBA season is here, with the 76ers’ slate kicking off at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. As has become customary, there are more questions than answers about this team at the moment.
Last season ended with a tank job that delivered prized rookie VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey got another year of experience under his belt. But Joel Embiid and Paul George spent much of their time in street clothes, and Quentin Grimes, who experienced a star turn after coming to Philly at the trade deadline, did not get a deal done with the team over the summer and will play on a qualifying offer.
The Inquirer’s staff writers took all of that information in mind as they considered the Sixers’ season and tried to project what 2025-26 might look like for Nick Nurse’s team at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Sixers season outlook: Can I insert the shrugging shoulders emoji here? Not because of apathy, but because I genuinely have no idea how this is all going to unfold. So much, of course, hinges on the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George. And just far better injury luck, in general. But even if this championship window essentially closed before it opened, the Sixers’ desired style of play and influx of young talent should make this season far more enjoyable. The guard rotation of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and, eventually, Jared McCain is worth the watch alone.
Schedule highlights: The Sixers play 16 of their first 26 scheduled games before Christmas at home, depending on how the In-Season Tournament shakes out. That means getting off to a strong start is crucial to this team’s quest for a turnaround. January is a particularly challenging month on paper, with three back-to-backs and matchups against the New York Knicks (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets. So is February, with eight of 11 games on the road, including their primary Western Conference swing.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe has impressed the coaching staff and is set to start in his first NBA game.
Player to watch: The obvious answer here is Edgecombe, the electric rookie who is on track to be an opening night starter. Or Embiid and George because, well, you know. But I’m fascinated to see how Maxey responds after a season he acknowledges was trying from a basketball and emotional standpoint. Coach Nick Nurse constantly reiterates that he believes the 24-year-old Maxey still has plenty of room to blossom. This season, he will be tasked with spearheading an offense aiming to play at a much faster pace — and with being a bridge between the aging stars and an intriguing crop of young players. (My deep-cut answers, for the record, are Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow, after the way they played during the preseason.)
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: When the Sixers are the NBA team whose outlook is toughest to predict, is everything considered a hot take or is nothing considered a hot take? How about this: Edgecombe wins Rookie of the Year, even if overwhelming favorite Cooper Flagg remains healthy the whole season. Edgecombe may eventually move to a reserve role once Grimes is fully reacclimated and McCain returns from thumb and knee injuries, but that might be an ideal initial fit for Edgecombe. He can empty the tank during every stint by flying down the floor in transition, and being an absolute pest on defense.
Keith Pompey
Sixers season outlook: The 76ers might be the toughest team to give a prognosis for. A lot of that has to do with the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid. Due to left knee management, the Sixers are basically taking a game-to-game approach with his availability. Meanwhile, Paul George, who is also dealing with left knee issues, could miss some time at the start of the season. And there’s no telling how the forward will perform once he returns. So at least early on, a lot of the team’s success could fall, once again, on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey.
But the squad is going to need Maxey, Embiid and George all playing at a high level to become an Eastern Conference contender. If that doesn’t happen, this could be another long season.
Schedule highlights: Dec. 28 at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Assuming the Sixers are healthy, the defending NBA champions will be an accurate barometer of the Sixers’ competitiveness. We will see how the big-man pairing of Joel Embiid and Adem Bona stacks up against Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. We will also see if the Sixers have an answer for reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and third-team All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams.
Player to watch: VJ Edgecombe. The third pick in June’s NBA draft has been better than expected throughout the preseason. Known as an athletic shooting guard at Baylor, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound has shown that he can handle point guard duties for the Sixers. He’s also been arguably their best perimeter defender. If he continues to develop, Edgecombe could blossom into one of the NBA’s best young players.
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: Dominick Barlow becomes an all-time Sixers fan favorite. Fans are already raving over the power forward’s stellar play in the preseason. That in itself is one reason why the Sixers need to strongly consider converting his two-way contract into a standard NBA deal. Barlow has mastered how to make an impact without having plays called for him. His offensive rebounding, solid attention to detail, and athleticism makes him a solid fit to play alongside Maxey and Embiid.
Gabriela Carroll, Inquirer staff writer
Sixers season outlook: This season feels virtually impossible to predict, because the variance in outcomes is so wide. The Sixers could keep Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and VJ Edgecombe mostly healthy this year, and get just enough games from Joel Embiid and Paul George to stay playoff competitive. They could have the disastrous injury luck of the 2024-25 season, and end up back in the lottery. Who knows, maybe they get supremely lucky and almost everyone is available all year? That feels like a bridge too far even for the Sixers. But in what looks like it could be a down year for the Eastern Conference, making the Play-In and winning a game feels doable.
Schedule highlights: Dec. 7 vs Lakers. Look, LeBron James baited everyone with his “Decision” that turned out to be a Hennessey commercial, but there’s no denying that at age 40, his career is nearing its end. No matter how good or bad the Sixers end up (and there are so many different ways this year could go), you’ve only got so many chances to see one of the all-time greats play in Philadelphia.
Sixers guard Jared McCain will miss the start of the season with a thumb injury.
Player to watch: Jared McCain. McCain immediately popped in his 23 games last year, working himself into the starting lineup and becoming one of the few bright spots of a disappointing start before he tore his meniscus and had to miss the rest of the year. Heading into camp, he tore the UCL in his thumb. If McCain can continue to improve and develop from where he finished his 24-25 season, that will be a huge boost for the Sixers’ chances, but it could take him some time to round into form.
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: VJ Edgecombe will win Rookie of the Year. All eyes will be on Cooper Flagg, but Edgecombe should get a ton of minutes right away. The Sixers are already experimenting with Edgecombe as the primary ball-handler to open up more opportunities for Maxey, and he’s flashed his elite defensive skill in preseason.
The Union had planned for some time to let teen phenom Cavan Sullivan go to next month’s under-17 men’s World Cup, the biggest stage he’ll have played on yet.
But between Quinn Sullivan’s ACL injury and other players being banged up – including fellow attacking midfielders Indiana Vassilev and Jeremy Rafanello – the club faced a lack of depth heading into the playoffs.
The Union still wanted to let Cavan go to the tournament. But they also knew they might need him, not just want to have him, for their first-round playoff series against Chicago or Orlando.
Multiple sources told The Inquirer that with agreement from Sullivan and U.S. Soccer, he will stay with the club for the first two games of the best-of-three set. Game one is Sunday at Subaru Park (5:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, and Apple TV), and Game two is Nov. 1 on the road (5:30 p.m., Apple TV).
Cavan Sullivan (right) had one of his best games for the Union this year last Saturday at Charlotte, even though the team lost.
Sullivan won’t actually miss any of the tournament, as the U.S. team’s opener against Burkina Faso isn’t until Nov. 5. He’ll mainly miss the pre-tournament camp, which will take place in Abu Dhabi before the tournament is played in Qatar. That no doubt made it easier to get a deal done.
The Americans’ group games after that are against Tajikistan on Nov. 8, then the Czech Republic on Nov. 11. The tournament runs through Nov. 27, so if the U.S. goes on a long run, Sullivan could be gone until the MLS conference finals.
Though the U.S. has played at every under-17 World Cup but one since the event started in 1985, the program has not reached the quarterfinals since 2017, and hasn’t gone farther since 1999 — when Landon Donovan led the way to the only semifinal in team history.
Donovan won the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the most outstanding player, and was one of many famous names on that U.S. squad. It also included DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Oguchi Oneywu (who finished his pro career with the Union 18 years later), and Philadelphia native Bobby Convey.
This team has the potential for a deep run. Sullivan is one of its top names, along with forward Mathis Albert of Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and the New York Red Bulls’ Julian Hall. There are also three players from the Union’s youth academy, defender Jordan Griffin and forwards Jamir Johnson and Kellan LeBlanc – the last of them the son of former Union reserve team coach Marlon LeBlanc.
Fox and Telemundo have the broadcast rights, in English and Spanish respectively, with games airing on their cable channels and streaming platforms.
A clipping from The Inquirer’s sports section of November 25, 1999, highlighting Bobby Convey’s play for the United States at the under-17 men’s World Cup.
The 76ers might be Philly’s most unpredictable team.
Given their consistent injury struggles, the Sixers’ fate this year is nearly impossible to project. That didn’t stop the national media from making an attempt.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Sixers ahead of the opener tonight against Boston …
It’s complicated
Are the Sixers built to win now or win later? ESPN says it’s complicated, ranking them 13th in its season-opening power rankings.
Before last year, the Sixers thought they were in their championship window, and signed Paul George to a maximum contract to help get them to the next level. But after last season’s injury disaster, the Sixers now have a new, younger core of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain to help them contend potentially for years to come.
“Last season’s 24-58 record suggests this isn’t the right time for any all-in moves from GM Daryl Morey, which might explain why Philadelphia still has several future picks in its cupboard,” Zack Kram wrote. “But as long as [Joel] Embiid is on the roster and even theoretically at full strength, the 76ers have to at least consider trying to maximize his remaining competitive window.”
The health of center Joel Embiid will once again be a key for the Sixers.
Ranked 13th again
In 2024-25, Embiid and George played in just 60 games combined. With compounding injuries to Maxey and McCain, that was enough to sink their season. This year, though, the Sixers are hoping they have enough talent to be consistent and competitive even without Embiid on the court.
“The Sixers have enough offensive talent even if their stars don’t play (just ask Quentin Grimes) and Nick Nurse is going to sell out and get his team to approach 10 steals per game even if it costs the rest of Philadelphia’s defense,” Law Murray wrote for The Athletic, also ranking them 13th in the season-opening power rankings.
“There is too much on the line for everyone involved in Philadelphia, with the possible exception of Tyrese Maxey, so don’t be shocked if the 76ers rebound to their usual results of getting to the playoffs and not doing much while they’re there.”
‘Why not them?’
For all the warranted conversations about the Sixers’ struggles with injuries, they’re not the only team in the East that’s missing players to start the year. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are both expected to miss most, if not all, of the year. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart are all missing the Knicks’ opener, and Jaylen Brown may do the same for the Celtics.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dared to suggest that the Sixers may be the healthiest contender on the board, and their potential could be underrated leaguewide because of their perennial injury struggles.
“Is it possible that the contender with the healthiest roster to start the season could end up being Philly?” Windhorst said. “ … If you’re Philly, I know you have to live day-to-day, you can’t be thinking, you almost don’t have the burden of worrying about the playoffs because you don’t know who’s going to be standing by Thanksgiving. Why not them?”
