Eagles superstar QB Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the season after multiple blood clots were discovered in his lungs. The NFLPA is calling for a full investigation into the medical care provided to Hurts after he was cleared to play Week 5 vs. Jacksonville after initial discovery of a blood clot in his leg and allowed to fly home from London – as flying with blood clots poses life-threatening risks. The NFL, for its part, has defended the Eagles medical process involving Hurts.
Hurts will be placed on blood thinners for 3-6 months and the prognosis is for a full recovery ahead of the 2027 season. The Eagles and fantasy football managers now turn to Tanner McKee at QB. This could mean targets are consolidated and heavy usage for DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, while ancillary pieces such as Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon (already off to a slow start to his career) will be hurt. Saquon Barkley may find less running room but more opportunities overall going forward may offset the added defensive attention. Rookie Cole Payton is now elevated to the backup QB and the Eagles signed Joe Milton III from the Cowboys practice squad to be the 3rd QB.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) ...
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks ...
Across three games so far in 2026, Philadelphia Eagles wide ...
Tim McManus reported that WR DeVonta Smith has missed practice all week due to a hamstring injury and will likely sit out Week 4 against the Rams. Bo Wulf of PHLY Sports added that Smith could miss extended time, noting, “It could be a two or three week hamstring injury.”
This is a major blow for the Eagles offense, especially with starting TE Dallas Goedert still sidelined by an MCL sprain. QB Jalen Hurts will have to lean heavily on WR Dontayvion Wicks, 1st Round rookie Makai Lemon, and 2025 UDFA Darius Cooper to shoulder the receiving load. For fantasy football gamers, this situation significantly boosts the streaming outlook for both Wicks and Lemon while Smith is sidelined. ~Jason Diaz
Packers WR Jayden Reed had to be placed on a stretcher after laying on the ground for minutes after taking a big hit on the 2nd play. Reed had 7 targets in Week 1 vs Minnesota and was expected to have a more consistent role this year after the Packers moved on from WR’s Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in the offseason.
It’s too early to say exactly what the injury is or how much time he may miss. Fantasy football managers will have to hold their breaths as we await word from the Packers on Reeds’ status. His absence would further cement Christian Watson and Matthew Golden as the top two WR’s in Green Bay. Looking further out, if it is a long term injury, Savion Williams (currently on IR) has some similar skills to Reed and would be worth stashing in your IR slots for the time being as a speculative add.
It only goes up from here. On a day in which the Eagles gained only 10 first downs, and the top receiver on the team was TE Dallas Goedert (4 catches, 77 yards), rookie first round pick Makai Lemon was unable to make his mark in a way fantasy football players were looking for. The good news is, Lemon was on the field plenty, at one point throwing a crucial block that freed up teammate Jalen Hurts to scramble for a first down on a third and long play.
Given the amount of time Lemon missed this summer, a slow debut is not overly surprising, but signs are there his role could be expected to grow. Lemon tied fellow WR Dontayvion Wicks in targets from Jalen Hurts (4), and gets a nice bounceback spot against the Titans in week 2.
Tucker Kraft‘s extension is a four-year, $75 million deal, up to $92 million with incentives and includes a $26.5 million signing bonus. Kraft broke out last season, ranking TE2 overall as well as having the 2nd highest YPRR of all TE’s last year through 8 weeks before tearing his ACL in Week 9.
At only 25 years old, Kraft has an opportunity to cement himself as a Top-6 TE in all formats, if not Top-3. He should continue to be heavily featured, especially with the Packers moving on from both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason – and a potentially more pass-heavy offense while we await Josh Jacobs‘ fate. Kraft is PlayerProfiler’s No. 5 ranked TE in redraft formats and No. 6 ranked TE in dynasty formats.
Eagles beat reporter Tim McManus of ESPN does not believe Makai Lemon will make a major impact out early in the season after missing minicamp and a good chunk of training camp with a hamstring injury. Lemon posted a 39.2% College Dominator Rating (85th percentile) en route to winning the Biletnikoff Award last year at USC before being drafted 20th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
At the NFL level, the Eagles traded for Dontayvion Wicks this offseason, and Wicks has been an Eagles training camp standout, especially while Lemon was missing missed time. Lemon is currently WR26 on PlayerProfiler’s dynasty rankings. Provided that the Eagles offense is better this year with new OC Sean Mannion, Lemon could still become the top complement to DeVonta Smith but is unlikely to hit the ground running in Week 1.
