Eagles Make Shocking Final Decision on Former First Round Pick
This wasn’t how anyone saw this working out.
After the Philadelphia Eagles traded for Houston Texans offensive lineman and former first round pick Kenyon Green on March 11, they saw him taking over the role Mekhi Becton filled last year.
Becton, a former first round pick for the New York Jets, brought his career back to life in Philadelphia in 2024 after he moved from tackle to guard and became a full time starter for the Super Bowl champions — a run that ended with him signing a 2-year, $20 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Green’s story turned out much different. The Eagles released Green on August 25 after a disappointing preseason and training camp in which he never seriously threatened to crack the starting lineup.
“The #Eagles are waiving offensive lineman Kenyon Green,” CBS Sports NFL reporter Matt Zenitz wrote on his official X account. “Was a first-round pick in 2022 and has made 23 career starts. Had been acquired in a trade with the Texans in March.”
The deadline for NFL teams to cut their rosters down to 53 players is 4 p.m. ET on August 26.
The Eagles open the NFL regular season at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, August 4.
Eagles Probably Gave Up Too Much For Green
The Eagles paid a steep cost to Bring in Green, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, sending the Houston Texans star safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth round pick in exchange for Green and a 2026 fifth round pick.
The Eagles turned down the fifth year option on Green’s rookie contract on May 1, denying him what would have been a guaranteed $16.685 million payday in 2026.
“Green was acquired in March in a trade with the Texans that sent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to Houston.” Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper wrote on May 1. “He missed the 2023 season with a shoulder injury and missed time with injury last season as well. He has started 23 games when healthy, but ended last season on the bench and that makes the Eagles’ decision a fairly unsurprising one.”
Green played 12 games for the Texans in 2024 with 9 starts, and when he was on the field was arguably the NFL’s worst offensive guard. Green’s 38.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus put him 132nd out of 136 eligible players at his position.
In 27 career games, he’s also been called for a whopping 12 penalties.
Social Media Reacts to Eagles Dumping Green
While Green’s pedigree as a first round pick means he’ll likely get a shot with another team, his release hardly came as a surprise — 2023 third round pick Tyler Steen appeared on track to be the starter since the Eagles came out of minicamp.
“If the Eagles can’t fix you in the offensive trenches, nobody can,” X user Noah wrote. “Kenyon Green, its beyond over.”
“Green was part of the trade that sent CJ Gardner Johnson to the #Texans,” JPA Football wrote on its official X account. “Some thought he had potential to start for Philly.”
“Kenyon Green couldn’t even be saved by Jeff Stoutland yeah his career is over,” Eagles fan BDrip1K wrote on X.
