Eagles Rookie Lineman to Miss Season After IR Practice Period Expires

At least one offensive lineman won’t be returning from injury this season to give the Philadelphia Eagles some reinforcement. Rookie OL Willie Lampkin IV will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury after his practice window expired, per Zach Berman of The Athletic.

Lampkin was an All-American at North Carolina in 2024 after transferring up from Coastal Carolina. Lampkin dominated the 2025 Senior Bowl despite measuring just 5-11, 290 pounds, the smallest offensive lineman in Senior Bowl history. He held his own against much larger defensive linemen and proved his ability to hang in the NFL, although he ended up going undrafted due to his outlier size.

The Rams signed Lampkin as an undrafted free agent and he spent OTAs and training camp in Los Angeles, though they waived him coming out of the preseason with a knee injury. He was scooped up on waivers by the Eagles, who placed him on Injured Reserve right away with that knee injury. Back on November 6, Philadelphia opened his 21-day practice window to return from IR. However, since they did not activate him during that time, he has now reverted to IR where he will remain through the end of the season.

The Philadelphia Eagles Could Use More Health on the Offensive Line

Lampkin isn’t the only offensive lineman currently down for the count in Philadelphia. The Eagles are missing All-Pro LT Lane Johnson, who’s set to continue to miss time with a foot injury. C Cam Jurgens and LG Landon Dickerson have both missed games this season, forcing backup interior lineman Brett Toth into the lineup at various spots.

Moving forward, improved health along the offensive line will be paramount for the Eagles. This offense has sputtered at points despite all their talent, ranking just 24th in total offense and 18th in scoring offense. They’ve struggled running the ball despite their reputation, and the Eagles will need their starting unit to change that.

The Philadelphia Eagles Suddenly Need to Watch Their Backs in the NFC East

The Cowboys just did the unthinkable — in the span of four days, they beat the Eagles and the Chiefs (the two teams that met in the last Super Bowl) to move to 6-5-1 on the season, rescuing their playoff hopes from the brink of destruction.

At 8-3, the Eagles still lead the NFC East by two games. But Philly doesn’t hold the tiebreaker over Dallas anymore, and their margin for error is slim. After the Black Friday game against the Bears, the Eagles face the Chargers, Raiders, Commanders, Bills, and Commanders. It’s a very manageable schedule, but they can’t afford many more slip-ups.

Perhaps more importantly, the Rams are currently one game up on the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Philadelphia owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, but Los Angeles is rolling right now and playing the best football in the league. If the Eagles want to catch up and reclaim the top seed, they can’t afford many more losses.

New England Patriots Face Crucial Decision on K’Lavon Chaisson’s Future

The New England Patriots are currently one of the NFL’s biggest stories.

Many believed the Patriots would be in a rebuild this season under first year head coach Mike Vrabel, but have exceeded the expectations of many. The Pats currently have the best record in the league and have a real opportunity to finish first in the AFC for the first time since the 2017 season.

At 10-2 entering Week 13, the Patriots are now in win-now mode and have the resources to do so for the future. One NFL analyst believes the team should start retaining their key pieces on the roster who on expiring deals before deciding which players to add in the next offseason.

Patriots Urged To Extend Pass Rusher

Under the guidance of head coach Mike Vrabel, the New England Patriots are bringing out the best of former first round draft pick K’Lavon Chaisson.

Over the course of his first five season, Chaisson has recorded 10 sacks. In his first season in Foxborough? 6.5 sacks. The former 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has also logged 18 tackles and forced a fumble this season.

Bleacher Reports’ Kristopher Knox believes New England should extend the EDGE rusher before the end of the season after his career resurgence and keep him as a key player for the future.

“The New England Patriots have become one of the NFL’s hottest teams thanks to second-year quarterback Drake Maye. With Maye not even extension-eligible until 2027, now’s the time for the Patriots to build around his rookie contract and chase Super Bowls,” Knox wrote. “While New England is busy compiling its 2026 shopping list, it should find time to give 26-year-old edge-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson an extension.”

“The 2020 first-round pick joined the Patriots on a one-year deal during the offseason and has built on the breakout year he had in Las Vegas last season. He’s already recorded career-highs in sacks (6.5) and QB pressures (13) and appears poised to be a long-term contributor in the Patriots’ defense.”

K’Lavon Chaisson signed on a one year contract with the Patriots and it has paid off and should be set for a big pay day.

Patriots Hoping For True Pass Rusher

GettyK’Lavon Chaisson and Harold Landry III of the New England Patriots

The New England Patriots currently have 25 sacks so far, which is in the bottom half of the league this season, despite spending over $100 million on defense.

K’Lavon Chaisson is tied for the most sacks on the Patriots defense with Harold Landry, who signed on a $43.5 million contract with the Pats this offseason.

While New England has the best record in the league, the opponents they have faced this season haven’t been the best. According to ESPN, the New England Patriots had the 30th easiest strength off schedule before the start of the season.

The team will need to have a true pass rusher on the edge that will make opposing offensive coordinators prepare for in the future.

While Chaisson is having the best season of his career, New England has the resources to go out and sign some of the best pass rushers in the league.

 

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