The Philadelphia Eagles finalized their 53-man roster in late August. Despite that being the case, it didn't take long for things to change in the City of Brotherly Love, as one offseason acquisition was a healthy scratch for Thursday's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
With the decision from Nick Sirianni and the coaching staff to include reserve linebacker Azeez Ojulari among the players on the team's inactive list, it seems safe to begin asking the question of just how much trust the Eagles have in the former New York Giants linebacker.
Eagles' Feelings on Ojulari Are Clear After Underwhelming Training Camp
After signing a one-year, $43 million contract with the defending champions during the offseason, Ojulari was expected to be a contributor to this defense in one way or another. Being a healthy scratch for Week 1 would suggest that both the coaching staff and front office in Philadelphia are not sold on the former second-round pick being the player they thought they were acquiring.
Ojulari was quickly pegged as a disappointment at the start of the Eagles' training camp. While he did enough to make the final roster, this may have had more to do with him being the highest-paid outside free agent brought into the fold rather than anything he did to earn his spot during camp.
With that being the case, Ojulari was on the sidelines in street clothes, watching his teammates kick off the 2025 campaign without him. What this means for his immediate future is anyone's guess. However, given the struggles he had throughout camp, coupled with Thursday's decision to deactivate him for the season opener, the deck could be stacked against him moving forward.
Since entering the league, Ojulari has proven he can get after the quarterback in the right scheme. Over his four seasons with the Giants, the former Georgia Bulldogs standout recorded 107 total tackles and 22.0 QB sacks in just 46 appearances, 30 of which featured Ojulari in the starting lineup.
Whether the scheme the Eagles employ is the issue here, or something else altogether, Ojulari would be wise to come up with a solution to this problem sooner rather than later, or he could continue to see himself left off the active roster in the weeks to come.