The Philadelphia Eagles own the NFC’s best record at 8-2 but their offensive line was thrown into an unstable state when offensive tackle Lane Johnson went down with a Lisfranc injury in Sunday night’s win over the Detroit Lions.
The days since Johnson’s injury have been filled with uncertainty as Fred Johnson will take over at right tackle, but nobody seems to be sure who will be lining up behind him. Matt Pryor seems to be the leader in the clubhouse but after a rough Week 3 performance, Eagles fans would be happy if they kept him as far away from the field as possible.
With that in mind, fans got a dose of good news when Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the Eagles have opened the practice window for Myles Hinton. Given the promise Hinton showed during the preseason, his return could be the end for Pryor in Philadelphia.
Eagles Rookie Myles Hinton Could Be Coming for Matt Pryor’s Job After Returning to Practice
Pryor has been one of the least popular Eagles since his performance in the Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The 30-year-old replaced Lane Johnson when he went down with an injury in the first half of that game but his relief appearance didn’t last long as he allowed a sack on his nine pass-blocking snaps, giving way to Fred Johnson.
Fred Johnson has taken the backup job ever since and Pryor has been used sparingly with nine snaps at guard and five snaps at left tackle since his Week 3 debacle. While Pryor has been the “in case of emergency” lineman, his previous performance probably doesn’t make Nick Sirianni feel comfortable if he has to get into the game, which could open the door for Hinton to make his debut.
Hinton was a solid player at the University of Michigan, logging overall grades of 72.4 and 69.0 in his two seasons with the Wolverines according to Pro Football Focus. He also held his own in pass protection, allowing 17 pressures on 372 pass-blocking snaps (4.5% pressure rate) during those two seasons in 2023 and 2024.
A sixth-round pick, Hinton got extensive action with a team-high 60 snaps in the preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but had his best game in the final preseason game against the New York Jets, posting a 64.3 overall grade and allowing one pressure on 26 pass-blocking snaps.
The good news is that Fred Johnson has shown he's capable of filling in for Lane Johnson’s absence. That leaves Philly looking for an answer to replace Fred Johnson as the main backup tackle, but with roster spots limited and Pryor looking like a waste of space, there's a clear path for a Hinton-Pryor swap to be made once the rookie is ready to take the field.