This past season, the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line did not play up to the expectations that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the last few years. The Eagles brought back all four starters from their Super Bowl run, except right guard Mekhi Becton.
Becton signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers last year in free agency. With Becton out the door, it ushered former third-round pick Tyler Steen into a starting role.
In his first year as a full-time starter, Steen played well, posting a 74.0. pass blocking grade and a 71.8 run blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus. However, Steen was penalized nine times, but he only gave up two sacks.
Meanwhile, Becton’s first year with the Chargers went south, as he had a 45.2 pass blocking grade and a 34.3 run blocking grade. Becton also battled through injury, which didn’t help his performance. The ex-Eagle is considered a possible cut candidate before the new league year, which immediately prompted the thought that maybe Philly could bring him back this offseason.
Mekhi Becton Dream off the Table After Howie Roseman's Comments
However, Eagles GM Howie Roseman nixed that idea on Tuesday when speaking about the offensive line with Rich Eisen.
“We got four Pro Bowl players coming back on our offensive line, which is exciting. We feel like we got some young talent there, as well. Tyler Steen will be in his second year as a starter, and we haven’t hit free agency or the draft," Roseman said (h/t Alexis Chassen of Bleeding Green Nation).
While having Becton back would’ve been cool, it would’ve also stunted Steen’s growth, who was not an issue on the Eagles’ offensive line. This past season, the two main reasons why Philly’s offensive line struggled were health (injuries) and just inconsistent play.
That inconsistent play involves penalties, which Steen has to clean up on next season, and just finishing their plays, which the Eagles didn’t do. They did not look dominant in 2025, and having Becton back in the lineup over Steen won’t change that.
We also need to consider that the Eagles have a new OL coach in Chris Kuper. Jeff Stoutland, who previously worked with Becton, is no longer running the show on the offensive line.
For the Eagles to be successful in 2026, they need Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, and Landon Dickerson to all be healthy and as close to 100% as possible. If that can happen, plus a better performance from Jordan Mailata, and Steen taking another step forward in his development, the Eagles' o-line should rebound nicely in 2026.