Makai Lemon, the Philadelphia Eagles' first-round pick, was brought in to help offset the loss of All-Pro wide receiver A.J. But he missed two weeks of practice during spring OTAs with a hamstring injury, then reinjured the same hamstring just over a week into training camp in early August. He went on to miss the next eight straight practices.
On Monday, though, he returned as a full participant for the first time in weeks — and confidently stated that he expects to be ready and in "top form" for Week 1 in just over two weeks. "It definitely feels great to be back out here with the guys and getting to work," Lemon said. "I feel pretty confident [there won't be a reoccurrence]," Lemon added when asked about the risk of another setback.
"Just learning from my mistakes from the previous times, working with the trainers, setting a good plan for me, just being a professional off the field." More news: Browns Coach Reveals Shedeur Sanders’ Reaction to Losing Starting Job More news: Steelers HC Mike McCarthy Breaks Silence on Joey Porter Jr’s Contract Drama Lemon was one of the best wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft after a breakout season at USC, where he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns across 12 games, averaging 14.6 yards per catch. He was named a unanimous All-American and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the best wide receiver in college football. He entered the draft drawing comparisons to Lions star Amon-Ra St.
Brown — and if he develops into even a fraction of that caliber, the Eagles will have landed one of the biggest steals of the draft. Lemon has yet to play in a preseason game, but there's a chance he could suit up for Philadelphia's preseason finale Friday against the Bengals. If not, fans will have to wait until the regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Commanders.
Either way, if Lemon's early confidence is any indication, he figures to be worth the wait. More news: 2026 NFL Award Predictions: MVP, OPOY, DPOY and Every Major Honor
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