RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Makai Lemon, the Philadelphia Eagles ' first-round pick, was brought in to help offset the loss of All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown. 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."
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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.
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