Eagles OL Jordan Mailata misses practice again, likely to be out Week 4

Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Malate didn’t practice again Thursday, and it sounds like it might be a few weeks until the O-lineman returns to the field. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the offensive tackle was originally expected to miss two to four weeks. Mailata already missed Week 3, so at the very best, it sounds like the lineman could be back next weekend at the earliest.

Mailata has one of the better NFL stories, as the 6-foot-8, 380-pound lineman didn’t start playing football until just three years ago. The former rugby player was a 2018 seventh-round pick by the Eagles, and he effectively redshirted his first two years in the NFL. Mailata became Jason Peters‘ primary replacement last season, and the lineman ultimately started 10 games.

While Pro Football Focus graded him as a middle-of-the-pack tackle last year, he was ranked as a top-seven offensive tackle from Weeks 12 to 16, per Brad Spielberger of PFF. Thanks to his continued improvements, the organization handed him a four-year, $64M extension earlier this month. Mailata appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 2 before suffering an MCL sprain.

In his absence, Andre Dillard has stepped up as a starter. The team also got encouraging news Thursday, as offensive tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce both practiced in full.