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After months and months of anticipation, the Philadelphia Eagles took the field against the Cincinnati Bengals for their first of three preseason games, and the results were pretty good.
Sure, the Eagles had some issues that were hard to ignore, like both Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo struggling against the Bengals' first team offense, and Vic Fangio's pass rush struggling to get much going off the edge. But in the end, Philly went up against Cincinnati's first team with mostly reserves and pulled out the win, showcasing the depth of the team Howie Roseman has assembled for Nick Sirianni.
With two more games to go, the Eagles still have ample opportunities to scout the bottom of their depth and decide which players deserve a spot on the 53-man roster, but with one contest already in the books, these three players ultimately strengthened their standing in South Philadelphia to a major degree.
1. Tanner McKee
When the story of the Eagles' Super Bowl debut is written, the name featured first has to be Tanner McKee, the former sixth-round pick out of BYU who famously told fans to “tune in on Thursday” after being given a disrespectful initial rating in Madden 26.
One of the most underrated arms in the NFC East, even if that distinction erodes by the day, McKee went up against the Bengals' first-string offense and made them look like scrubs, completing 20 of his 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. While McKee technically didn't have the highest passer rating in the game, as Burrow was near perfect against the Eagles' second-string defense, McKee looked every bit like a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, with fans around the league hypothesizing about which teams he could start for.
For now, McKee remains the Eagles' QB2, and after earning better reviews than Kenny Pickett last season when the duo both earned opportunities to lead Kellen Moore's offense, it would appear the BYU product will be perfectly positioned to fill a reserve role this fall.
Will conversations open up about McKee's long-term home once more in the spring, when he will be in the final year of his rookie contract? Oh yeah, it's safe to assume McKee will be a very in-demand option for quarterback-needy teams looking for a potential long-term answer under center. But for now, he's a member of the Eagles, and the team is certainly very happy to have him, no matter what percentage of the snaps Hurts plays this fall.
Tanner McKee precision TD dime 😮💨
14/17
193 Yards
2 TD
153.2 RatingEagles 24-14 halftime lead 🦅 pic.twitter.com/ynMzYAilUP
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) August 8, 2025
2. Darius Cooper
With McKee turning in an absolute gem of a game against the Bengals' first-team defense, the biggest beneficiary of his exceptional play had to be Darius Cooper, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound wide receiver out of Tarleton State.
Joining the Eagles as an undrafted free agent after recording two 1,000-plus yard seasons over his final season in the United Athletic Conference, Cooper began the summer as an afterthought, as his No. 41 jersey would suggest, but slowly but surely, he worked up the depth chart.
And in his preseason debut? Goodness, Cooper's rise continued in a major way.
Taking the field predominantly alongside the Eagles' twos and threes, Cooper led the Eagles in every major receiving category, finishing out the game with six catches on seven targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. Cooper looked like a pro coming in and out of his breaks and even showed some YAC ability with the ball in his hands.
Discussing what he saw from Cooper after the game, Sirianni praised his young receiver, noting he's earned reps with the first team for his ability to impact the game.
“I think he's done a nice job earning some of those reps in there with those guys so you do that and you see that and you discuss that,” Sirianni told reporters via Inside the Iggles. “There's not a day that goes by that Howie (Roseman) and I are not discussing the roster in his office, and there's not an off day that goes by that we're not having a staff meeting discussing everything. That's just part of the evaluation process.”
Will Cooper push Jahan Dotson for the Eagles' WR3 spot, outplaying fellow youngsters like Johnny Wilson for the honor of sharing the field with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith? No, probably not, but if he can continue to shine in the next two preseason games, then who knows, maybe Cooper will make the 53-man roster and could find his (hopefully new) number called at some point this fall.
Darius Cooper (UDFA), Preseason, Week 2
-7 targets, 6 receptions, 82 yards, and 1 TD
-6’0”
-190 lbs
-40 yard dash: 4.49
-Vertical: 38”
-Bench Press: 18 reps
-Broad Jump: 10’6 pic.twitter.com/7Nj7QqhoyQ— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 8, 2025
3. Ainias Smith
In 2024, Ainias Smith did basically nothing for the Eagles, catching just seven of the nine balls thrown his way for 41 yards during seven regular season appearances.
Drafted as the sort of do-it-all bottom-of-the-roster player who can pick up extra yards in YAC situations from the slot, run a jet sweep, and then bring in a punt on special teams, Smith struggled in training camp last year and just never found his footing as a rookie, leaving some to wonder if he would even be guaranteed a roster spot this fall.
Against the Bengals, Smith actually showed that versatility Howie Roseman and company were looking for when they selected him over Wilson last fall, catching just two balls for 11 yards, but hauling in a touchdown from McKee and returning a punt 46 yards in the sort of electrifying special teams play fans seldom see from a player in Midnight Green.
Will Smith ever become a legit offensive contributor? Frankly, it's hard to say, but if he can outplay Avery Williams and become the team's dedicated returnman, there will be a spot for him on the team this fall, especially if he can do a little bit for Kevin Patullo's unit and contribute as a gunner for Michael Clay. All in all, not the worst use of a fifth-round pick, especially with two more years of team control into 2027.
Ainias Smith has a receiving TD AND this punt return in the last minute of play 😤
Stream CINvsPHI on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/g4iFHezUM9
— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
