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After weeks of hyping up the training camp competition between Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson for the vacant CB2 spot, Philadelphia Eagles fans got to see the battle breakdown first hand in the team's 2025 preseason debut against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the results were… not good.
Starting both corners on the outside, the duo struggled against the Bengals' first-string offense, with Ringo specifically getting torched against Ja'Marr Chase in an effort that left many a fan grimacing in horror about the secondary's regular-season prospects.
Discussing what he saw from Ringo and Jackson in the preseason debut, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio broke down their struggles, noting that the duo needs to cut down on mistakes if they are going to be effective in the regular season.
“Yeah, obviously they had some tough assignments in that game going against that quarterback and those receivers, but I think it's a great learning experience for both of them, and hopefully, they'll both come back.
“Obviously, Kelee had more balls thrown his way than Adoree' did, but I think it's great that happened, and we'll see how much they can grow from that,” Fangio explained via John Clark.
“He's got to tackle. I'm not upset that the guy caught the ball on him. I'm upset that he didn't tackle him, and he's got to realize where he is on the field, use the sideline, realize who he's going against.
“Those are all things you got to process and factor in a millisecond, and he didn't do a good job of that in that play, but I expect him to learn from that, and I expect them to improve from that.”
While Ringo is unquestionably still in the running for the CB2 spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell – partially due to talent, partially due to a lack of other viable options – Fangio's response is refreshing because it is so darn straightforward.
If Ringo is going to play this fall, he needs to get a crash course on what it means to be a cornerback at the NFL level, from using the sideline to getting his man down with a clean tackle. If that happens, great. But if not, the Eagles are already adding additional options like Jakorian Bennett, who could compete for the job, so the onus is on Ringo to figure it out on the fly.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio on a tough night for Kelee Ringo against the Cincinnati Bengals receivers like Ja’Marr Chase
“Yeah, obviously they had some tough assignments in that game going against that quarterback and those receivers, but I think it's a great… pic.twitter.com/DbdpefymKR
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 9, 2025
