Eagles OL Andre Dillard to miss time with knee sprain

Aiming to win the Eagles’ left tackle job after missing all of last season, Andre Dillard will be sidelined for another stretch. The third-year offensive lineman suffered a knee sprain recently and is now week-to-week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

A 2019 first-round pick, Dillard is vying for Philadelphia’s left tackle gig against 2018 seventh-rounder Jordan Mailata. The latter will see increased reps going forward.

Dillard missed the 2020 season due to a biceps injury, and he did not operate as a primary starter as a rookie. While Dillard played in all 16 Eagles games in 2019, he started four in what was deemed a developmental year on a team that still featured a Jason Peters–Lane Johnson tackle duo. With Peters gone, Dillard has a chance to solidify a starting job. But this development stands to benefit Mailata; the ex-rugby player could well move into the Eagles’ lineup opposite Johnson. Mailata served as Peters’ primary injury replacement last season, starting 10 games despite not playing at all from 2018-19.

It is not yet known if Dillard will miss regular-season time, but he probably will not see much action during the Eagles’ preseason slate. The Eagles do not have to decide on Dillard’s fifth-year option until May of next year, but the Washington State product has done little to justify such an investment. This season will be critical to establishing his long-term outlook in Philly.