Eagles’ DeVonta Smith Sidelined by Hamstring Injury, But Still Working Out on the Side

DeVonta Smith is still missing practice. Philadelphia’s Jefferson Health Training Complex has become a familiar sideline view for the Eagles wide receiver this month, and Wednesday brought another absence tied to his lingering hamstring injury. But there’s a detail worth noting: Smith was out there early, working through drills on his own before the team session even started.

Eagles beat writer Dave Zangaro captured it on X.

“It looks like DeVonta Smith (hamstring) is going to miss another practice. But he’s out here early getting in some work on the side,” Zangaro posted on August 13, 2026.

That’s not nothing. A receiver who can’t do any work at all typically isn’t running routes solo before the rest of the roster shows up. It suggests the injury, while still serious enough to keep him out of team drills, hasn’t shut him down completely — and that the Eagles could see him back on the field before camp wraps.

What We Know About the Injury

Smith first popped up on the injury report in early August. He and rookie receiver Makai Lemon both went down with hamstring issues during an indoor practice session, and NBC Sports Philadelphia reported the team didn’t view either injury as serious at the time. Since then, Smith has missed a string of practices, and multiple reporters covering the team have echoed the same “no long-term concern” language coming out of the building.

The Eagles have been deliberate about it. Soft-tissue injuries like hamstring strains have a way of lingering if a team rushes a player back too early, and with more than a month left before Philadelphia’s regular-season opener, there’s no reason to gamble. Smith watching from the sideline in August beats him aggravating something in Week 1.

Why Smith’s Health Matters More Than Ever

This camp carries different stakes for Smith than any before it. The Eagles traded receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in June, sending him to reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel in exchange for New England’s 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, according to the team’s official announcement. Philadelphia waited until after June 1 to make the move, a timing decision that split the dead-money cap hit across two seasons instead of absorbing it all at once.

Brown’s exit reshuffles the entire depth chart. Smith goes from complementary piece to unquestioned WR1, the receiver Jalen Hurts is going to lean on when the offense needs a play. He’s earned that trust. Smith caught 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns last season on 113 targets, his third career 1,000-yard campaign, all while playing second fiddle to Brown in the target hierarchy.

Behind Smith, the receiver room is still finding its shape. Philadelphia brought in Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency, traded for Dontayvion Wicks, and used a first-round pick on USC’s Makai Lemon — but none of them have Smith’s track record. If his hamstring keeps him out longer than expected, tight end Dallas Goedert becomes the most proven safety valve in the passing game. Goedert set a franchise record with 11 touchdown catches last season and re-signed with the Eagles this offseason on a one-year deal, positioning him as one of the top two remaining targets now that Brown is gone.

What’s Next

The Eagles have roughly a month before Week 1, and history suggests they’ll take their time with Smith rather than push him back onto the field prematurely. Working out on the side is often the first real step back — a sign a player is close enough to trust his body with limited movement, even if he’s not ready for full-contact reps yet.

Philadelphia opens the regular season with an eye toward reclaiming the NFC East, a division where the Dallas Cowboys have made clear they intend to compete for the top spot. Getting Smith healthy and integrated as the true No. 1 option well before Week 1 matters as much as any personnel decision the front office makes this summer.