Eagles camp observations: Offense looks out of sync as DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon miss time in practice

Philadelphia’s fifth training camp practice ahead of the 2026 NFL season came with two contrasting storylines: the offense’s timing looked uneven, and several familiar names were absent during parts of the session. Practice-note coverage from the Jefferson Health Training Complex pointed to an offense that did not consistently click in drills and live periods, as the Eagles worked through the daily grind of building continuity for September.

According to those observations, DeVonta Smith did not take part for stretches, and Makai Lemon also missed time during the day’s work. In camp terms, those absences can force coaches to shuffle reps and adjust expectations for the snap-to-snap tempo that matters most when the team is trying to sharpen routes, protections, and communication.

The camp setting matters here because the early run of practices is often where timing shows up most clearly. When wide receiver work is not synchronized with the quarterback’s cadence, or when the run game cannot lean on its preferred combinations, the offense tends to look out of sync even if the individual talent is there. The practice notes suggested that was the dominant visual theme from the Eagles’ side of the ball on this particular day.

For an offense built around repetition, the Eagles’ day-to-day rhythm becomes its own storyline. Smith’s role as a primary perimeter target means his presence typically influences how the passing game is organized in team drills, including how quickly the quarterback can get to his reads and how route stems align with protection calls. Lemon’s absence, meanwhile, affected the team’s defensive-front and special-team depth look, depending on how Philadelphia planned to split reps in the session.

None of this changes the larger purpose of camp, which is to evaluate combinations, test urgency in full-speed periods, and find the best mix of starters and rotational players. But practice notes that highlight missed time and a lack of offensive cohesion raise the same question for most teams this time of year: how quickly can the unit reset its timing when the roster picture changes from day to day.

It is also worth noting the inherent limit of single-day practice coverage. Training camp observations can be influenced by drill design, personnel rotations, and day-specific tactical focus. Even when an offense looks disjointed in one session, it does not automatically translate into a long-term pattern, because coaches often use particular practices to emphasize fundamentals over explosiveness, or to evaluate specific assignments rather than overall execution.

What to watch next is whether the Eagles can reclaim a steady rhythm with their preferred offensive personnel and whether Smith and Lemon are able to return to more consistent work in subsequent sessions. If absences persist across multiple days, the team will likely lean more heavily on backups and situational packages, which can create short-term continuity challenges. If they return quickly and the offense tightens up, the day’s inconsistencies can be framed as a temporary glitch in an otherwise normal camp build.