At the end of July, when general manager Howie Roseman announced that outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard had been placed on the physically unable to perform list, he said it was “not a long-term injury.” With less than a month remaining before the regular season, it now appears his injury may be more serious than initially suggested. Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently addressed Greenard’s absence and shared a concerning update on his injury.

“I don’t know when Greenard will be back,” Fangio said during Wednesday’s press conference. “You know, that injury he got in our weight room is going to take some time to heal.”

A former third-round pick, Greenard was traded to the Eagles by the Minnesota Vikings earlier this offseason after an injury-marred season. Upon arriving in Philly, the linebacker signed a four-year, $98 million deal, including $50 million in guaranteed money. His injury complications carry significant weight, considering his massive contract alone.

After all, while Greenard participated in the Eagles’ offseason program, including the OTAs and the minicamp, he has been away from training camp as well as the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The 29-year-old first went down with a shoulder injury during a Week 10 matchup against the Ravens during the 2025 season. He later aggravated the injury in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys before the Vikings traded him to the Eagles.

While Jonathan Greenard brought optimism to Philadelphia after recording more than 12 sacks in two of the last three seasons, that optimism didn’t last long. Before the start of training camp, the veteran reportedly injured his pectoral muscle while lifting weights.

He was subsequently placed on the PUP list before the Eagles’ first camp practice. Since then, the coaching staff has remained uncertain about whether he’ll be healthy by the time the regular season kicks off.

“When he does come back, whenever that is, the thing you miss by not partaking in training camp — which he probably won’t — you gotta get calloused to playing NFL football,” Fangio said a week ago. “The banging, the running, the change of direction, the fatigue of it. He’s gonna lose that. . . . That’s gonna be something we have to be conscious with him when he does get back.”

For now, it’s still not clear whether Jonathan Greenard will be available during the Eagles’ regular season opener against the Washington Commanders. At the same time, however, Vic Fangio has multiple options, including Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, and Arnold Ebiketie, to fill out the edges on the defense.