When the Philadelphia Eagles’ left guard Landon Dickerson landed on the Injury Reserve following their Week 1 victory, Philly needed a plan. That plan came in the form of two roster shuffles: center Cam Jurgens got moved to LG, with Drew Kendall taking Jurgens’ role for Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. When this shuffle landed in front of former Eagles center Jason Kelce, he didn’t like it – but admitted it was a necessary move.

“Eagles going with Cam Jurgens at Guard and Drew Kendall at Center because of Landon Dickerson being placed on IR,” Kelce wrote on X. “Normally I’m not a fan of shifting 2 guys for an injury, but I do understand this one. This isn’t an off-the-bench in-game decision; Landon will be out for a number of games minimum. Cam has been a starter at guard before in this league (even though it’s RG), and at a good level. Kendall has played more center than guard, and should feel more comfortable there. Definitely what I’m going to be watching early to see how it’s going.

“It’s a huge test for whoever plays guard this week, Jeffery Simmons is no joke, one of the best DTs in the league easily. I would heavily lean toward sliding to him. I don’t expect to see much blitz, if any, from Saleh, that isn’t his style at all, and Simmons’ comments earlier this week with the ‘make Jalen Hurts play QB’ essentially tells you the plan. This isn’t going to be some exotic defense or blitz package. They’re going to mix up zone coverages, push the pocket, keep Jalen in the pocket by maintaining rush lanes, and try to beat the Eagles’ rushing four predominantly.”

Now, Kendall has been playing center since 2022 when he earned the starting role in Boston College. When the Eagles picked him 168th overall in last year’s draft, they knew he could fill in at center when needed.

As for Jurgens, in the four seasons under his belt with the Eagles, he’s played two at center and two at guard, also working with the special teams on limited snaps. Head coach Nick Sirianni definitely needed that kind of experience at left guard after what happened last week.

Dickerson – who’s battled multiple injuries throughout his career – had meniscus surgery last offseason, played 15 games, and came away saying he shouldn’t have returned so soon. This offseason, he had stem cell therapy, but looked like he’d missed a step through training camp and Week 1. Against the Washington Commanders in the season opener, he allowed a lot of pressure on Jalen Hurts and struggled to move like his usual self. Then came the IR designation, pushing him to the sideline for at least four weeks, and even he knew it was necessary.

“I was a complete liability,” Dickerson said about his Week 1 outing. “That was my fault…I should not be out there until I feel healthy.”

Now, at the time of writing this, the Eagles are entering the third quarter with a 14-10 lead against Tennessee. At halftime, Jalen Hurts had gone 15-of-18 for 147 yards, a touchdown, a pick, and a sack. This O-line already looks a little better than the one that allowed 3 sacks on their quarterback. But time and the remaining two quarters will tell us whether Nick Sirianni’s plan actually worked. All the while, Sirianni’s former center has his eyes trained on the game.