It has been a challenging 2025 for the offensive line and for Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland and his Assistant Offensive Line Coach Greg Austin. Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens spent much of the offseason recovering from post-2024 surgeries and then Dickerson suffered a knee injury late in Training Camp that took him off the practice field. Right tackle Lane Johnson missed game time in the regular season with a neck/shoulder injury and has battled back admirably from that.
In short, only Mailata and right guard Tyler Steen have been on the field throughout for eight games, a bit of turbulence that Stoutland has encountered many times in his coaching career.
"It's something you've got to battle through, something that's part of the game," Dickerson said. "I think we're getting there. We know where we want to be."
The Eagles are accustomed to having the very best offensive line in the NFL, one that develops continuity with a consistent level of excellence up front. The 2024 Eagles stayed healthy and helped power Barkley to a 2,005-yard rushing season and then turned things up to an even higher level in a Super Bowl-winning postseason performance.
Even with the ups and tough moments through eight games this season, the Eagles are 6-2 and feeling good about what is ahead.
"What is important is that we all stay together and keep working hard and doing our jobs," Mailata said. "We have a tremendous football team. We know this is a long season. We know what we have to do and it's not going to be great every single time.
"But we are continuing to develop our craft and pushing each other. The name of the game is winning the damn game. That is our focus and nothing else. To see the way we played together against a defensive front that is so good, and the Giants are very good – I said all week that it was going to be good on good in this game – is a great step forward for us."