Eagles Lose 6-Foot-6 WR to Devastating Season-Ending Injury
The Philadelphia Eagles entered the 2025 season with one of the deepest and most dangerous wide receiver groups in the NFL, but that depth just took a little hit.
Second-year wideout Johnny Wilson, who was beginning to carve out a larger role behind A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson, suffered a devastating lower-leg injury in training camp.
According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Wilson will miss the entire upcoming season after undergoing knee and ankle surgery.
It’s a blow not just to the Eagles’ receiver rotation, but to a young player who was showing signs of becoming a reliable weapon for Jalen Hurts.
Eagles WR Johnny Wilson’s Season-Ending Injury Comes at a Bad Time
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver Johnny Wilson suffered a season-ending injury.
The 6-foot-6 Wilson was a standout at Florida State who became known for his contested-catch ability, putting up over 1,700 yards across two seasons with the Seminoles before being selected by Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
His rookie season didn’t produce eye-popping numbers — he finished with five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown — but Wilson’s value showed in other ways, particularly as a blocker in the run game and as a situational mismatch downfield.
Coming into 2025, Wilson looked poised to expand his role. His size and catch radius had been creating problems for defensive backs during camp, and in the preseason action he flashed with three catches for 73 yards. But during an August practice, he went down awkwardly when a teammate rolled up on his leg. For a young player entering a crucial development year, the injury is a setback that will delay his progress until at least 2026.
A Closer Look at Philly’s WR Depth
The Eagles recently traded for John Metchie III from the Houston Texans, giving them a polished route-runner who can contribute both in the slot and on the perimeter. Metchie doesn’t have Wilson’s size, but his quickness and reliability as a chain-mover make him an ideal fit to absorb some of those snaps while providing Hurts with another dependable option.
Beyond Metchie, Philadelphia will lean on its younger depth to step up. Undrafted rookie Darius Cooper has been one of the surprise standouts of camp, flashing strong hands and chemistry with Hurts in live drills. Another name to watch is Ainias Smith. Both players now have a clearer path to the 53-man roster and could carve out rotational roles with Wilson sidelined.
“It was a big learning process,” Metchie said about learning Nick Sirianni’s offense, via Delaware Online. “Two things are happening: One, it’s a mental learning process. You have to learn a new offense, new scheme, really, the words. And second, it’s just football. When you’re out there, football is football. You run routes. You play offense against the defense. It’s kind of those two things. One, you keep it football; and on the other hand, on the mental aspect, you’re trying to learn a whole new concept, a whole new lingo.”
Now, with Wilson out, Metchie in particular will have a chance to impress. We’ll see if anyone else steps up.
