The day after Landon Dickerson underwent meniscus surgery during training camp last year, he walked out to the field in street clothes following a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns with a cooler in tow.
Dickerson proceeded to distribute cans of Miller Lite to his buddies on the offensive line from both teams. But forget the booze — the three-time Pro Bowl left guard was standing on his feet roughly 24 hours removed from having his right knee cut open.
He returned to practice approximately two weeks later. Less than a month after his surgery, Dickerson started in the Eagles’ season opener at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
“Never count him out,” center Cam Jurgens said of Dickerson during camp at the time. “That’s the toughest guy I know.”
One year later, though, Dickerson may not take pride in that superlative.
Dickerson, who turns 28 in September, said on Saturday that he believed his return to action last year following meniscus surgery was premature.
“Probably shouldn’t have gone out there and played, but you live and you learn,” Dickerson said after the third practice of Eagles training camp. “You do stupid stuff when you’re young. I learned that mistake.”
That mistake, in addition to his lengthy injury history, will factor into how he will approach playing through future ailments, he said.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to be tough and work through it if it’s just going to wear you down, because they don’t pay you to be hurt,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson ought to know how it feels to be worn down by injuries. In the Super Bowl in 2025, he played through a left knee injury that required offseason surgery. In addition to the meniscus injury last season, he dealt with a back issue, plus an ankle injury that sidelined him in Week 6 against the New York Giants.
He had injury concerns coming out of Alabama, too. His pair of ACL tears and ankle injuries caused him to fall to the second round of the 2021 draft, when the Eagles selected him with the No. 37-overall pick.
Still, Dickerson said that he is “not really” worried about any potential cumulative effects of the injuries on his body. He said he never considered retirement this offseason and emphasized that he feels good after three days of training camp practice.
“Not having surgery is very nice,” Dickerson said.
With a full offseason to recover, Dickerson also traveled to Colombia to receive stem cell therapy to manage his pain. Jurgens went to the same clinic to address his back pain that lingered from his 2024 postseason surgery through 2025.
Dickerson said he spoke to other veterans across the league to learn what they do to stay healthy.
“This is my job, after all,” Dickerson said. “So exploring all avenues to try and feel good.”
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So far, so good, and not just for Dickerson. Jurgens and Lane Johnson, who played 10 games last season before suffering a Lisfranc foot injury in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions, are also back in action in training camp.
Their presence is particularly meaningful as the offensive line acclimates to a new blocking scheme under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
“Any time we can maintain the main group of guys in there, get the reps, especially with this new offense, the better we’re going to be,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I think with us staying on the field and not missing practice and taking those reps, it builds confidence knowing that we can endure and we can last, man. Lot of people depending on us. So we need to be out there.”
Dickerson called the new offense and blocking scheme a “tremendous change” from what the Eagles ran previously. The wide-zone blocking scheme is new to Dickerson, aside from what he had watched on tape in years past. He is learning that scheme from new Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper, whom Dickerson lauded for his wealth of knowledge from his playing and coaching careers.
Dickerson said the new scheme is a “great fit” for the personnel. With Mannion implementing the foundation for the offense, the offensive line is placing an emphasis on “eliminating the slow play,” Dickerson said, getting to the line quickly, making a call, and executing their play.
“I’m sure you guys see that Vic [Fangio] and his defense, they like to move around and do all this other stuff,” Dickerson said. “So, if you can get up there quick and just run your plays and not rely on what they’re doing, then [it] makes everybody’s life a little easier.”
Has Dickerson’s role within the scheme changed? No, he said, and neither has his blunt sense of humor.
“I’m still playing left guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, so yeah,” Dickerson said. “As of right now, that’s still my job.”
His teammates are just as grateful to have him continue in his post for a sixth season.
“It’s actually amazing that they get to be out here right now, given what they’ve gone through in the past year,” Jordan Mailata said of Dickerson and Jurgens on Thursday. “What they’ve been fighting through and for them to be healthy to participate in training camp is obviously a great sign.
“Hopefully we can continue to keep those guys fresh and have them available for the season.”
The first days of Eagles training camp practice in South Philadelphia are in the books. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner check in with key observations and highlight emerging early storylines to kick off unCovering the Birds’ coverage of the 2026 season. unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season. We’re always looking for mailbag questions! Hit Jeff up on his socials, or drop a question in the comments. Jeff could answer it in a future episode! Listen here.
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