Jordan Mailata didn’t practice again today, and it sounds like it might be a few weeks until the offensive lineman returns to the field. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), the offensive tackle was originally expected to miss two to four weeks. Mailata already missed Week 3, so at the very best, it sounds like the lineman could be back next weekend at the earliest.
Mailata has one of the better NFL stories, as the 6-foot-8, 380-pound lineman didn’t start playing football until just three years ago. The former rugby player was a 2018 seventh-round pick by the Eagles, and he effectively red shirted his first two years in the NFL. Mailata became Jason Peters‘ primary replacement last season, and the lineman ultimately started 10 games.
While Pro Football Focus graded him as a middle-of-the-pack tackle last year, he was ranked as a top-seven offensive tackle from Weeks 12 to 16 (per Brad Spielberger of PFF on Twitter). Thanks to his continued improvements, the organization handed him a four-year, $64MM extension earlier this month. Mailata appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1 and Week 2 before suffering an MCL sprain.
In his absence, Andre Dillard has stepped up as a starter. The team also got encouraging news today, as offensive tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce both practiced in full.
Glad he got paid!
It is pretty cool to see an international player-and separately a rugby to football player-succeeding in the NFL. Especially after the string of high profile international players in the last decade (Moritz Boehringer, Valentine Holmes, Jarryd Hayne) who ended up not working out. Mailata still has a way to go but it’s cool to see him be a viable starter in the league.