The Eagles kicked off their season with more drama than anyone expected. Just six seconds into the game, defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, a shocking moment that left fans stunned and the team scrambling. But the real worry came even earlier. Fullback Ben VanSumeren went down on the very first play with a serious knee injury.

The 25-year-old was visibly frustrated, throwing his helmet before being carted off the field. This isn’t the first time his knee gave up on him. He suffered another knee injury in late 2024, one that was surrounded by uncertainty and conflicting reports, with some claiming it was an ACL tear. However, VanSumeren himself came out to say that it wasn’t.

He returned to practice this year and was predicted by Eagles analyst Brandon Lee Gowton to get more than 100 snaps as a fullback. And that just makes this injury sting a bit more.

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For the Eagles fans, this is a big setback. VanSumeren was finally playing in a position that comes naturally to him after all these years. And it all started when Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie made an interesting decision. “We are going to try to resurrect the fullback position,” Lurie said in a segment honoring Brandon Graham.  VanSumeren’s blocking and special teams skills made him the obvious pick.

When he re-signed on a one-year deal in March, the Eagles made the role official: full-time fullback and special-teams ace. It capped a winding path that began when he joined the team as a post-draft linebacker in 2023, and shifted to fullback last season. “I think it’s kind of cool that maybe teams are using the position more,” VanSumeren said. “It’s something I love to play and it can impact the offense in a lot of ways. I’m still learning our offense and how we plan to attack teams and that is exciting for me,” he added. But it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows.

This injury is particularly concerning given his season-ending knee injury in November 2024, raising questions about his durability. So, how will the Eagles cope with this setback now?

Eagles’ backfield and special teams depth

If you’re worried about “who blocks for the short-yardage runs?” or “who replaces him on punt coverage?” Eagles’ offseason depth additions made those questions a little easier to answer.

On paper, Philly’s backfield still stacks up nicely. Saquon Barkley is locked in as the bell cow after inking a two-year extension this offseason. Behind him, A.J. Dillon came aboard on a one-year deal to bring some bruising depth, and the Eagles kept younger legs like rookie Will Shipley around to round out the rotation.

But the only wrinkle here is that Ben VanSumeren’s biggest impact wasn’t on offense but on the special teams. That’s a tough hole to patch. Usually, coaches lean on guys already doubling as ST grinders, and last year only Kelee Ringo and Oren Burks logged more special-teams snaps than VanSumeren. So, the Eagles will likely shuffle existing core coverage guys rather than hand offensive snaps to A.J. Dillon immediately.

Offensively, if Philly needs a lead blocker that used to be Ben VanSumeren’s role, that job can be split between a short-yardage RB (Dillon or Shipley) and a tight end (Dallas Goedert or Grant Calcaterra) in single-set situations. The point is: the offense’s continuity is less threatened than special teams coverage is, and that’s probably the bigger short-term headache.