A three-touchdown day for a running back is a rarity. Even in training camp.
A three-touchdown catch day for a running back is even more rare.
Tuesday at Eagles training camp on a red zone-centric day at the NovaCare Center, backup running back Kenny Gainwell was far and away the star, finding paydirt three times, each time on a reception from Jalen Hurts.
With many expecting newly acquired superstar tailback Saquon Barkley to become a featured, every down back, the fantasy football world has gone quiet on Gainwell. And the fact of the matter may very well be that the Eagles are targeting their backup more in the summer to see what he can do, knowing Barkley is a proven commodity.
Still, his exploits are at least deserving of our game ball on offense.
Offensive game ball: Kenny Gainwell, RB
Early in practice, inside the Eagles own 10-yard line, Gainwell twice received a target from Jalen Hurts to "score" in early sessions. Running out of the flat he's showing he can be a lethal weapon when defenses sleep on him.
The 25-year-old veteran has focused on his hands all offseason:
Gainwell also got a few touches in the ground game, running to the outside, an interesting contrast to Barkley who got most of his touches between the tackles Tuesday.
The third score of the day was the most impressive, coming on a broken play where he found an open pocket in the end zone and beckoned a toss from a scrambling Hurts.
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It will be interesting to see how much playing time he can earn form a solid training camp.
Defensive game ball: Quinyon Mitchell, CB
The defense was solid Tuesday, holding its own the best it could amid the red zone setup, and there were some very impressive reps run by Eagles first-round pick Mitchell, who spent most of his time playing with the second unit.
In one such rep, Mitchell was in coverage in the red zone, forcing a would-be touchdown catch to be outside the pylons. He lined up at both the slot and outside spots during team drills.
Mitchell kept his most impressive play for 1-on-1 drills, which were run by the Eagles inside the red zone. Hurts and the other quarterbacks took turns tossing passes to their receivers, being covered by a single defensive back heading to the end zone. On one pass, thrown on a dime to A.J. Brown, Mitchell used his body to force Brown out of the back of the end zone despite the star wideout's concentration to bring the ball in. It was an incomplete pass and a feather in Mitchell's cap.
In the interest of journalistic diligence we should mention that Brown got his revenge later, scoring a touchdown in team drills.
The cornerback from Toledo may not start the season on the field opposite Darius Slay on every down, but he certainly has the talent to be there before the end of the 2024 season.
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