Eagles Rookie Eli Stowers Records First Career Receptions

Eli Stowers Nets First NFL Catches for Eagles During Loss to Washington

Eli Stowers spent two weeks talking about how ready he would be whenever his moment finally arrived. Sunday night against Washington, with the game nearly out of reach during the second half of the Eagles’ sixth straight loss, the rookie second-round draft pick hauled in three passes for 53 yards.

NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the production came during garbage time, marking the first three receptions of the career in the second game of the career. Stowers caught a seven-yard pass from Tanner McKee for a third-quarter first down, followed by a 12-yarder on the final two snaps to set up a 4th-and-7 at the Washington 42-yard-line with two seconds remaining. He then pulled in a 34-yard reception down to the 8-yard-line as time expired on the game’s final play.

“It’s always good to get the first one out of the way and to be able to feel that in a game,” Stowers told reporters at his locker after Wednesday’s practice. “Anytime you go out there and you get a first catch, that’s a blessing to be able to even say that, ‘I got my first catch in the NFL game,’ so I think it did help the confidence. My body’s been feeling better and been able to move a little better so it felt good.”

Health and Training Camp Recovery Shape Rookie Timeline

After a quiet training camp, Stowers missed the first six weeks of the season on Injured Reserve, leaving questions about what the franchise possessed in the converted Vanderbilt quarterback. He made his debut in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, drawing one target without a reception, before flashing the soft hands and athleticism that prompted the Eagles to select him 54th overall as the second tight end in this year’s draft.

Stowers nearly scored on the final play against Washington before defenders brought him down at the 8-yard-line, completing the longest pass play of McKee’s career. “I caught the ball and it was a lot of space,” Stowers said. “And so anytime you catch the ball, you’ve got to go try to score. That’s the mindset that any ball carrier should have.”

The missed summer stemmed from a sequence of injuries that sidelined him for nearly two months. “I had hurt my hamstring and then I hurt my quad and then it was a span of like seven weeks where I just had to get my body back healthy from camp,” Stowers said. “I don’t think it was really a matter of me being behind physically. It was just I had to get back healthy, get on the field and perform well.”

Locker Room Mentorship Under Zach Ertz

Because he missed the opening stretch of the year, Stowers became the first Eagles second-round pick to sit out the initial six weeks since guard Bobbie Williams back in 2001. Williams wound up playing 12 years in the NFL and starting 136 games, mainly for the Bengals.

“Sometimes injuries like that, you can’t do anything about it,” Stowers said. “Take care of your body the best way you can. Get good sleep, eat right, drink, do all the stuff. But sometimes you just can’t do anything about it.”

The placement of Stowers’ locker right beside Zach Ertz — whose 828 career catches rank fifth all-time among NFL tight ends — was intentionally arranged. Ertz currently sits on the practice squad without remaining elevations, yet he continuously acts as a daily mentor for the 23-year-old Stowers.

“He’s been awesome,” Stowers said. “Everybody in that room has been awesome. We got all vets in there and I really appreciate how much they’ve kind of poured into me. “One of the first things Zach told me when he got here, he was like, ‘Yo, if you have anything, any questions, anything,’ let me know. Don’t be scared to ask. Sometimes he’ll even, when I’m sitting here being quiet, he’ll encourage me to ask him a question. Like, ‘Have you got something?’ “So, I appreciate that, man. He’s helping me get better.”