Since the 2025 season ended, the Philadelphia Eagles have been busy signing players to reserve/futures contracts, ensuring they’ll occupy spots on the 90-man roster when the new league year opens.
At a Glance
- The Eagles have signed 17 players to reserve/futures deals since the 2025 season ended.
- Three newcomers-RB Carson Steele, LB Jose Ramirez, OT John Ojukwu-join 14 returning practice-squad members.
- All contracts guarantee roster spots when the 2026 league year begins.
- Why it matters: Depth-chart competition intensifies as Philadelphia stockpiles experienced backups ahead of OTAs.
These agreements lock in players who finished 2025 on the practice squad, giving them a clear path to compete for 53-man roster spots next summer.
New faces in the fold
Carson Steele, listed at 6-0, 228 pounds, arrives from Kansas City. The undrafted 2024 UCLA product spent two years with the Chiefs, appearing in 17 games and three starts as a rookie. He logged 56 carries for 183 yards (3.3 avg.) and seven receptions for 26 yards while contributing on special teams. After a season on Kansas City’s practice squad, Steele will battle for a backup running back or fullback role. The Eagles opened 2025 with Ben VanSumeren at fullback, but VanSumeren’s Week 1 injury forced mid-season experimentation with Cam Latu.
Jose Ramirez, 6-2, 252, was a sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2023. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad and played four games in 2024. Cut before the 2025 season, Ramirez headed north to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, recording four tackles and a sack in three CFL contests. Hamilton released him earlier this month, clearing the way for his return to the NFL.
John Ojukwu, 6-5, 309, signed with Tennessee in 2023 after going undrafted out of Boise State. Over three seasons he appeared in 16 games with nine starts, lining up at right tackle and as an inline tight end in jumbo packages. The Eagles used a similar look in 2025 when Fred Johnson backed up Lane Johnson.
Familiar names sticking around
Gabe Hall, 6-6, 295, flashed during 2025 training camp and cracked the initial 53-man roster before shifting to the practice squad. The 2024 Baylor UDFA played two games last season.
Chance Campbell, 6-2, 232, joined the Eagles in late August and stayed on the practice squad all year. The Titans’ 2022 sixth-round pick out of Ole Miss earned praise as a top scout-team performer and has four career NFL games under his belt.
Quez Watkins remains in Philadelphia after re-signing. The 27-year-old returned to the practice squad in 2025 following short stints with Pittsburgh and Arizona. Originally the Eagles’ 2020 sixth-round pick, Watkins logged 98 catches for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns in 49 games (25 starts) during his first four seasons in midnight green.
E.J. Jenkins, 6-6, 245, has spent parts of three seasons on the practice squad since first arriving in November 2023. Known for his special-teams value, Jenkins has appeared in 10 games over the past two years, including two in 2025.
Andre’ Sam, 5-10, 194, signed as an undrafted rookie out of LSU in 2024 and has been elevated from the practice squad three times-the maximum allowed-plus the playoff meeting with San Francisco.
Ambry Thomas, 6-0, 190, spent 2025 on Philadelphia’s practice squad. The 2021 third-round pick by San Francisco played 42 games with 11 starts for the 49ers from 2021-23, collecting two interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
Tariq Castro-Fields, 6-1, 197, has been with the Eagles since mid-2022. The 2022 sixth-round pick by San Francisco also spent time with Washington and Carolina, logging 12 NFL games and one start-his last action coming with the Panthers in 2024.
Danny Gray, 6-0, 200, joined the practice squad during the 2024 season after San Francisco released the 2022 third-round pick out of SMU. Gray saw action in 13 games for the 49ers in 2024, recording two touches.
Brandon Johnson, 5-10, 185, signed as an undrafted rookie out of Oregon last season. He was elevated for the final three regular-season games, suffered an ankle injury in Week 18, and finished the year on the practice-squad injury list.
Jake Majors, 6-3, 306, arrived in September after going undrafted out of Texas. The rookie center spent the entire season on Philadelphia’s practice squad following a brief stint in Tampa Bay.
Hollin Pierce, 6-8, 341, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers and learned guard during training camp while on the practice squad.
What comes next
With these 17 signings, the Eagles have assembled a deep pool of experienced backups and special-teams contributors. All will report for offseason workouts aiming to crack the 53-man roster when Philadelphia opens the 2026 campaign.
Key takeaways
- Philadelphia retained 14 holdovers and added three external players.
- Steele, Ramirez, and Ojukwu bring NFL and CFL experience to crowded position groups.
- Special-teams standouts Jenkins, Sam, and Johnson return, ensuring continuity in coverage and return units.
- The early moves give the coaching staff a full 90-man roster to evaluate when the new league year begins.
