Nick Gates' Inside Track To Game-Day Backup

The veteran offensive lineman is expected to be elevated from the practice squad for the season opener against Green Bay.

Eagles OL Nick Gates / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - Back when Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman preached patience following the initial cut down to 53, many predictably didn’t heed the advice.

The hand-wringing started early, particularly at tight end where the Eagles went light with just Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra, and at backup center where there was no obvious candidate after Cam Jurgens.

Roseman stressed that 70 (the 53-man roster, 16-man practice squad, and an international exemption) was the real number, and sure enough veteran Jack Stoll and promising developmental prospect E.J. Jenkins were added at TE, and by Thursday, the Eagles had three potential backup centers in Nick Gates, 2024 sixth-round pick Dylan McMahon and summer OC2 Brett Toth all back on the PS.

Gates, a sixth-year veteran, is expected to be elevated for the season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 6 to handle a backup interior role.

The Nebraska product has started 39 career NFL games with the New York Giants and Washington Commanders with 26 of those coming at center. He was the starting OC for the Giants in 2020 and again for the Commanders last season.

After the Eagles brought Gates in on July 30 he spent most of his time in training camp playing guard prompting many to question if the veteran is prepared for work in the pivot even though 1,848 of his 2,389 career NFL snaps have been at OC. 

“They've been repping me at the inside three [positions] all camp,” Gates said. “I've been doing that the whole time so it's been my job the last three years, playing inside three so I always stay ready for no matter what." 

Gates hasn’t gotten the opportunity to work with quarterback Jalen Hurts either but doesn’t foresee that as any kind of problem.

“I haven't gotten to work with Jalen yet snapping and stuff but quarterbacks like the ball right in their chest so I don't think it matters who it is,” Gates assessed. “They just like it so they [can] keep their eyes downfield and do their job."

If Gates seems non-plussed about his backup interior role on game day, that’s because it’s second nature to him.

The Eagles’ plan to let Toth and McMahon handle the backup reps during training camp was about evaluating their ability to do it vs. the demonstrated performance of understanding Gates could do it based on his prior NFL experience.

“When I wasn't getting reps in camp at center as much as I've been getting [I was] just working on [snaps],” Gates said. “It's something I know that's a part of my job. What's keeping me around is working on that inside three so I gotta do as much as I can."

MORE NFL: Accountability Vs. Autonomy: Eagles' Jalen Hurts Needs To Embrace Both