Eagles LT Jordan Mailata Out vs. Cowboys with Knee Injury; Andre Dillard to Start

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Saturday that left tackle Jordan Mailata will miss Monday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys with a knee injury.

According to Dave Spadaro of the Eagles' official website, Sirianni noted that Andre Dillard will start in Mailata's place.

Sirianni also said there is no timetable for Mailata's return, adding that he hopes it is "sooner" rather than later.

The 6'8", 365-pound Mailata was a seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2018, and it wasn't until last year that he saw regular-season game action.

Mailata is a 24-year-old native of Sydney, Australia, who played rugby and had no experience with American football before joining the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. The Eagles took a flier on Mailata, and it has worked out well for the organization.

After being brought along slowly, Mailata appeared in 15 games last season and made 10 starts. As a result of his strong performance, he entered 2021 as Philly's starting left tackle.

The Eagles were so encouraged by Mailata's progress that they signed him to a four-year, $64 million contract extension earlier this month.

With Mailata out for Monday's game after starting the first two games of the season, the Eagles will turn to a player who has been something of a disappointment to this point in his career in Dillard.

The Eagles selected Dillard with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Washington State, but he has started just four games over the course of three seasons.

Dillard started four of the 16 games he appeared in during his rookie year in 2019 before missing the entire 2020 campaign with a torn biceps.

The Eagles drafted Dillard with the goal of making him the starting left tackle across from Lane Johnson at right tackle, and while it hasn't worked out that way thus far, Sirianni said Saturday that he feels "really confident" in Dillard.

Monday's game will be a significant one in terms of NFC East supremacy, as the Eagles and Cowboys are currently tied atop the division with the Washington Football Team at 1-1.