The Philadelphia Eagles brought wide receiver Erik Ezukanma back into the building on Wednesday, signing the former Miami Dolphins draft pick to the practice squad after a brief absence from the roster, via the NFL transaction wire.
The move came on the same day Philadelphia elevated running back Dameon Pierce from the practice squad to the active roster and added center James Brockermeyer, part of a quiet reshuffle that followed the team’s trade of Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens.
Ezukanma, 26, is familiar with the organization. The Eagles signed him in mid-June after a season with the United Football League’s D.C. Defenders, then waived him at the end of August when the roster was cut to 53.
That June deal had been a depth addition, not a headline one. Ezukanma was a fourth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2022, No. 125 overall, out of Texas Tech.
Over three seasons in Miami, he appeared in only five games, finishing with one catch for three yards and five carries for 22 yards.
He spent time on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad in 2025 before signing with the Defenders for the 2026 UFL season.
There he was more visible. Across 12 games he caught 15 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, added rushing production, and worked as a kick returner, finishing with more than 700 all-purpose yards by some counts of the full campaign.
The Defenders reached the United Bowl and lost to the Louisville Kings. Within days, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that Philadelphia had agreed to terms.
The traits that drew the Eagles in June are the same ones that make the return logical.
Ezukanma is listed at 6-foot-2 and about 206 to 210 pounds, with long arms and a college résumé that included 138 catches for 2,165 yards and 15 touchdowns at Texas Tech, where he was a two-time All-Big 12 selection.
Passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard also overlapped with him early in Miami, a small but useful connection.
He is not expected to jump the depth chart. The Eagles have spent the offseason rebuilding the receiver room after trading A.J. Brown, and Ezukanma remains a developmental body who can practice, return kicks, and be elevated if injuries hit. For a player who has never stuck on an NFL roster,
Wednesday’s signing is another chance rather than a breakthrough. Practice-squad rules at least keep him in the building while Philadelphia sorts out the rest of its midseason roster.
The Eagles will face the Jaguars in London this Sunday.
