The Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders left fans with a lot to talk about in the immediate aftermath, whether it was the heroics of Jalen Hurts, the uneven performance from the offensive line, or the defense, which received great performances from Zack Baun and Riq Woolen.

The Eagles’ offense was under the microscope heading into the season opener, especially with a new offensive coordinator (Sean Mannion) and star wide receiver A.J. Brown now in New England. Fans and media alike wondered who would step up as WR2 alongside DeVonta Smith.

This summer, we heard that Dontayvion Wicks, whom the Eagles acquired in an offseason trade from the Green Bay Packers, was building chemistry with Hurts and could be a potential factor in the offense. On Sunday afternoon against the Commanders, Wicks quickly showed fans the training camp hype was real, putting forth a highlight-reel debut.

Dontayvion Wicks gets off to a stellar start in his Eagles debut

The 25-year-old Wicks surprisingly finished as the Eagles’ second-leading receiver behind tight end Dallas Goedert, recording two receptions (four targets) for 73 yards and a touchdown. Most of his yards came on a big-time passing play late in the first quarter.

On 2nd-and-4, Wicks showcased his ability to stretch the field as Hurts dropped the ball in the bucket down the right side of the field, hitting the newest Eagle receiver in stride for 64 yards. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Wicks, who averaged 12.3 yards per reception in Green Bay and ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2023, got behind Washington’s defense, and Hurts found him.

Dontayvion Wicks' first catch as an Eagle goes for 64 yards

— NFL Daily News (@insidenflnews.bsky.social) 2026-09-13T20:55:50.582Z

When Wicks was traded to the Eagles in April, the initial scouting report on the ex-Packer WR was that he plays in the slot and on the outside and won’t be afraid to get his hands dirty and block. No one likely had “deep threat” on their bingo card, but knowing he can be another field-stretching option will give defenses something to think about going forward.

In addition to his 64-yard catch in the first quarter, Wicks flashed his route-running skills in the second quarter. On 2nd-and-7 with pressure in his face, Hurts found Wicks towards the corner of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown catch.

Commanders cornerback Mikey Sainristil was assigned to cover Wicks on the play. As the video clip above shows, Wicks quickly gains leverage on Sainristil one-on-one in man coverage using pre-snap motion. From there, he breaks towards the outside, not inside, catching the Commanders’ cornerback out of position and giving Hurts a window he needed to complete the pass.

Simply put, it was the perfect play call and a great route run by Wicks. Nonetheless, Eagles fans couldn’t ask for a better start from Wicks, who spent the first three years of his career in Green Bay as a WR4 and is now getting a chance to prove that he can be a WR2 in Philadelphia.

With defenses likely keying in on Smith and Goedert, Wicks and rookie Makai Lemon will have opportunities to create big plays in the passing game. Now, let’s see if Wicks can have an encore performance in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, who gave up multiple big plays through the air in Week 1 to the New York Jets, including three 30-plus-yard receptions.