For the most part, the Philadelphia Eagles have been fortunate on the injury front during training camp this season. But nothing lasts forever, unfortunately. The team received some bad injury news just 24 hours before their second preseason game against the New England Patriots.
Quarterback turned tight end Tyree Jackson suffered a fractured bone in his back and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.
By most reports, Jackson was having an outstanding training camp thus far. He was giving Richard Rodgers a serious run for his TE3 spot. Without this unfortunate injury, Jackson would have likely snagged that roster spot from the veteran.
Now that we have a clear timetable for Jackson’s return, the Eagles have a tough decision to make. They can either place him on IR now, which means he’ll miss the entire 2021 season. But, he won’t count towards the initial 53-man roster. Or, they can place him on the 53-man roster, then place him on IR. He’ll be eligible to return by Week 3 if that’s the route Philly takes, though his injury will likely hold him out until Week 6 at the earliest.
Jackson is not eligible for the PUP because he was already practicing during camp. So that’s one option that’s thrown out the window.
The team has less than two weeks to cut down their roster to 53, so we’ll find out soon what they decide to do with Jackson. The most logical choice here would probably be keeping Jackson on the original 53, but the rest of the tight end picture gets a little weird if they do go in that direction.
Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are locks, so they could possibly keep Rodgers around as the TE3 while Jackson recovers, then cut him once Jackson is eligible to return. But then again, Jackson probably won’t be able to play once he’s eligible to return from IR. You see how there are multiple layers to this?
Hopefully, Jackson has a speedy recovery and comes back at full health. Back injuries can linger if not rehabbed to the fullest. Let’s hope this Eagles medical staff gets Jackson right.