DeSean Jackson lands on IR, making a bad WR situation in Philadelphia worse
On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that wide receiver DeSean Jackson needed core muscle surgery for a lingering injury suffered in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons that caused him to leave Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Reports that the procedure would require a six-week recovery window left open slim hope that the veteran receiver could return for a potential playoff run.
The Eagles put that hope to rest on Tuesday, announcing that Jackson is being placed on injured reserve.
Jackson’s muscle reportedly tore off the bone
Jackson initially opted to not have surgery in September with the hope that rehab would allow for a quicker recovery. NBC Sports’ John Clark reported on Monday that Jackson’s abdominal muscle completely tore off the bone when he tweaked the injury against Chicago.
Eagles desperate at wide receiver
The injury leaves a position that was already a weak spot for Philadelphia even thinner. Nelson Agholor, whose struggles with drops this season have been well documented, remains the top receiving target outside of Alshon Jeffery with the end of Jackson’s season.
Little-used Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside are next up on the Eagles depth chart. They’ve combined for 12 catches for 139 yards this season.
Despite the struggles on offense — Philadelphia ranks 21st in the NFL in passing — the Eagles are 5-4, a half game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East and alive in the wild card picture.
So, what now?
But it’s hard to picture them solving their offensive woes with their current personnel. The trade deadline has passed, leaving some to suggest that the Eagles are desperate enough to inquire about signing Antonio Brown, who’s been effectively blackballed from the NFL due to a swarm of legal problems that includes multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday that the Eagles are working out veteran wide receiver Jordan Matthews, who presents a more reasonable option, if not quite as exciting a football prospect.
There’s no legitimate sign that the Eagles would actually look into signing Brown, but the mere suggestion points to how desperate they are as they look to keep their playoff hopes afloat.
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