Getty Alshon Jeffery has been a fantasy disappointment over the last month of the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles are banged up, but they received some good news on Monday.
Following the report that starting defensive tackle Timothy Jernigan could be sidelined for the entire season due to a broken foot — just a week after defensive tackle Malik Jackson fell to the same injury — the severity of wide receiver Alshon Jeffery’s calf strain has been revealed.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jeffery’s injury is not major. However, he could be doubtful for the next two games as the team literally plays two games in just 10 days. The Eagles host the Detroit Lions next Sunday in Week 3 before traveling to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
#Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery is dealing with a calf strain, source said, following Sunday night football. It’s not major, but with two games in 10 days, the timing is bad. His status for those is in some doubt.
Jeffery failed to post a statistic against the Falcons after catching five passes for 49 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ Week 1 win over the Washington Redskins.
The veteran receiver is in the midst of his third season with the Eagles and has 127 catches for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns during his tenure in Philadelphia. He was a Pro Bowl selection as a member of the Chicago Bears at the conclusion of the 2013 season.
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Carson Wentz is Running Out of Receivers
Jeffery exited the Eagles’ Week 2 loss against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half. The timing was terrible for Philadelphia because DeSean Jackson also left the game at the same time with his own injury, a groin injury. That’s not even mentioning the fact that one of their two tight ends, Dallas Goedert, sat out the entire game due to re-aggravating a calf injury during warmups.
Long story short, Carson Wentz was forced to carry an Eagles offense that was depleted of their main weapons — and nearly led them to victory in a 24-20 defeat. However, the attempted victory came up short when Wentz’s completion to Zach Ertz was just short of the first-down marker inside the Falcons’ 10-yard line.
Considering the Eagles face major tests in the next two weeks with their fellow NFC rivals, Jeffery’s potential absence could pose problems for a receiving core that could also be without Jackson due to his groin injury.
Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advanced Media stated that with the Eagles so short-handed at receiver, they could turn to a familiar face — Jordan Matthews — as a free agent to fill the void over the next couple of weeks.
“With Jeffery hurt, and Jackson banged up, the Eagles will likely have to make a move to add another receiver to the roster, as Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins and rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside are the only remaining healthy wide receivers.
There are three obvious candidates to join the 53-man roster.
One is free agent Jordan Matthews. The former Eagles draft pick signed with the Eagles last season after Week 2 as Philadelphia dealt with some injuries at receiver, and he was solid for the duration of the season. He’s a veteran who knows the Eagles’ offense, and could be a reasonable short-term solution.”
We’ll keep you updated here at Heavy as soon as more information becomes available regarding the Eagles’ injuries at wide receiver.
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