The never-ending DeSean Jackson saga has finally reached climax. The receiver will undergo surgery to repair his injured core muscle.
Jackson suited up and played on the Eagles’ first series Sunday only to re-injure his abdomen and leave the game. At first, the team declared it was an “equipment issue” and then later ruled him out with a core muscle issue.
On Monday afternoon, the Eagles released a statement on Twitter announcing that Jackson would have a surgical procedure on Tuesday morning to repair it. His season could be over.
In it, they reiterated Jackson worked extremely hard for six weeks to fight through the pain and fix it through rehab. He took the field against the Bears — and even caught one pass for five yards — on their first offensive drive. However, he experienced “discomfort” and had to be removed in the first quarter. Jackson first suffered the injury on Sept. 15 in Atlanta.
Statement from the Philadelphia Eagles regarding WR DeSean Jackson
Doug Pederson Hints Jackson Refused Surgery
The news marked the end of a bizarre series of events in Philadelphia. It had been rumored for many weeks that DeSean Jackson was dealing with a dreaded sports hernia and needed surgery, but refused to commit to the procedure. Head coach Doug Pederson basically confirmed that was the case during his day-after press conference.
“Players elect to have stuff done.,” Pederson told reporters Monday. “Players elect to have stuff done. I think ultimately DeSean didn’t want to have surgery when it happened. [DeSean] rehabbed it and got himself in a position to play. So I can’t put words in players’ mouths or doctor’s mouths, that’s not my position.”
Jackson has never addressed how or why when talking about his recovery from the injury. The receiver kept saying he was feeling stronger and getting ready to play. He even flew his personal trainer in from California and started using a hyperbaric chamber. Obviously, none of those things were quick enough fixes.
Will DeSean Jackson Return for the Playoffs?
The team is holding out hope that they can get their deep threat back for the postseason. Recovery from core muscle surgeries generally take up to two months, depending on the severity. There have been instances where elite athletes have returned to action from sports hernia procedures in four to six weeks.
Again, the Eagles did not declare the specific procedure Jackson was undergoing at this time. It is interesting to note that the team didn’t place him on injured reserve. Maybe he makes it back by late December or early January for a postseason run.
Maybe not. According to NBC 10’s John Clark, Jackson’s abdominal muscle is now completely torn off the bone. That is certainly not an ideal scenario for a 32-year-old player who thrives on speed attempting a miraculous comeback.
Per Clark: Jackson met with the specialist Monday afternoon and was told his core muscle injury is now worse than it was when it first happened in Week 2. His abdominal muscle is now completely torn off the bone after he tried to play Sunday against the Bears. It was a minimal tear when it first happened in Week 2. The injury occurred Sunday on the Eagles’ opening drive when he was tackled after his only catch. It worsened on the third-down sack on that same drive.
It sure seems like Jackson’s season may indeed be done based on that diagnosis. Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
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DeSean Jackson Undergoing Surgery, Team Hoping for Playoff Return